Romany language on the verge of extinction in Finland
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By Kristiina Markkanen
”Laalo, blaato, dzjelto (”red”, ”blue”, ”yellow”)”, Roma children read aloud in the back room of the Viherlaakso day-care centre in Lahti.
They are having a lesson in Kàlo Finnish Romani, the official name for the language of the Finnish Roma minority. Sisters Teresa and Maritsa Borg are colouring balloons while learning the names of colours in Romany.
The girls have been lucky: teacher Marianne Florin is working at the same day-care centre as a subsidised worker, in other words as an assistant, whose salary comes partly from the budget of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.
Marianne Florin has experience in such language circles, even though her own Romany proficiency level is not very high.
On the other hand, one lesson a week is not enough to make Maritsa and Teresa fluent speakers of Romany. Unfortunately, they will not have any opportunity to continue their Romany studies in comprehensive school.
The situation in Lahti is typical.
Only very few Finnish Roma children are taught in their own mother tongue - depending on the year, around 150 children learn Romany at a day-care centre or at school.
The figure equals some five to ten per cent of all Roma children in Finland. Not many children learn the language at home these days.
The Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE) has tried to improve the teaching of Kàlo Finnish Romani in schools, and in 2009, the appropriations dedicated to that purpose have been doubled.
In fact, some projects to support Roma children and their parents in matters relating to the Romany language have been launched in Finland.
”Next autumn we will introduce language immersion groups, so-called language nests, for both adults and children learning Romany. We also plan to organise two language camps in the summer”,says Senior Adviser Leena Nissilä from the FNBE.
There are a number of reasons for the scarcity of instruction in Romany.
Municipalities are not obliged to provide the language, nor are they interested in arranging such instruction, there is a shortage of qualified teachers, or homes lack the understanding or courage to demand instruction in Romany for their children.
Elämä ja Valo is a Lahti-based association of Roma people in Finland.
Some years ago the association woke up to the fact that the Romany language could be facing the threat of extinction in Finland within a decade.
What do researchers have to say? Will the Romany language cease to exist in Finland?
”The number of those who actually use the language for everyday communication cannot be very high”, says professor Matti Leiwo from the University of Jyväskylä with a deep sigh.
In his view the Finnish Romany language is endangered, no doubt about that.
Researcher Kimmo Grönfors from the University of Helsinki says that Kàlo Finnish Romani is in serious danger, to say the least.
No proper statistics of Romany language-skills exist, but according to the latest estimates, there are at least 10,000 Roma people in Finland, of whom maybe half know the language satisfactorily or well.
”We who are around our 50s speak Romany all right, but our children do not”, says teacher of Romany Tuula Åkerlund from Romano Missio, a national child welfare and social service orgnisation for Roma people.
”When the children were small we just did not understand that we could teach them two languages”, Åkerlund says with regret.
Tuula Åkerlund also points out that the older generation does not want the language to be taught to outsiders. The language has been the only wealth of the poor travelling people.
”The generation that has experienced oppression and contempt is still alive. For them the language has given comfort, which is why they have wanted to keep it only in the family circle”, Åkerlund explains.
I love you - Me kamlava tuut
English sentences translated into Kàlo Finnish Romani:
Good day! - Tsihko diives!
Finland’s stand on EU enlargement - Fintiko themmesko dzinta EU:sko bohliboske.
I love you! - Me kamlavaa tuut!
A Finn who belongs to the mainstream population - Fintiko komunis
A Caucasian, a person of European origin - gaajo
Helsinki (the capital) - Baro fooros
Finland - Finitiko them or Fintiko them
University - apruno skoola
A night cafe - rassako kaljakiero
Peace - freediba
Numbers: 1 = iek, 2 = dui, 3 = triin, 4 = staar, 5 = pangh, 6 = hou, 7 = efta, 8 = ohta, 9 = enja, 10 = deh
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 8.4.2009
Note: April 8th was the International Day of the Roma, to celebrate Roma culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Roma people. On February 11th, the Helsinki City Museum opened an international exhibition entitled Watch out, Gypsies! The History of a Misunderstanding, on the past and present of Europe’s Roma. The exhibition will be open until August 30th from Wed through Sun 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thu 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Free entry. Address: Hakasalmi Villa, Mannerheimintie 13 D (next door to Finlandia Hall).
”Laalo, blaato, dzjelto (”red”, ”blue”, ”yellow”)”, Roma children read aloud in the back room of the Viherlaakso day-care centre in Lahti.
They are having a lesson in Kàlo Finnish Romani, the official name for the language of the Finnish Roma minority. Sisters Teresa and Maritsa Borg are colouring balloons while learning the names of colours in Romany.
The girls have been lucky: teacher Marianne Florin is working at the same day-care centre as a subsidised worker, in other words as an assistant, whose salary comes partly from the budget of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.
Marianne Florin has experience in such language circles, even though her own Romany proficiency level is not very high.
On the other hand, one lesson a week is not enough to make Maritsa and Teresa fluent speakers of Romany. Unfortunately, they will not have any opportunity to continue their Romany studies in comprehensive school.
The situation in Lahti is typical.
Only very few Finnish Roma children are taught in their own mother tongue - depending on the year, around 150 children learn Romany at a day-care centre or at school.
The figure equals some five to ten per cent of all Roma children in Finland. Not many children learn the language at home these days.
The Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE) has tried to improve the teaching of Kàlo Finnish Romani in schools, and in 2009, the appropriations dedicated to that purpose have been doubled.
In fact, some projects to support Roma children and their parents in matters relating to the Romany language have been launched in Finland.
”Next autumn we will introduce language immersion groups, so-called language nests, for both adults and children learning Romany. We also plan to organise two language camps in the summer”,says Senior Adviser Leena Nissilä from the FNBE.
There are a number of reasons for the scarcity of instruction in Romany.
Municipalities are not obliged to provide the language, nor are they interested in arranging such instruction, there is a shortage of qualified teachers, or homes lack the understanding or courage to demand instruction in Romany for their children.
Elämä ja Valo is a Lahti-based association of Roma people in Finland.
Some years ago the association woke up to the fact that the Romany language could be facing the threat of extinction in Finland within a decade.
What do researchers have to say? Will the Romany language cease to exist in Finland?
”The number of those who actually use the language for everyday communication cannot be very high”, says professor Matti Leiwo from the University of Jyväskylä with a deep sigh.
In his view the Finnish Romany language is endangered, no doubt about that.
Researcher Kimmo Grönfors from the University of Helsinki says that Kàlo Finnish Romani is in serious danger, to say the least.
No proper statistics of Romany language-skills exist, but according to the latest estimates, there are at least 10,000 Roma people in Finland, of whom maybe half know the language satisfactorily or well.
”We who are around our 50s speak Romany all right, but our children do not”, says teacher of Romany Tuula Åkerlund from Romano Missio, a national child welfare and social service orgnisation for Roma people.
”When the children were small we just did not understand that we could teach them two languages”, Åkerlund says with regret.
Tuula Åkerlund also points out that the older generation does not want the language to be taught to outsiders. The language has been the only wealth of the poor travelling people.
”The generation that has experienced oppression and contempt is still alive. For them the language has given comfort, which is why they have wanted to keep it only in the family circle”, Åkerlund explains.
I love you - Me kamlava tuut
English sentences translated into Kàlo Finnish Romani:
Good day! - Tsihko diives!
Finland’s stand on EU enlargement - Fintiko themmesko dzinta EU:sko bohliboske.
I love you! - Me kamlavaa tuut!
A Finn who belongs to the mainstream population - Fintiko komunis
A Caucasian, a person of European origin - gaajo
Helsinki (the capital) - Baro fooros
Finland - Finitiko them or Fintiko them
University - apruno skoola
A night cafe - rassako kaljakiero
Peace - freediba
Numbers: 1 = iek, 2 = dui, 3 = triin, 4 = staar, 5 = pangh, 6 = hou, 7 = efta, 8 = ohta, 9 = enja, 10 = deh
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 8.4.2009
Note: April 8th was the International Day of the Roma, to celebrate Roma culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Roma people. On February 11th, the Helsinki City Museum opened an international exhibition entitled Watch out, Gypsies! The History of a Misunderstanding, on the past and present of Europe’s Roma. The exhibition will be open until August 30th from Wed through Sun 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thu 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Free entry. Address: Hakasalmi Villa, Mannerheimintie 13 D (next door to Finlandia Hall).
KRISTIINA MARKKANEN / Helsingin Sanomat
kristiina.markkanen@hs.fi