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The World Language Centre Project
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages
Overview
1. On the importance of languages as the foundation of cultural heritage and communication
2. The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages – its current operation
3. The World Language Centre – its future vision and its aims
4. The World Language Centre in Iceland
5. Functions within the World Language Centre
1. On the importance of languages as a tool for communication and as the
foundation of cultural heritage
Languages play a central role as the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The use of
language is the central driving force behind the development of cultural communities and
identities. Knowledge of different languages and cultures is the most important tool there
is for establishing a dialogue between cultures and for communication across the world.
International communication and cooperation between cultures has never been more
important than today. This cooperation takes place, for example, in education, science,
research, business, politics and in various kinds of development support. Mankind faces
numerous demanding tasks which can only been undertaken with the participation of all
nations. Among the most pressing issues are global warming, the gap between the rich
and poor and the gender gap. The basis for an international cooperation towards a
solution of such matters is proficiency in foreign languages, along with the knowledge of
and respect for other cultures and societies. In a world of ever greater interaction – social,
cultural, political and economic – the importance of multilingualism has never been
clearer, whether for the individual seeking an education or a job, or a company breaking
into new markets, or a government pursuing its interests in the international community.
But a language is more than just a means of communication; it is a gateway to another
culture’s experience of its own particular situation and of the world around it.
Many of the world’s languages have been lost, and many more are endangered. There are
numerous reasons for this state of affairs: the gobal economic and political development,
demographic changes, and the fact that a few of the world’s languages have assumed a
more prominent status than others. Such a development constitutes a serious threat to the
linguistic and cultural diversity in the world.
The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages has set itself the task to
establish a World Language Centre (WLC) – a leading research institute in the ecology of
language and culture, including linguistics, cultural studies, literature, translation studies
and foreign language acqusition and pedagogy. The principal aim of this enterprise is to
raise awareness of the importance of languages for the cultural and linguistic diversity of
mankind, and to emphasize the importance of foreign language proficiency and cultural
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knowledge for positive and constructive cross-cultural communication. Furthermore, the
Institute seeks to contribute to an increased general knowledge of the significance of
languages as the vehicle of intangible cultural heritage. The foundation of the World
Language Centre is in accordance with the explicit goal of the University of Iceland to
become one of the best universities in the world in terms of research, teaching and
academic excellence in general.
The Insitute is proud to announce that the World Language Centre has received the
institutional and moral endorsement of Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of
UNESCO.
2. The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages – its current operation
The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute of Foreign Languages is a research institute within
the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Iceland as a part of the Centre for Research
in the Humanities. Since October 1, 2001, the Institute bears the name of Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir, former President of Iceland and the first woman in the world to be elected
a consitutional Head of State. She was also the first and, so far, only Goodwill
Ambassador for languages at UNESCO. The principal motivation behind the naming of
the Institute was to honour Vigdís Finnbogadóttir for her important contribution to
languages – both her native Icelandic and foreign languages – throughout her carrier in
education, tourism, and as the President of Iceland. The Institute was given its new name
on the occasion of the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the
University of Iceland, in 2001, coinciding with the European Year of Languages.
The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute consitutes a dynamic research community, the only
one of its kind in Iceland that is explicitly devoted to foreign-language research and
teaching. All researchers in foreign languages taught at the University of Iceland are
members and the following languages are currently represented: Chinese, Danish,
English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish, and
Swedish, and the classical languages, Latin and Ancient Greek.
The work of the Institute falls into a number of interrelated areas. Among them are the
following:
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Research on foreign languages, including acquisition studies, semiotics,
translation, linguistics, literature and cultural studies.
The development of foreign language teaching materials which reflect the latest
advances in teaching methodology.
The enhancement of professional language skills, in particular translation.
The publication of scholarly works in the relevant research areas.
With respect to pedagogy, the Institute seeks to act as a source of information on the
latest developments in foreign language teaching methodology for all levels of the
education system. The Institute supports courses, seminars, lectures and conferences in
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this field, and seeks to establish relations with equivalent institutes abroad. This work is
meant to enhance and support the University’s academic programmes in language
pedagogy and has contributed to an innovative and effective teaching of foreign
languages at all levels.
The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute emphasizes the important role that language plays in
all areas of human life and the contribution that a knowledge more than one language can
make to individuals and societies, and for the global community at large.
Through its work the Institute promotes research on cultural and linguistic knowledge
and diversity in relation to foreign languages, as well as foreign-language pedagogy,
translations studies and foreign-language use for special purposes, for instance business.
The main research focus is on comparative studies within the research areas of the
Institute, studying languages and cultures from the perspective of interaction between the
local language and culture and that of other nations.
Thus, the Insitute emphasizes an interdisciplinary and constrastive/comparative approach
to the research of the interrelation of languages and cultures via communication,
including literature as well as socio-cultural and linguistic studies.
Just as the world’s many languages express the diversity of human experience and
insight, so the mastery of these languages provides a means of drawing people of
different backgrounds and perspectives together. The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute
celebrates the diversity that human languages represent and the means that they provide
for cross-cultural understanding.
3. The World Language Centre – its future vision and its aims
The University of Iceland aims to expand the current status of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Institute in order for it to participate even more actively than it does today in high-level
research activity with international scholars and research institutions.
The University has the vision to build upon the dedicated work of President Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for languages by working actively
towards establishing a World Language Centre, devoted to research on languages and
cultures, with all the necessary facilities for research, communication and language
teaching. The aim of this highly innovative project is to further the knowledge and
understanding of the intrinsic value of languages as part of the immaterial cultural
heritage of humanity.
A central research theme of the World Language Centre will be Ecology of Language and
Culture, focusing on the nature and significance of the internal and external factors – or
‘ecologies’ – that relate to the structure, function and vitality of languages and cultures.
Through this research centre the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute will contribute to the
preservation and celebration of linguistic diversity, in cooperation with other institutions
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and researchers in Iceland and in an international setting, and in fact with all those who
have an interest in languages.
The principal aims of the World Language Centre are the following:
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To raise awareness of the significance of language as a vital part of the immaterial
cultural heritage of mankind, by contributing to the preservation of the linguistic
and cultural diversity of the world.
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To create a venue for research on an international level in areas relating to
linguistic and cultural diversity by establishing a comprehensive database on
languages and cultures. This work will be materialized by making already existing
databases available (distributive databases) and, to a certain extent, by the
collection of new data. The first step will be to gather corpora that are relevant for
research on the languages already taught at the University of Iceland.
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To create a venue for reseach in sociolinguistics and cultural studies (including
literature and literary studies) and the systematic collection of knowledge about
the condition of the world’s languages.
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To create a venue for communication on, and experience of, languages and
linguistic matters by establishing an international research centre where various
sources on languages and cultural and linguistic matters will be concentrated,
such as corpora and other electronic data, academic books, journals, languagerelated computer programmes and film material.
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To enable the general public to experience and learn about the languages and
cultures of the world in a technologically sophisticated experience centre. With
the aid of information and language technology, visitors to the centre will engage
in a live experience of languages in their social and cultural context.
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To establish an international forum for research and the dissemination of research
in order to maintain a dialogue on linguistic and cultural matters.
4. The World Language Centre in Iceland
The idea of the WLC is based on the central role that languages – the native Icelandic and
foreign languages – play in Iceland, both in the present and historically.
Iceland has a unique position in terms of its geographic location, its culture and history.
For the WLC, which focuses on inter-language, inter-cultural and inter-continental
communications, the location of Iceland has a symbolic effect. The special situation of
Iceland already is an important part of the present function of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
Institute and will be fundamental for the function of the WLC.
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Language awareness as an integral part of Icelandic culture
Icelandic culture evolves to a very significant degree around language. There is much
awareness in Iceland of the Icelandic language and history. Moreover, Icelandic and
foreign languages are intertwined. Icelanders have always had a need for knowledge of
languages, for example for trade, studies abroad and travel. Already the Poetic Edda
gives evidence to an awareness of the importance of understanding foreign customs and
cultures:
Vits er þörf þeim er víða ratar.
‘Sense is needed for one who travels widely.’
Throughout the centuries Icelanders have sought higher education abroad, mainly in
Denmark, but also in many other countries. Already in mediaeval times going abroad was
a natural thing for Icelanders, in particular for the purpose of education on the European
continent, for example, France or Germany.
The following quote from Konungs skuggsjá, an educational text from around 1250,
attests to knowledge of foreign languages in an early period:
Ef þú vilt fullkominn vera í fróðleik þá nem þú allar tungur en týn þó eigi að heldur
þinni tungu.
‘If you want to become perfectly learned, you should learn all languages but still you
should not lose your own language’
In the modern world, where so much depends on the interaction with other languages and
cultures, the need for cultural and linguistic literacy has never been greater. In this respect
present-day Icelanders can build on the tradition, experience and the attitudes of earlier
generations.
Icelanders have always been keen travellers. On their voyages the Norsemen travelled
from Scandinavia to Russia in the east and Constantinople in the south, and further via
the British Isles to the North Atlantic islands to Iceland and Greenland, before they
finally reached “Vínland the Good” in North America. A particularly striking example
can be seen in the fate of an Icelandic woman named Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir who lived
around the year 1000. Having become one of the Norse settlers in Greenland, she then
accompanied her husband on a journey to Vínland. Later she went on a pilgrimage to
Rome, and upon returning to Iceland she became a hermit in the northern part of the
country. Another much-travelled Icelander was Jón Indíafari, living in the 17th century,
who went on a voyage to India. He is reported to have been fluent in English and
Portuguese and to have had some acquaintance with German, Russian, Hottentot and
Basque. An observant linguist, he even wrote a glossary of the Tamil language.
Icelanders have profited from the experience and the attitudes of their ancestors in
establishing their modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan society, which is highly engaged
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with international culture. Today, just as it has always been, Iceland is open to influence
from all around the world. A small nation in terms of numbers, with a population just
over 300 thousand, Iceland has everything that a modern society has to offer.
The importance of language education in Iceland
In Icelandic primary schools the study of two foreign languages is obligatory, and in
many schools pupils have the option of choosing a third one. In senior high school all
students are required to study three foreign languages, and students who choose to have a
special emphasis on languages study four or five foreign languages.
In Iceland there has always been great emphasis on good relations with the other Nordic
countries. Learning one of the Scandinavian languages promotes successful cooperation
as it enables communication with the rest of the Nordic countries. English is the first
foreign language Icelandic students learn, followed by Danish (or Norwegian or
Swedish). Icelanders learn Nordic languages in order to maintain the historical and
cultural connections with the Nordic countries which have been preserved since the
settlement of Iceland. The Nordic language community is an examplary model of
intercommunication between closely related languages. Mainland Scandinavians can use
Norwegian, Swedish and Danish for communication. Icelandic and Faroese are also
mutually intelligible. By learning Mainland Scandinavian languages the people of Iceland
and the Faroe Islands become part of this larger community.
Translation has been an important part of Icelandic tradition from the earliest period
onwards, attesting to international influence in interaction with the native tradition.
Already in Old Icelandic times a number of important works were translated from Latin
and French. Many of these translations are of a very high literary quality, involving some
of the most elegant prose in Old Icelandic. This translation activity attests to a mastery of
foreign languages and of remarkably sophisticated translation techniques, whereby the
foreign texts were integrated into the native literature.
The Bible was translated into Icelandic in the 1550s. The Bible translation, one of the
earliest in Scandinavia, had an enormous positive influene on the Icelandic language and
it also attests to the direct ties that Icelanders had with the outside world. Along with the
earlier translation activity, the Bible translation demonstrates the profound knowledge
that Icelanders in earlier times had of foreign cultures and traditions. In later periods the
world classics were translated into Icelandic, famous examples being Milton’s Paradise
Lost and Pope’s Essay on Man, translated by the clergyman Jón frá Bægisá (1744-1819).
Such works have had great influence in giving Icelandic the shape it has today.
Due to ever-increasing relations with other countries in all spheres of society, translation
from other languages to Icelandic and vice versa has increased immensely.
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The example of Icelandic
The Old Icelandic native literature, the famous Sagas and Eddas, are a widely acclaimed
part of world literature. But in fact there was an unbroken written tradition from the
earliest times (12th century) to the present. Icelandic culture has never existed in
isolation. At all times Icelandic literature has been a reflection of what was happening
elsehwere. The Sagas not only tell of events in Iceland, but also of other countries and
foreign cultures.
It is remarkable that although Iceland was under foreign rule (first Norway, and then
Denmark) for nearly seven centuries, the language was nevertheless preserved. There are
fewer than twenty buildings in Iceland that are more than 200 years old but the country
has 1000 years of literary tradition written in the native tongue. This tradition has never
existed in isolation but in interaction with the outside world.
The awareness of the Icelandic language vis-à-vis other languages is documented in some
of the earliest Icelandic writings. The so-called First Grammatical Treatise (12th
century) is an outstanding work in terms of its scientific precision and methodological
rigour. The First Grammarian was well aware that the difference between Icelandic and
English was unlike the difference between, for instance, Icelandic and Latin:
Nú eptir þeirra [enskra manna] dæmum, alls vér erum einnar tungu, þó at gjörzt hafi
mjök önnur tveggja eða nakkvat báðar...
‘Now following the examples [of Englishmen], since we are of one language, although
one of them has changed, or rather both to some extent.’
The view expressed here is that Icelandic and English were once “the same” but have
now changed and are more different than before
There are complicated reasons behind fact that Icelanders have managed to preserve their
native language throughout the centuries despite foreign influence. One of the main
reasons would seem to be the national literary heritage as well as the established tradition
of a developed language policy, dating back at least to the eighteenth century. Since the
mid-nineteenth century language planning has been practiced as an active language
policy. According to this policy, neologisms are created for new concepts (e.g., sími
‘telephone’, tölva ‘computer’) rather than adopting words from other languages.
The active conservative literary tradition is likely to have been an important factor in the
relative stability of Icelandic. Icelandic has changed less than other Scandinavian and
Europen languages in the past 1000 years. Moreover, there appear never to have been
well-defined local dialects in Iceland with numerous distinctive characteristics, nor are
there strong contrasts between a standard and substandard register, at least compared to
many other countries. The tradition of active language policy protecting and cultivating
Icelandic vis-à-vis an active interest in and knowledge of other languages and cultures is
a guiding light for the vision of Icelandic as a role model for other “small” languages,
both in Europe and in other areas of the world.
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Conclusion
Due to Iceland’s unique position in terms of its geographic location, its culture and its
history it is the ideal place for the WLC. The special situation of Iceland already is an
important part of the present function of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute and will be
fundamental for the function of the WLC.
The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute places great emphasis on the value of a positive view
towards languages, both to the mother tongue as well as to foreign languages, as they
serve as the basis for preserving the vital heritage of cultural and linguistic diversity on a
world wide basis. The work of the WLC could become of immense importance for
nations whose languages are under threat.
5. Functions within the World Language Centre
The World Language Centre aims to establish and maintain strong ties with the best
research in Iceland and internationally. It will seek the collaboration with other
universities in Iceland and with universities abroad. This goal is in line with an already
established policy which is shown by the fact that in the past years there has been a huge
increase in international collaboration in scientific projects, including the humanities.
Research activity
In accordance with its role as an international research institute, the World Language
Centre will focus on highly relevant and well-defined interdisciplinary research topics in
linguistics, cultural studies, literature, translation studies and foreign language acquisition
and pedagogy from a comparative/contrastive perspective.
A central research theme of the World Language Centre will be the Ecology of Language
and Culture, focusing on the nature and significance of the internal and external factors –
or ‘ecologies’ – that relate to the structure, function and vitality of languages and
cultures. In recognition of the fact that societies are embedded within the natural
ecosystems sustaining life, this kind of research analyzes language and culture not only in
a social context, but also in an ecological context. The main focus within the WLC will
be on the documentation and analysis of the ecological system of “small” cultural and
linguistic communities, with a particular emphasis on Icelandic as a role model for other
“small” languages and a positive attitute and knowledge of foreign languages. The point
of departure for the cross-cultural and cross-linguistic comparison would initially involve
“the North” (Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish dialects, Faroese, Sámi,
Greenlandic/Eskimo…) and gradually other areas as well.
Further specific research topics that would be relevant for the work of the WLC include
the following:
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Language comprehension and the value of identity for culture in the Nordic
countries
The relevance of placenames as evidence for interlanguage and intercultural
contacts
The evidence of loan words for interlanguage and intercultural contacts: Universal
and language-specific properties of proverbs and idioms
Proverbs and idioms unique for certain languages
The relevance of orality vs literacy for language and culture
Comparative lexical studies – crosslinguistic and crosscultural perspectives
Comparative syntax – macro- vs. microparametric comparison
Prosody, meaning, function in a cross-linguistic context
The effect of foreign language profieciency on national identity
The development of different literary genres in different language communities
and how they relate to culture and language
The effects of language stimulate on the development of art forms
The following principal functions are envisaged within the World Language Centre:
A virtual experience and research centre for world languages
A knowledge and research centre for the world’s languages will be established where
data on languages and the cultures associated with them will be accessible for academics
as well as the general public. The aim is to provide education on languages and culture
and enable people to enjoy a live experience of the world’s languages. Both written and
spoken language would be used. There will be great emphasis on usage of language
technology, computers and artistic representation of the material.
In the centre there will be access to linguistic information on languages of the world and
their status, from a general linguistic, soiciolinguistic and cultural perspective. As an
example there will be information on the following aspects of the world’s languages:
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distribution
status (e.g. state language or minority/majority language, whether the language is
endangered, etc.)
origin
history
relation to other languages
if the written language consists of signs or letters
attitudes towards the language
main literary achievements written in the respective language, etc.
Moreover, it would be possible to access information on research on respective
languages. In relation to the knowledge centre there would be a specialised library with
material (books, journals, and electronic data) on the world’s languages with special
emphasis on language typology, culture and traditions in different parts of the world. This
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aspect of the work would be carried out in collaboration with Icelandic and international
language students.
Nexus of databases
A language centre would be established where databases with data on the world’s
languages would be accessible. Instead of systematically collecting all the languages, a
distributed database would be accessible electronically. To begin with, databases on the
fourteen languages taught at the University of Iceland would be accessible. The next step
would be the minority languages in Europe and then gradually other languages
throughout the world would be added. By making this data accessible in one place a
venue would be created for research and academic dialogue on languages and culture.
Language library and resource centre
In the centre there will be a specialized library with an extensive selection of material
related to languages, such as academic journals on languages, culture and linguistics.
Moreover, books, films and electronic data would be accessible in the library, both for
students and teachers.
A home area
In the WLC there will be special home areas, or zones, for all the languages which are
taught at the University of Iceland. This would entail excellent facilities for teaching in
the respective languages, Danish, English, French, Japanese, etc. Specific teaching
material on the languages and everything related to them, such as linguistics, culture and
society (academic literature, educational programmes, multimedia etc.) would be
accessible. It would be equipped with modern facilities and necessary resources required
for effective language learning.
Vigdís Auditorium
In the language centre there will be a special honourary lecture hall, dedicated to the first
democratically elected president in the world, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. It would be
equipped with top-notch technological facilities for holding conferences. The lecture hall
would be used for special occasions such as international conferences and lectures by
distinguished speakers.
A room in honour of Vigdís’s contribution
In the language centre there would be a special room dedicated to the work which Vigdís
Finnbogadóttir has contributed towards languages. Vigdís has always been an active
spokesman for the importance of languages, her Icelandic mother tongue as well as
foreign languages, for individuals and society as a whole, both on a local and a global
scale. This has always been an integral part of her work as a teacher, theatre director,
President of Iceland and as UNESCO’s first and, so far, only Goodwill Ambassador for
the Languages, a position she has held since 1998. The exhibition would be open to the
public.
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