Intergenerational Transmission of Language Capital and Economic Outcomes

Teresa Casey () and Christian Dustmann
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Teresa Casey: University College London, CReAM and CEP

No 3074, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

Abstract: This paper investigates the intergenerational transmission of language capital amongst immigrants, and the effect of language deficiencies on the economic performance of second generation immigrants. Using a long panel that oversamples immigrants, we can follow their children after they have left the parental home. Our results show a sizeable significant association between parents’ and children’s fluency, conditional on parental and family characteristics. We find that language deficiencies of the second generation are associated with poorer labour market outcomes for females only. Finally, we find a strong relationship between parental fluency and female labour market outcomes, which works through the child’s language proficiency.

Keywords: intergenerational transmission; human capital; language proficiency of immigrants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J15 J24 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hrm and nep-mig
Date: 2007-09
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Related works:
Working Paper: Intergenerational transmission of language capital and economic outcomes (2005)
Journal Article: Intergenerational Transmission of Language Capital and Economic Outcomes (2008)
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