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A spatial economic perspective on language acquisition : segregation, networking and assimilation of immigrants

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  • Florax, Raymond J.G.M.

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculteit der Economische Wetenschappen en Econometrie (Free University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics Sciences, Business Administration and Economitrics)

  • Graaff, Thomas de
  • Waldorf, Brigitte S.
Abstract
Immigration and multiculturalism are at the heart of modern western societies. The issue of language acquisition of immigrants is intrinsically linked to immigration. We formally link language acquisition of immigrants to the relative size of the immigrant stock, employing a microeconomic trading framework. Our model allows for spatial interaction going beyond the immigrant’s area of residence, and explicitly incorporates spatial segregation. In addition, behavioral differences of immigrants with respect to their level of assimilation into the host country as well as differences in networking within their own ethnic community are accounted for. We test our model for four non-western immigrant groups in the Netherlands using two different spatial scale levels. The empirical results reveal that there is only ambiguous support for the inverse relationship between size of the immigrant community and language acquisition or language proficiency in The Netherlands. We find instead, that there is strong support for language acquisition and understanding being positively influenced by assimilation to the host country’s culture.

Suggested Citation

  • Florax, Raymond J.G.M. & Graaff, Thomas de & Waldorf, Brigitte S., 2004. "A spatial economic perspective on language acquisition : segregation, networking and assimilation of immigrants," Serie Research Memoranda 0006, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    • Handle: RePEc:vua:wpaper:2004-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. Thomas de Graaff & Cees Gorter & Peter Nijkamp, 2001. "Effects of Ethnic Geographical Clustering on Educational Attainment in the Netherlands," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 01-028/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    14. Mark M. Fleming, 2004. "Techniques for Estimating Spatially Dependent Discrete Choice Models," Advances in Spatial Science, in: Luc Anselin & Raymond J. G. M. Florax & Sergio J. Rey (ed.), Advances in Spatial Econometrics, chapter 7, pages 145-168, Springer.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Zhiling & de Graaff, Thomas & Nijkamp, Peter, 2017. "Look Who’s Talking: On the Heterogeneous Returns to Foreign Language Use at Work among Natives and Migrants in Europe," GLO Discussion Paper Series 104, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Christopher D. Blake & Daniel R. Walter, 2021. "Heritage Language Labor Market Returns: The Importance of Speaker Density at the State Level," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Rob Euwals & Hans Roodenburg & J. Dagevos & M. Gijsberts, 2007. "The labour market position of Turkish immigrants in Germany and the Netherlands; reason for migration, naturalisation and language proficiency," CPB Discussion Paper 79, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    4. Euwals, Rob & Dagevos, Jaco & Gijsberts, Mérove & Roodenburg, Hans, 2007. "The Labour Market Position of Turkish Immigrants in Germany and the Netherlands: Reason for Migration, Naturalisation and Language Proficiency," IZA Discussion Papers 2683, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Jessie Bakens & Peter Nijkamp, 2013. "Immigrant Heterogeneity and Urban Development: A Conceptual Analysis," Advances in Spatial Science, in: Riccardo Crescenzi & Marco Percoco (ed.), Geography, Institutions and Regional Economic Performance, edition 127, pages 381-396, Springer.
    6. Mane, Kate M. & Waldorf, Brigitte S., 2010. "Living The American Dream? Wage Outcomes Of Albanian Immigrants In The United States," Working papers 90844, Purdue University, Department of Agricultural Economics.
    7. Rob Euwals & Hans Roodenburg & J. Dagevos & M. Gijsberts, 2007. "The labour market position of Turkish immigrants in Germany and the Netherlands; reason for migration, naturalisation and language proficiency," CPB Discussion Paper 79.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    8. Bakens, J. & Nijkamp, P., 2011. "Lessons from migration impact analysis," Serie Research Memoranda 0022, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    9. Peter Nijkamp & Jacques Poot, 2015. "Cultural Diversity - A Matter of Measurement," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1502, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    10. Rachel Guillain & Julie Le Gallo, 2010. "Agglomeration and Dispersion of Economic Activities in and around Paris: An Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 37(6), pages 961-981, December.
    11. Beckhusen, Julia & Florax, Raymond J.G.M. & de Graaff, Thomas & Poot, Jacques & Waldorf, Brigitte, 2012. "Living and Working in Ethnic Enclaves: Language Proficiency of Immigrants in U.S. Metropolitan Areas," IZA Discussion Papers 6363, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Ceren Ozgen & Thomas de Graff, 2013. "Sorting out the impact of cultural diversity on innovative firms. An empirical analysis of Dutch micro-data," Norface Discussion Paper Series 2013012, Norface Research Programme on Migration, Department of Economics, University College London.
    13. Kate M. Mane & Brigitte S.Waldorf, 2010. "Living The American Dream? Wage Outcomes Of Albanian Immigrants In The United States," Working Papers 10-7, Purdue University, College of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics.
    14. Diana Mok, 2010. "The Spatiality and Cost of Language Identity," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 33(3), pages 264-301, July.
    15. Zhiling Wang & Thomas de Graaff & Peter Nijkamp, 2018. "Barriers of Culture, Networks, and Language in International Migration: A Review," REGION, European Regional Science Association, vol. 5, pages 73-89.
    16. Kate Mane & Brigitte Waldorf, 2013. "Human capital and wages: a comparison of Albanian and Italian immigrants," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 51(1), pages 53-72, August.
    17. Zhiling Wang & Thomas de Graaff & Peter Nijkamp, 2023. "Differences in Heterogeneous Returns to Foreign Language Use at Work Among Natives and Migrants in Europe," Romanian Journal of Regional Science, Romanian Regional Science Association, vol. 17(1), pages 1-37, June.
    18. de Graaff, Thomas & Nijkamp, Peter, 2010. "Socio-economic impacts of migrant clustering on Dutch neighbourhoods: In search of optimal migrant diversity," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 231-239, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Immigration; segregation; networks; assimilation; language;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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