Destination-Language Proficiency in Cross-National Perspective: A Study of Immigrant Groups in Nine Western Countries

Immigrants’ destination-language proficiency has been typically studied from a microperspective in a single country. In this article, the authors examine the role of macrofactors in a cross-national perspective. They argue that three groups of macrolevel factors are important: the country immigrants settle in (“destination” effect), the sending nation (“origin” effect), and the combination between origin and destination (“setting” or “community” effect). The authors propose a design that simultaneously observes multiple origin groups in multiple destinations. They present substantive hypotheses about language proficiency and use them to develop a series of macrolevel indicators. The authors collected and standardized 19 existing immigrant surveys for nine Western countries. Using multilevel techniques, their analyses show that origins, destinations, and settings play a significant role in immigrants’ language proficiency.

Language Usage, Participation, Employment and Earnings: Evidence for Foreigners in West Germany with Multiple Sources of Selection

Language proficiency may not only affect the earnings of the individual, but the probability to participate in the labor market or becoming employed as well. It may also affect selection of people into economic sector and occupation. In this paper, the effects of language proficiency on earnings are analyzed for foreigners in Germany with joint consideration of up to four types of selection. The results show that language proficiency significantly increases participation and employment probability and affects occupational choice. When selection into economic sector and occupation is regarded, we do not find an impact of language ability on earnings thereby implying an indirect effect. --Foreigners,Participation,Employment,Language Ability,Multiple Selection

Occupational Safety and English Language Proficiency

Recent occupational injury data shows a rising trend, which happens to coincide with both increases in the population of foreign born in the U.S. and with changes in its composition. This study aims at exploring the presence of a statistical relationship between occupational injuries and the level of English proficiency of foreign born using cross-sectional data on the rate of injury and count of injury incidents. A cultural gap hypothesis is also examined as an alternative explanation for the rise in work injuries. While there is some support for the adverse effect of inadequate English language proficiency of foreign born, the results for the cultural gap hypothesis are more robust.English Proficiency, Occupational Injury

The relationship between the critical thinking skills and the academic language proficiency of prospective teachers

We report on the relationships that exist between the critical thinking skills and the academic language proficiency of a group of first-year prospective teachers at a South African university (n = 89). The results revealed the nature of the critical thinking skills as well as the academic language proficiency of the students. Significant correlations between academic language proficiency and making inferences, as well as between academic language proficiency and critical thinking as a general competency, were noted. The article concludes with recommendations on how to enhance critical thinking and language proficiency in the teacher-training curriculum.Keywords: critical thinking ability, critical thinking dispositions, critical thinking skills, improving academic language proficiency, improving critical thinking, language proficiency, outcomes for teacher training, teacher training, teacher training curriculu

Survival Analysis: Timelines to English Language Proficiency at the Secondary School Level

The ELL population in the United States continues to increase. Research suggests that the English language proficiency growth rates for numerous ELL students are strongly correlated with their English language proficiency levels (Cook & Zhao, 2011; Conger, 2008). The results of Conger’s 2008 study suggested that just over fifty percent of students gained English language proficiency after three years. According to the same study, the students that did not typically gain English language proficiency were students who entered public schools older and with a lower English language proficiency level. The current study examines the likelihood of high school ELLs in a large, urban district in achieving English language proficiency as measured on the ACCESS for ELLs®. Survival analysis is a robust analytic technique that complements the highly mobile tendencies of ELL students, the ever-expanding ELL population, and the varying English language proficiency timelines. A second survival analysis was performed with language as an additional factor. The analysis suggested the probability of achieving English language proficiency was approximately 20 percent. The analysis indicated there were significant differences between native language groups, demonstrating different languages responded differently to timelines to English language proficiency. If the federal accountability frameworks fail to carefully examine English language proficiency levels, both state and federal educational frameworks risk misjudging expected English language proficiency timelines

Language proficiency among immigrants and the establishment of interethnic relations: a comparative analysis of Bilbao, Lisbon and Rotterdam

Despite the increasing interest in exploring language proficiency among immigrants as a quintessential element for their economic integration in the host country, less attention has been devoted to the social impacts that destination-language proficiency may have on enhancing interethnic contacts between immigrants and the native population. This research aims to shed light on this latter topic, discussing if being a native-speaker immigrant in the host country or, for those immigrants who are non-native speakers, having a stronger command of the destination-language may increase their likelihood of interacting with the native population. Moreover, we question if there are significant differences in the interaction patterns between these two groups and the natives, presenting the cities of Bilbao, Lisbon and Rotterdam as a territorial frame. The analysis is based on data gathered through the GEITONIES survey. The results obtained indicate that native-speaker immigrants generally tend to show more interaction with the natives. Nevertheless, for immigrants not sharing such cultural similarity, those with a higher level of second-language proficiency clearly show stronger bonds with the native population; in both cases this can also be related to individual, group or place related variables

Ethnicity, Language, and Workplace Segregation: Evidence from a New Matched Employer-Employee Data Set

We describe the construction and assessment of a new matched employer-employee data set (the Decennial Employer-Employee Dataset, or DEED) that we have undertaken as a part of a broad research agenda to study segregation in the U.S. labor market. In this paper we examine the role of segregation by Hispanic ethnicity and language proficiency, contributing new, previously unavailable descriptive information on segregation along these lines, and evidence on the wage premia or penalties associated with this segregation. The DEED is much larger and more representative across regional and industry dimensions than previous matched data sets for the United States, and improvements along both of these dimensions are essential to isolating the importance of segregation by language and ethnicity in the workplace. Our empirical results reveal considerable segregation by Hispanic ethnicity and by English language proficiency. We find that Hispanic workers, but not white workers, suffer wage penalties from employment in a workplace with a large share of Hispanic workers, and even more so a large share of Hispanic workers with poor English language proficiency. In addition, we find that segregation of Hispanic workers among other Hispanics with similar English language proficiency does not reduce the penalties associated with poor own language skills.

English Language Proficiency Achievement in 180 Hours Among 2006 Batch at Universitas Advent Indonesia

Nowadays, English is an official language around the world. Many people have problem forcommunicating because they do not know English. To exceed the problem, it is important tostudy English more and take Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) because it canhelp them to develop their English ability.The objective of this study is to contribute to this discussion by examining: If there is anysignificant difference in achievement of English language proficiency of the participantsafter taking English for 180 hours during six semesters.The participants were 63 young adult, they were 2006 batch enrolled in Universitas AdventIndonesia. The participants of this study have taken English Entrance Exam (E3in) in the firstsemester and English Exit Exam (E3exit) in the 6th semester.This research obtained the data as follows: X (E3in) as pre-test=63, Y (E3exit) as post-test=63.The means of pre-test was 353.65 with mean standard deviation was 24.488 and with meanstandard error was 3.085. And after the treatments, the mean of post-test was 443.83 with meanstandard deviation was 32.001 and with mean standard error was 4.032. The mean gain scorebetween the two tests was 90.17. This result was supported by t-counted result was 2.636 andt-table result was 1.671. It means that t-counted > t-table. Thus, Ha is accepted, that there is asignificant difference of achievement in English language proficiency after taking English for180 hours during six semesters

Bilingual Language Proficiency

This book investigates the role native language plays in the process of acquiring a second language within a bilingual educational model. The research presented is based on a 2 year longitudinal study of students in a bilingual school. Particular attention is paid to the development of academic language proficiency. Performance in both languages was compared between two groups of peers learning in submersion classes in Germany and in Portugal. This comparison allows the assessment of effects of a given bilingual education programme. There is a considerable advantage found for the students who learned in the bilingual environment, both in written and in oral samples. These students developed a more proficient bilingual academic discourse ability; socioeconomic status and cognitive abilities were controlled for. When comparing the results with an external measure for school achievement, the advantage was confirmed. The results also hint at didactic factors which seem to contribute to this performance