Parents, Migrant Domestic Workers, and Children’s Speaking of a Second Language: Evidence from Hong Kong

Sam Tang
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Sam Tang: Business School, University of Western Australia

No 15-04, Economics Discussion / Working Papers from The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper explores the effects of different language home environments provided by English-speaking and non-English-speaking migrant domestic workers (MDWs) on Hong Kong children’s ability to speak English. To isolate MDWs’ language effect from parental and family effects, I use between-siblings comparisons and an empirical model of language acquisition. Results from between-siblings comparisons reveal a clear sign for the positive language effect of English-speaking MDWs. Estimates of the language acquisition model show that a child who is cared for by an English-speaking MDW and who has a bilingual mother is 45 percent more likely to speak English.

Pages: 41 pages
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uwa:wpaper:15-04

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