Language as a resource: public sector discourse on the role of regional minority and community languages in integration and employment

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper presents a thematic analysis of public sector discourse on the values assigned to regional minority and community languages within the UK and Finland. This paper draws from semi-structured interviews conducted in Manchester, Cardiff, Helsinki, and Rovaniemi. Two key themes emerged from the interview data: Language as a Resource for Integration and Language as a Resource for Employment. The findings demonstrate that the concept of language as a resource is multidimensional and complex, as majority, regional minority, and community languages are valued differently within macro-policy and service provider discourse. In the public sector discourse, the majority language skills were positioned as necessary resources for migrants’ integration into society. However, the regional minority languages, Welsh in Wales and Swedish in Finland, were framed as providing additional integration benefits. Community language skills were acknowledged as resources for meeting the diverse language needs of the public sector. However, both regional minority and community languages were positioned as ancillary to the majority languages for employment opportunities. Overall, these patterns reveal a hierarchical attribution of value based on underlying ideologies that emphasise the civic and economic benefits of multilingualism.