Parents and Children Talk: English Language Proficiency within Immigrant Families

Barry Chiswick, Yew Lee and Paul Miller

Review of Economics of the Household, 2005, vol. 3, issue 3, 243-268

Abstract: This paper extends the analysis of the acquisition of destination language proficiency among immigrants by explicitly incorporating interactions among family members—mother, father and children. Single equation, bivariate, and four-equation (multivariate) probit analyses are employed. Immigrant English language skills are greater the younger the age at migration, the longer the duration of residence, the higher the level of education, and for immigrants not from Asia. Large positive correlations in the unmeasured determinants of proficiency exist between spouses, between siblings, and between parents and children, although the latter relationship is stronger for the mother. The findings imply that learning takes place within the household. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2005

Keywords: immigrants; language; family; multivariate probit; F22; J15; J16; J24; J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:reveho:v:3:y:2005:i:3:p:243-268

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DOI: 10.1007/s11150-005-3457-z

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