Icelanders’ English skills overrated

Birna Arnbjörnsdóttir, Professor in Second Language Studies, is working with a group of scientists & students on mapping Icelanders’ skills in English -  and also how English is applied in Icelandic schools at all levels, and in other workplaces. Arnbjörnsdóttir says that Icelanders overestimate their English skills. “It became apparent that adults whether working or studying at University level overestimate their knowledge of English and university students spend a lot of time translating, taking notes, googling, and working with texts in English in order to understand them. This is a hidden problem that few seem to appreciate or acknowledge as the presupposition is that everyone is able to use English almost as their native language, Icelandic.”

Arnbjörnsdóttir says that the results reveal that we live in a new language environment where English is used in some way or other in all realms of Icelandic society, despite the fact that it has no official standing other than as a foreign language. “English skills are generally overrated and our results call for a change in emphasis in Icelandic language policy and teaching at all levels.”

The inspiration for the study was the Icelandic attitude to describe themselves as bilingual in English and Icelandic. “In the four years of study, we have conducted attitude surveys and evaluated English skills among over a thousand Icelanders. The aim was to study Icelanders’ knowledge of English as well as the use and whether its status has changed in Iceland in recent years. We wanted, furthermore, to examine English teaching in schools and how it supports the use of English in university study or the workplace.” Arnbjörnsdóttir says that basic research was greatly lacking as foundation for language- and teaching policies. “It was also important to study whether university students and others possess the English skills required in study and the workplace.”

Icelanders understand more in English than they can use according to preliminary findings; and the skills are in colloquial language, not formal spoken or written language. “The study also showed that students have achieved the aims of the syllabus at the beginning of English teaching in the fourth grade and that students consider English necessary in life but do not look at it as a subject.” Arnbjörnsdóttir adds that the findings revealed the attitude that English is fun but that students find that English teaching adds little to their skills that are mainly achieved outside the school.