Intergenerational Transmission of Language Capital and Economic Outcomes

Abstract

This paper investigates the intergenerational transmission of language capital in immigrant communities from one generation to the next, and the effect of language deficiencies on the economic performance of second generation immigrants. Our analysis is based on a long panel that oversamples immigrants and that allows their children to be followed even after they have left the parental home. Our results show a significant and sizeable association between parental language fluency and that of their children, conditional on a rich set of parental and family background characteristics. We also find that language deficiencies of the children of immigrants are associated with poorer labour market outcomes for females, but not for males. There is a strong relationship between parental language fluency and labour market outcomes for females, which works through the child's language proficiency. Abstract: This paper investigates the intergenerational transmission of language capital in immigrant communities from one generation to the next, and the effect of language deficiencies on the economic performance of second generation immigrants. Our analysis is based on a long panel that oversamples immigrants and that allows their children to be followed even after they have left the parental home. Our results show a significant and sizeable association between parental language fluency and that of their children, conditional on a rich set of parental and family background characteristics. We also find that language deficiencies of the children of immigrants are associated with poorer labour market outcomes for females, but not for males. There is a strong relationship between parental language fluency and labour market outcomes for females, which works through the child's language proficiency.

Educational Attainment Across Generations: The Role of Immigration Background*

“…Borjas (1992), in particular, argues that ethnic capital, that is, the human capital of the ethnic community as a whole, has an independent effect to that of parental capital in raising the education levels of immigrant children. Deficiencies in parents' host-country language skills are often passed in part to their children, reducing children's educational attainment (Bleakley & Chin, 2008) and diminishing labour market outcomes (Casey & Dustmann, 2008). Deficiencies in parents' host-country language skills are often passed in part to their children, reducing children's educational attainment (Bleakley & Chin, 2008) and diminishing labour market outcomes (Casey & Dustmann, 2008).…”

“…3 Moreover, language skills are also linked across generations. Deficiencies in parents' host-country language skills are often passed in part to their children, reducing children's educational attainment (Bleakley & Chin, 2008) and diminishing labour market outcomes (Casey & Dustmann, 2008). At the same time, immigrant parents are often argued to have higher educational aspirations for and make greater investments in their children's education (Kao & Tienda, 1995;Glick & White, 2003;Corak, 2008), particularly if they are permanent rather than temporary migrants (Dustmann, 2005).…”

“…Borjas, 1992;Sweetman & Dicks, 1999) or language capital (e.g. Bleakley & Chin, 2008;Casey & Dustmann, 2008). Second, the long-term economic and social integration of immigrant communities is directly linked to their human capital investments and degree of intergenerational mobility.…”

Limited English proficiency and psychological distress among Latinos and Asian Americans

“…As Jasso (2011, p.1328) remarked, “Perhaps no single characteristic is as emblematic of both the life chances of immigrants and their children and the reactions of natives as English fluency.” Proficiency in the host country’s language plays a significant role in the economic assimilation of immigrants and their children (Casey & Dustmann, 2008). There is empirical evidence suggesting a positive association between English skills and earnings for immigrants (i.e., Bleakley & Chin, 2004; Hall & Farkas, 2008).…”

How can language be linked to economics?

“…Others analyzed the links between bilingualism and economic outcomes (Fry & Lowell 2003), the intergenerational transmission of language capital others, 2005a, 2005b;Casey & Dustmann 2008), and measurement issues related to language proficiency (Finnie & Meng 2005). The role of age in the acquisition of language skills by immigrants has also research (Bleakley & Chin 2010).…”