Perspectives on the Revitalization of Minority Languages 2026

On 15-16 October 2026, The Institute for Language and Folklore (Isof), in collaboration with the Department of Finnish at Stockholm University, will host a conference exploring different perspectives on the revitalization of minority languages.

Information

Time: 15-16 October 2026

Location:Stockholm University, details TDB (to be decided)

Registration: Please register by filling in the form below. Registration deadline is 30 September 2026.

Fee for 2 days participation:

  • 700 SEK (excluding reception dinner)
  • 1150 SEK (including reception dinner)

If you attend only one day, the fee is:

  • For day 1 (15 October)
    • 350 SEK (excluding reception dinner)
    • 800 SEK (including reception dinner)
  • For day 2 (16 October): 350 SEK

Student price:

  • 200 SEK per day + reception dinner (450 SEK)

For student price we will ask you to show proof of study at registration.

All fees are excluding VAT. Separate information regarding payment of the conference fee will be sent by email.

Live broadcast: The conference will be broadcast live on the web for those unable to attend in person. Register in the form below to receive a link ahead of the stream.

Further information about the program will be published at a later date.

For questions, contact: revitaliseringskonferens@isof.se

Registration: Participate in the conference

Registration: Follow the live broadcast

If you are unable to attend the conference in person, you can follow the live broadcast online free of charge. Submit your email address here and we will send you the link before the conference.

The conference brings together researchers, practitioners and representatives from civil society to explore language revitalization from both theoretical and practical perspectives, and as a long-term and multifaceted effort where research, policies and the experiences of various stakeholders intersect. This year, particular attention will be given to issues related to teaching and to a coherent educational pathway from preschool to higher education.

The two days of the conference have different thematic and linguistic focuses.

  • Day 1 will be held in English and will focus on current research on language revitalization.
  • Day 2 will be held in Swedish and will highlight experiences from practical revitalization work.

The conference will take place at Stockholm University, with the option to follow the event via livestream.

Program

Torsdag 15 oktober 2026

Thursday 15 October 2026

Språk: Engelska
Language: English

08:15–09:00 – Registration and coffee

09:00–09:15 – Welcome
Catrin Norrby, Vice Dean, Stockholm University
Malin Ekman Aldén, Director-General, Isof

09:15–10:00 – Keynote: Education in language revitalisation: barrier or driving force?
Annika Pasanen

10:00–10:40 – Coffee break and move to parallel sessions

Parallel sessions 10:40–12:10

Education, culture and linguistic heritage

10:40–11:10 – The turn of the tide for Sámi in Norwegian education?
Øystein A. Vangsnes

11:10–11:40 – What is Finnish Culture in the Swedish school? Mediation of Cultural Literacy in Mother-Tongue Tuition in Sweden
Maarit Jaakkola & Boglárka Straszer

11:40–12:10 – Reconsidering Pali and Sanskrit in Thailand: Heritage Language Preservation and Cultural Sustainability
Kowit Pimpuang

Families, transmission and language acquisition

10:40–11:10 – Supporting parents of Sámi remote students: adapting the master-apprentice program in Máze
Anette Briksdal

11:10–11:40 – From transmission to acquisition: rethinking language practices and domains for the continuity of Livonian
Gunta Kļava & Valts Ernštreits

11:40–12:10 – Family Language Policies and Intergenerational Transmission of Heritage Russian in Finland and Sweden
Olga Nenonen

Language use, accessibility and attitudes

10:40–11:10 – Virtual Reality Speech Simulation Game as a Tool for Minority Language Revitalization in Higher Education
Riikka Partanen

11:10–11:40 – Test reader-method for research on comprehensibility of top-down communication in North Sámi
Felix Mäkelä

11:40–12:10 – Language attitudes across time: A qualitative longitudinal study of Livonian speakers
Anna Sedláčková

12:10–13:00 – Lunch

13:00–13:45 – Keynote: When education becomes revitalisation: lessons from Gaelic Medium Education in Scotland
Ingeborg Birnie

13:45–13:55 – Break and move to parallel sessions

Parallel sessions 13:55–15:25

Responsibility, agency and minority positions

13:55–14:25 – Responsibility in Sign Language Revitalisation
Maria Andersson-Koski

14:25–14:55 – When perspectives on language revitalization differ between indigenous diverse goals and academic and educational ideals
Héloïse Calame

14:55–15:25 – In the minority among minorities – the case of Romani
Márton A. Baló
Additional author: Anna Lovas (not attending)

Language, identity and cultural practices

13:55–14:25 – Two Languages, Unequal Conditions: Language Shame Among Swedish-Speaking Youth in Finland
Marion Kwiatkowski

14:25–14:55 – Non-expert translation as language learning and language revitalisation: initial observations on the endangered Karelian language
Niko Tynnyrinen

14:55–15:25 – SAMMEN
Brynhild Slaatto, Tove Kristiansen & Cornelia Stigen

Education, policy and minority perspectives

13:55–14:25 – Indigenous Language (Re)vitalization: an analysis of educational policy in the state of Amazonas (Brazil)
Bianca Benini-Morottaja

14:25–14:55 – Beyond Preservation: Multidisciplinary Value of Regional Dialect Education within Thailand’s Educational Continuum
Methawee Yuttapongtada

14:55–15:25 – Sustaining National Minorities in Education: A Project Presentation
Leena Maria Heikkola

15:25–15:55 – Coffee break

15:55–16:40 – Keynote: Language revitalization as an angel of history
Linus Salö

16:40–16:55 – The Sweden-Finnish Thesis Competition as Minority Knowledge Production, Language Revitalisation and Public Engagement
Maarit Jaakkola

16:55–17:00 – Concluding remarks

17:30 – Reception

Fredag 16 oktober 2026

Friday 16 October 2026

Språk: Svenska
Language: Swedish

08:15–09:00 – Registrering

09:00–09:15 – Välkommen
Harriet Kowalski, avdelningschef, Institutet för språk och folkminnen
Heidi Grönstrand, prefekt, Institutionen för slaviska och baltiska språk, finska, nederländska och tyska

09:15–10:00 – Keynote: Från läromedelskritik till dynamiskt läromedelsbruk
Jörgen Mattlar

10:00–10:30 – Kaffepaus

10:30–11:15 – Romani – revitalisering i offentliga rum och föreningslivet
Mirsad Sahiti, årets minoritetspråkspristagare, Malmö Ungdomscentral

11:15–11:45 – Perhekerho – för ett starkare finskt språk
Mona Moussavi Andersson & Aino Forsberg, Finska föräldranätverket i Haninge

11:45–12:15 – Grodan med gröna sammetskläder
Anne Kalmering Josephson & Tove Jonstoij, Judiska församlingen i Stockholm

12:15–13:15 – Lunch

13:15–13:45 – Ubmejesámien ájgie – umesamiska språkträffar
Patricia Sydlén & Anna-Karin Lövgren, Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan Västerbotten

13:45–14:15 – Kielivoima – språkkraft genom språkbad på meänkieli
Göran Lahti, Svenska Tornedalingars Riksförbund – Tornionlaaksolaiset

14:15–14:45 – Kaffepaus

Digitala och praktiska verktyg för revitalisering

14:45–15:15 – Språkteknologi för jiddisch – digitala verktyg i revitaliseringens tjänst
Jacob Larsson & Mikaela Rohdin

15:15–15:35 – Robotvikaren Ilo uppmuntrar till läsning på finska
Eeva Östberg & Aaro Kalliokoski

15:35–15:55 – AIM – AI som pedagogiskt verktyg för att undervisa nationella minoritetsspråk i förskola
Petra Petersen

15:55–16:00 – Avslutningsord

Keynotes

Porträtt.

”Education in language revitalisation: barrier or driving force?”

Annika Pasanen

Professor of Sámi Sociolinguistics, Sámi University of Applied Sciences (Sámi allaskuvla), Kautokeino, Norway.

Porträtt.

”When education becomes revitalisation: lessons from Gaelic Medium Education in Scotland”

Ingeborg Birnie

Senior lecturer and Professor, the Institute of Education at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.

Porträtt.

”Language revitalization as an angel of history”

Linus Salö

Professor at the Department of Swedish Language and Multilingualism, Stockholm University, Sweden.

Porträtt.

”Från läromedelskritik till dynamiskt läromedelsbruk”

Jörgen Mattlar

Senior Lecturer and associate Professor at the Department of Education, Uppsala University, Sweden.