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A Spatial Economic Perspective on Language Acquisition: Segregation, Networking, and Assimilation of Immigrants

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  • Raymond J G M Florax

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1310, USA; Department of Spatial Economics, Free University, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Thomas de Graaff

    (Department of Spatial Economics, Free University, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Brigitte S Waldorf

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1310, USA)

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 at 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

  • Raymond J G M Florax & Thomas de Graaff & Brigitte S Waldorf, 2005. "A Spatial Economic Perspective on Language Acquisition: Segregation, Networking, and Assimilation of Immigrants," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(10), pages 1877-1897, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:37:y:2005:i:10:p:1877-1897
    DOI: 10.1068/a3726
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. 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).
    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.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    4. Nijkamp, Peter & Poot, Jacques, 2015. "Cultural Diversity: A Matter of Measurement," IZA Discussion Papers 8782, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. 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).
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. Diana Mok, 2010. "The Spatiality and Cost of Language Identity," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 33(3), pages 264-301, July.
    9. 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).
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. Bakens, J. & Nijkamp, P., 2011. "Lessons from migration impact analysis," Serie Research Memoranda 0022, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    14. 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.
    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

    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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