Debates over the status of the Finnish and Swedish languages in Finland tend to ignore the fact that Finland has developed into a truly multilingual country.

Finland has two official languages: Swedish and Finnish. The status of both languages has recently generated debate within the country, particularly over the mandatory teaching of Swedish in Finnish language schools. Pasi Saukkonen assesses the current controversy, noting that the situation within the country has changed markedly since Finland’s language policy was developed in the early 20th century. A far greater number of languages are now spoken by people living in Finland, and individuals are also more likely to have more than one mother tongue. This greater linguistic plurality is beginning to put the country’s bilingual policies under pressure.