Day of the Icelandic Language

Today is the Day of the Icelandic Language, a day that reminds us of the importance of preserving and developing the Icelandic language. We take this opportunity to celebrate not only the Icelandic language itself but also the diversity that strengthens it, including Icelandic as a second language. Around 20% of Iceland's population speak Icelandic as a second language, and this diversity is an important part of our society.

We are proud to have offered Icelandic language courses for individuals and businesses for over 20 years, with the aim of promoting inclusion, social participation and empowerment for those who wish to learn Icelandic. We believe that language is the key to social cohesion and equal opportunities.

Our Icelandic teachers are language specialists and speak a combined total of around 30 languages in addition to Icelandic. This specialism enables us to cater for the needs of a diverse group of around 2,000 students each year. Our students come from all over the world and learn Icelandic for work, study and daily life. This enables them to become active participants in Icelandic society.

We would like to use this day to thank everyone who has contributed to the promotion of the Icelandic language and Icelandic language teaching, both as a mother tongue and as a second language.

We would also like to thank everyone who took part in our competition, „This is my Icelandic!“, which was held to mark the Day of the Icelandic Language. The competition was about sharing a short video in which participants spoke Icelandic with their own unique characteristics and described what their Icelandic was like.

We have received incredibly diverse and beautiful videos that show how rich our language is and how its diversity enriches our community. We are deeply grateful for all the dedication and creativity that the participants put into the project.

The competition is now officially over and we will announce the winner next week. The winner will receive a free Icelandic course of their choice from Mími.

Thank you for making your voices heard and taking part in celebrating Icelandic in all its glory!