Icelandic Learning is a Gendered Health Issue Logan Lee Sigurðsson skrifar 1. apríl 2025 08:32 It is no secret that language barriers are one of the biggest challenges for all Icelanders of foreign origin. Iceland has the lowest self-reported host language proficiency for migrants among all OECD countries — just 18%, compared to the 60% average. Practical access barriers are commonly discussed, including course availability, quality, and high costs. However what is often missing from the conversation is just how learning Icelandic intersects with gender and health. Hidden Barriers: Language learning is labour, even if not often recognized as such. It demands time, focus, and emotional energy — resources not equally available to everyone. Unsurprisingly, the same barriers immigrant women face in the labour market — ie. disproportionate childcare and family responsibilities, health issues, cultural expectations etc. — likewise limit their ability to participate in Icelandic learning. Moreover, knowledge gaps around how trauma, grief, anxiety, and other integration stressors show up in classrooms in ways that language teachers are often not equipped to handle via generalized language teaching methods. Language learning for migrant learners uniquely can trigger and intensify complex issues of identity and belonging. Emotional and cognitive challenges — such as irritability, forgetfulness, sleep disturbances, emotional detachment, and negative self-image — can hinder one's ability to learn, yet are often misunderstood by both learners and educators. Well-meaning advice often offers, “Just be confident!” or “Get out and try more!”, with even some healthcare professionals approaching the matter more within the scope of general self-esteem issues. Yet deeper, multicultural factors are at play, such as dual-identity formation, coping with microaggressions, internalized discrimination, and all the invisible work and effort it takes to navigate an unfamiliar society. Studies further indicate women experience more second language anxiety, echoing broader trends in social anxiety. While Icelandic is obviously difficult for men too, unique gendered circumstances including: the emotional labor of relationship management, preservers of family reputation, more likely to be socialized to draw personal value and self image based on their relationships and how others see them, extra subjection to social policing, increased expectations of coming off as caring and polite pressuring careful tone and word choices etc. These factors raise the stakes of language expression differently for women. As a result, learning Icelandic becomes incredibly personal and isolating, leaving many women silently wondering, "What is wrong with me that makes this so hard?" The Results: With one of the highest migrant overqualification rates in the OECD — about 1 in 3 migrants are in mismatched jobs compared to 1 in 10 natives — Foreign women are especially affected as more likely to be overqualified and hold higher education than their male peers. For refugees, these gaps are even wider. Then their children — even those born and raised in Iceland — also face challenges, as they are disproportionately represented in the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) category. Low parental income or unemployment — both correlating with immigrant families — play a major role in this. The weight and worry this can put on women, particularly as mothers hoping to offer their children better opportunities, is immeasurable. Hope for Change: W.O.M.E.N. offers this article as another perspective to language learning barriers. We see a critical need and opportunity to better support women of foreign origin and their families by exploring these topics further. Partnering with Kvíðameðferðarstöðin and multiple language schools this Spring and Summer, W.O.M.E.N. is conducting the Mállíðan (Mál / language + líðan / health) project funded by the Immigrant Development fund. Mállíðan offers wellbeing support alongside Icelandic courses for women of foreign origin; while together working to better understand these issues and identify best practices. If you are a woman of foreign origin this article has resonated with - you are not alone. We welcome you to visit our website for more information on courses from participating schools here: https://womeniniceland.is/en/mallidan/ The author is the Vice Chair of W.O.M.E.N. & Project Manager of Mállíðan Viltu birta grein á Vísi? Sendu okkur póst. Senda grein Íslensk tunga Mest lesið Opið hús fyrir útvalda Björn Brynjúlfur Björnsson Skoðun Norska leiðin hefur gefist vel – í Póllandi Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir Skoðun 120km hraði á Keflavíkurveginum og netsölur með áfengi Jón Páll Haraldsson Skoðun Af hverju hræðist fólk kynjafræði? Eydís Ásbjörnsdóttir Skoðun Auðbeldi SFS Örn Bárður Jónsson Skoðun Af hverju er Framsóknarfólk hamingjusamast? Árelía Eydís Guðmundsdóttir Skoðun Skjárinn og börnin Daðey Albertsdóttir,Silja Björk Egilsdóttir,Skúli Bragi Geirdal Skoðun Lausnin liggur fyrir – Landspítali þarf að stíga skrefið Sandra B. Franks Skoðun „Er stjúpmamma þín vond eins og í Öskubusku?“ Hafdís Bára Ólafsdóttir Skoðun Hópnauðganir/svartheimar! Davíð Bergmann Skoðun Skoðun Skoðun 120km hraði á Keflavíkurveginum og netsölur með áfengi Jón Páll Haraldsson skrifar Skoðun Lausnin liggur fyrir – Landspítali þarf að stíga skrefið Sandra B. Franks skrifar Skoðun Auðbeldi SFS Örn Bárður Jónsson skrifar Skoðun Skjárinn og börnin Daðey Albertsdóttir,Silja Björk Egilsdóttir,Skúli Bragi Geirdal skrifar Skoðun „Er stjúpmamma þín vond eins og í Öskubusku?“ Hafdís Bára Ólafsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Af hverju er Framsóknarfólk hamingjusamast? Árelía Eydís Guðmundsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Norska leiðin hefur gefist vel – í Póllandi Heiðrún Lind Marteinsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Opið hús fyrir útvalda Björn Brynjúlfur Björnsson skrifar Skoðun Af hverju hræðist fólk kynjafræði? Eydís Ásbjörnsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Hlustum á okkar landsliðskonur - sýnum Ísrael rauða spjaldið Hrönn G. Guðmundsdóttir,Ragnhildur Hólmgeirsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Hópnauðganir/svartheimar! Davíð Bergmann skrifar Skoðun Valdið og samvinnuhugsjónin Kjartan Helgi Ólafsson skrifar Skoðun NPA breytti lífinu mínu Sveinbjörn Eggertsson skrifar Skoðun Hefur þú tilkynnt um ofbeldi gegn barni? Alfa Jóhannsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Gildi kærleika og mannúðar Toshiki Toma skrifar Skoðun Hvernig tryggjum við samkeppnishæfni þjóðar? Jón Skafti Gestsson skrifar Skoðun Í minningu Frans páfa - sem tók sér nafn verndardýrlings dýra og náttúru Árni Stefán Árnason skrifar Skoðun Flottu kjötauglýsingarnar í blöðunum... Ole Anton Bieltvedt skrifar Skoðun Grafarvogsgremjan Þorlákur Axel Jónsson skrifar Skoðun Er ég að svindla? – Um sambýli manns og gervigreindar í sköpun og þekkingu Björgmundur Örn Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Fjármögnuðu stríðsvél Rússlands Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Hugleiðingar á páskum Ámundi Loftsson skrifar Skoðun Gremjan í Grafarvogi Davíð Már Sigurðsson skrifar Skoðun Samlokan á borðinu: Hugleiðingar á föstudeginn langaum sjónvarpsþættina Adolescence Skúli Ólafsson skrifar Skoðun Móttaka skemmtiferðaskipa - hlustað á íbúa Þórdís Lóa Þórhallsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Námsfærni nemenda í íslenskum skólum: Eigum við að lækka rána? Sigríður Ólafsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Snorri byggir skoðun á skólakerfinu á reynslusögum annarra en Guðrún vitnar í ritrýndar heimildir Davíð Routley skrifar Skoðun Þegar mannshjörtun mætast Jóna Hrönn Bolladóttir,Bjarni Karlsson skrifar Skoðun Horft til einkunna og annarra þátta við innritun í framhaldsskóla Guðmundur Ingi Kristinsson skrifar Skoðun Kristján á Sprengisandi lendir í ágjöf Björn Ólafsson skrifar Sjá meira
It is no secret that language barriers are one of the biggest challenges for all Icelanders of foreign origin. Iceland has the lowest self-reported host language proficiency for migrants among all OECD countries — just 18%, compared to the 60% average. Practical access barriers are commonly discussed, including course availability, quality, and high costs. However what is often missing from the conversation is just how learning Icelandic intersects with gender and health. Hidden Barriers: Language learning is labour, even if not often recognized as such. It demands time, focus, and emotional energy — resources not equally available to everyone. Unsurprisingly, the same barriers immigrant women face in the labour market — ie. disproportionate childcare and family responsibilities, health issues, cultural expectations etc. — likewise limit their ability to participate in Icelandic learning. Moreover, knowledge gaps around how trauma, grief, anxiety, and other integration stressors show up in classrooms in ways that language teachers are often not equipped to handle via generalized language teaching methods. Language learning for migrant learners uniquely can trigger and intensify complex issues of identity and belonging. Emotional and cognitive challenges — such as irritability, forgetfulness, sleep disturbances, emotional detachment, and negative self-image — can hinder one's ability to learn, yet are often misunderstood by both learners and educators. Well-meaning advice often offers, “Just be confident!” or “Get out and try more!”, with even some healthcare professionals approaching the matter more within the scope of general self-esteem issues. Yet deeper, multicultural factors are at play, such as dual-identity formation, coping with microaggressions, internalized discrimination, and all the invisible work and effort it takes to navigate an unfamiliar society. Studies further indicate women experience more second language anxiety, echoing broader trends in social anxiety. While Icelandic is obviously difficult for men too, unique gendered circumstances including: the emotional labor of relationship management, preservers of family reputation, more likely to be socialized to draw personal value and self image based on their relationships and how others see them, extra subjection to social policing, increased expectations of coming off as caring and polite pressuring careful tone and word choices etc. These factors raise the stakes of language expression differently for women. As a result, learning Icelandic becomes incredibly personal and isolating, leaving many women silently wondering, "What is wrong with me that makes this so hard?" The Results: With one of the highest migrant overqualification rates in the OECD — about 1 in 3 migrants are in mismatched jobs compared to 1 in 10 natives — Foreign women are especially affected as more likely to be overqualified and hold higher education than their male peers. For refugees, these gaps are even wider. Then their children — even those born and raised in Iceland — also face challenges, as they are disproportionately represented in the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) category. Low parental income or unemployment — both correlating with immigrant families — play a major role in this. The weight and worry this can put on women, particularly as mothers hoping to offer their children better opportunities, is immeasurable. Hope for Change: W.O.M.E.N. offers this article as another perspective to language learning barriers. We see a critical need and opportunity to better support women of foreign origin and their families by exploring these topics further. Partnering with Kvíðameðferðarstöðin and multiple language schools this Spring and Summer, W.O.M.E.N. is conducting the Mállíðan (Mál / language + líðan / health) project funded by the Immigrant Development fund. Mállíðan offers wellbeing support alongside Icelandic courses for women of foreign origin; while together working to better understand these issues and identify best practices. If you are a woman of foreign origin this article has resonated with - you are not alone. We welcome you to visit our website for more information on courses from participating schools here: https://womeniniceland.is/en/mallidan/ The author is the Vice Chair of W.O.M.E.N. & Project Manager of Mállíðan
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