Linguistic barriers in the destination language acquisition of immigrants

Isphording, Ingo E.; Otten, Sebastian

doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2014.03.027

Cited by 106 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Approaches draw from linguistic research on differences among languages, or they deduce linguistic distances from the average effort of foreign language students who share a common native language to reach certain proficiency levels. A strong relationship between linguistic distance and achieved levels of language proficiency has been documented using German, American [3], and Canadian microdata [2] and results on international tests [4].…”

Section: Ability and Efficiency In Learning A New Languagementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The data are based on a sample of immigrants in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. The applied measure of linguistic distance is differences in pronunciation, as, for example, in [4]. For immigrants who arrive before early adolescence literacy scores decline only modestly with increases in linguistic differences between their native language and the host country language.…”

Section: World Of Labormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Proxies for cognitive ability, such as individual and parental educational attainment, are positively correlated with achieved levels of language proficiency. These relationships between efficiency-affecting variables and language acquisition have been documented for a range of countries, including Canada, Germany, Israel, and the US, based on data on international test scores [1], [2], [4].…”

Section: World Of Labormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instead, studies use historical ties, geographic proximity, and common borders as indicators of a higher likelihood of pre-migration exposure. Studies using microdata for Canada, Germany, and the US find these indicators to be positively associated with host country language proficiency levels [2], [4].…”

Section: Degree Of Exposure To the Host Country Languagementioning

confidence: 99%

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Isphording¹

2015

izawol

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte.

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Section: Ability and Efficiency In Learning A New Languagementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: World Of Labormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: World Of Labormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Degree Of Exposure To the Host Country Languagementioning

confidence: 99%

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Back to Articles What drives the language proficiency of immigrants?

Isphording¹

2015

izawol

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“…of the difference in the assimilation rate into French. Finally, regression (4) in Table 9 includes instead the Chiswick-Miller language distance measure with respect to 23 See also Isphording and Otten (2014) for an alternative definition of language distance. 24 Dutch, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian 25 Arabic, Dutch, Chinese, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.…”

Section: Some Extensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assimilation in multilingual cities

Ortega¹,

Verdugo²

2015

J Popul Econ

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This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link: AbstractWe characterise how the assimilation patterns of minorities into the strong and the weak language differ in a situation of asymmetric bilingualism. Using large variations in language composition in Canadian cities from the 2001 and 2006 Censuses, we show that the differences in the knowledge of English by immigrant allophones (i.e. the immigrants with a mother tongue other than English and French) in English-majority cities are mainly due to sorting across cities. Instead, in French-majority cities, learning plays an important role in explaining differences in knowledge of French. In addition, the presence of large anglophone minorities deters much more the assimilation into French than the presence of francophone minorities deters the assimilation into English. Finally, we find that language distance plays a much more important role in explaining assimilation into French, and that assimilation into French is much more sensitive to individual characteristics than assimilation into English. Some of these asymmetric assimilation patterns extend to anglophone and francophone immigrants, but no evidence of learning is found in this case.JEL classification: F22, J15

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Israeli‐Jewish immigrants in Germany: An assessment of the destination‐language acquisition model and the role of Holocaust memory

Rebhun

2022

Population Space and Place

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Since its reunification in 1990, Germany has been the destination of a large number of immigrants from Israel. They chose to settle in a country that is associated with the greatest tragedy in Jewish history, the Holocaust. Furthermore, they were raised in a country in which Holocaust memory and commemoration are major component of group identity. Within this context, the present study uses data from a survey carried out in 2014/2015 among Israeli‐Jewish immigrants in Germany (N = 510) to assess their linguistic adjustment in the new country. Incorporating factors of Holocaust memory (noneconomic incentives) into the model of destination‐language acquisition (MDLA), I ran similar equations for the three uses of language: speaking, reading and writing. Results from the multivariate analysis suggest that Holocaust memory does not inhibit the immigrants' proficiency in the German language. Accordingly, I adapt the indifference hypothesis, centring on maximizing gains and pleasure, and refute the two competing hypotheses, disruption and heightening. Variables of the MDLA—exposure, efficiency and economic incentives, and, especially, duration in the host country and young age at immigration—are significantly associated with proficiency in German; they were able to explain much of the variation in each of the uses of language. In the Discussion, I venture a proposal as to how fluency in German may help to attenuate intergroup tensions.

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Linguistic barriers in the destination language acquisition of immigrants

Cited by 106 publications

References 29 publications

Back to Articles What drives the language proficiency of immigrants?

Back to Articles What drives the language proficiency of immigrants?

Assimilation in multilingual cities

Israeli‐Jewish immigrants in Germany: An assessment of the destination‐language acquisition model and the role of Holocaust memory

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