The Swedish government is reviewing a draft bill that would guarantee protection for Swedish, in both Sweden and abroad. This law is meant to affirm the status of Swedish as a first language and to ensure access to language education for all those living in Sweden.

Sweden is, along with The Netherlands, one of the hubs of English-speaking communities in Europe. It is one of those places where almost anyone you meet will speak excellent English. But this bilingualism seems to trouble some decision-makers in Sweden, as they note that Sweden risks losing ground, especially in scientific fields.

Following a government study, Swedish scientists should focus on using their mother tongue in scientific activities and on developing a Swedish scientific vocabulary for their fields of expertise. According to Swedish Ministry of Culture studies and the new draft bill, civil servants would be advised to engage in discourse in Swedish only, avoiding expressions or words from other languages, and, while abroad, to use Swedish whenever an interpreter or a translator were available.

If this law comes into force (expected by July 1^st 2009), other language preservation actions should be anticipated in Sweden, such as the extension of the Svenska För Invandrare (Swedish for Immigrants) programmes.