The Role of Language in Shaping International Migration

Alícia Adserà; Mariola Pytliková

doi:10.1111/ecoj.12231

The Role of Language in Shaping International Migration

Alícia Adserà, Mariola Pytliková

Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

179 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article examines the importance of language in international migration from multiple angles by studying the role of linguistic proximity, widely spoken languages, linguistic enclaves and language-based immigration policy requirements. To this aim we collect a unique data set on immigration flows and stocks in 30 OECD destinations from all world countries over the period 1980-2010 and construct a set of linguistic proximity measures. Migration rates increase with linguistic proximity and with English at destination. Softer linguistic requirements for naturalisation and larger linguistic communities at destination encourage more migrants to move. Linguistic proximity matters less when local linguistic networks are larger.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	F49-F81
Journal	Economic Journal
Volume	125
Issue number	586
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12231
State	Published - Aug 1 2015

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Economics and Econometrics

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10.1111/ecoj.12231

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title = "The Role of Language in Shaping International Migration",

abstract = "This article examines the importance of language in international migration from multiple angles by studying the role of linguistic proximity, widely spoken languages, linguistic enclaves and language-based immigration policy requirements. To this aim we collect a unique data set on immigration flows and stocks in 30 OECD destinations from all world countries over the period 1980-2010 and construct a set of linguistic proximity measures. Migration rates increase with linguistic proximity and with English at destination. Softer linguistic requirements for naturalisation and larger linguistic communities at destination encourage more migrants to move. Linguistic proximity matters less when local linguistic networks are larger.",

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AB - This article examines the importance of language in international migration from multiple angles by studying the role of linguistic proximity, widely spoken languages, linguistic enclaves and language-based immigration policy requirements. To this aim we collect a unique data set on immigration flows and stocks in 30 OECD destinations from all world countries over the period 1980-2010 and construct a set of linguistic proximity measures. Migration rates increase with linguistic proximity and with English at destination. Softer linguistic requirements for naturalisation and larger linguistic communities at destination encourage more migrants to move. Linguistic proximity matters less when local linguistic networks are larger.

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The Role of Language in Shaping International Migration

Abstract

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