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The Effects Of Spanish-Language Background On Completed Schooling And Aptitude Test Scores

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  • LUIS LOCAY
  • TRACY L. REGAN
  • ARTHUR M. DIAMOND Jr

Abstract

We investigate the effect of speaking Spanish at home as a child on completed schooling and aptitude test scores using data on Hispanics who grew up in the U.S. from the NLSY79. We model the accumulation of traditional human capital and English fluency, leading to the joint determination of schooling and test scores. We ï¬ nd that speaking Spanish at home reduces test scores but has no signiï¬ cant effect on completed schooling. The reduction in test scores is more dramatic the higher the education of the parents and when the choice of home language is endogenous.
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  • LUIS LOCAY & TRACY L. REGAN & ARTHUR M. DIAMOND Jr, 2013. "The Effects Of Spanish-Language Background On Completed Schooling And Aptitude Test Scores," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 51(1), pages 527-562, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:51:y:2013:i:1:p:527-562
    DOI: j.1465-7295.2012.00458.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Cobb-Clark Deborah A. & Harmon Colm & Staneva Anita, 2021. "The bilingual gap in children's language, emotional, and pro-social development," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-41, January.
    2. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Harmon, Colm P. & Staneva, Anita, 2018. "The Bilingual Gap in Children's Language and Emotional Development," IZA Discussion Papers 11800, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Alberto Ortega & Tyler Ludwig, 2023. "Immigrant English Proficiency, Children’s Educational Performance, and Parental Involvement," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 693-719, June.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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