Varissuomi sometimes also referred to as "huono suomi" (bad Finnish) is a distinct form of the Finnish language which has developed recently among the immigrant communities in Varissuo. It contains a very simplified grammar and a very limited vocabulary. Varissuomi is primarily used by the younger generations of foreign families who speak different languages to communicate between each other, although some have started using English instead. [1] [2] [3]
Their form of speech has also spread into residents of Varissuo who have an ethnically Finnish background. [4]
Varissuo has a high amount of individuals with a foreign background, being up to 90% of those who are recently starting school. For many young students, the only place where Finnish used is school, leading to a weakened understanding of standard Finnish. [5] This has caused to the communities to start using a distinct form of Finnish, given the name "varissuomi", containing a very small vocabulary with very simple grammar. [6]
There have been many proposals to make immigrant communities around Varissuo learn standard Finnish, including the idea to replace Swedish classes with Finnish classes, [7] or more radical ones such as forcefully moving students into other schools to expose them into standard Finnish. [8]
Members of the Finns Party have expressed fears of Varissuomi also spreading more into ethnic Finnish communities. [9]