Inkeriläisten paluumuuttajien kielitutkinnon synty keskustelussa
Abstract
This is a study on impact, the meanings given to a language exam when the exam was launched. Ingrians are ethnic Finns who have been living in Russia for many generations. In order to immigrate to Finland on the basis of Finnish origin they have to prove Finnish language skills. The Ingrians’ language exam was designed to test if the residence permit applicant is at A2 level in Finnish. This study is based on both oral and written data. In this article I analyze parliamentary protocols and media texts. In addition to these written materials I have interviewed persons who worked on the language exam when it was designed. The topics analyzed construct a continuum between the Finnish identity (past) and moving to Finland (future), both in a text and between texts written over several years. Finally, this article discusses some implications concerning language testing in the future.
