Conclusions

The purpose of this volume is to make a claim for the emergence of a new linguistic context in Iceland and its implication for educational policymakers as well as teaching and learning. The findings are applicable far beyond the Icelandic context as similar developments are taking place in all the Nordic countries. The new linguistic environment of Iceland, identified in this study, is triggered by the spread of English as more Icelanders use more English for more purposes than ever before. To this end we have used a wide range of analytical methods to examine the development of Icelanders’ expanded language repertoires throughout the lifespan with a special focus on and how the repertoires of young Icelanders function in educational settings. The findings are the results of a seven-year nation-wide research project that includes data from both naturalistic and instructed English learning and data from the societal functions to which the acquired English skills are put.