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How Much Language is Enough? Some Immigrant Language Lessons from Canada and Germany

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Author Info
DeVoretz, Don J. () (Simon Fraser University, RIIM and IZA Bonn)
Hinte, Holger (IZA Bonn)
Werner, Christiane (Simon Fraser University, RIIM (until 2001), Associated Economic Consultants, Vancouver (since 2001))
Abstract

Germany and Canada stand at polar ends of the scientific debate over language integration and ascension to citizenship. German naturalization, as of January 2000, contains an explicit language criterion for naturalization. The first German immigration act that will presumably come into effect on January 1, 2003, does not only concentrate on control aspects but also aims at language as a criterion for legal immigration. Canada, in effect, does not base entry or citizenship on knowledge of either of its official languages. Acquisition of a second language in Canada is voluntary and largely dependent on labour market incentives. Which system of second language acquisition - the statist German system or the laissez faire Canadian model - provides the best milieu for immigrant second language acquisition? This paper undertakes a comparative review of Canadian and German legal and educational programs in order to answer this question.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 555.

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Length: 89 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2002
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp555

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Related research
Keywords: immigration integration language skills migration politics citizenship

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
I29 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Other
J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - General
J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Dustmann, Christian, 1994. "Speaking Fluency, Writing Fluency and Earnings of Migrants," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 133-56.
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  2. Chiswick, Barry R. & Lee, Yew Liang & Miller, Paul W., 2002. "Immigrants’ Language Skills: The Australian Experience in a Longitudinal Survey," IZA Discussion Papers 502, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  3. Joachim R. Frick & Gert G. Wagner, 2001. "Deutsche Sprachfähigkeit und Umgangssprache von Zuwanderern," Wochenbericht, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research, vol. 68(24), pages 365-367. [Downloadable!]
  4. Bauer, Thomas K., 2002. "Migration, Sozialstaat und Zuwanderungspolitik," IZA Discussion Papers 505, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Chiswick, Barry R. & Lee, Yew Liang & Miller, Paul W., 2002. "Immigrants’ Language Skills and Visa Category," IZA Discussion Papers 471, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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