To what extent do language lessons help with the integration of migrants?

Question

Dear researchers

I am writing an independent project at the FMS on the following research question: How can a language support programme help young migrants and refugees to integrate?

I will be focusing on the ECAB language school and conducting interviews there with course participants, managers and teachers. I am now wondering whether the term “integration” might be too broad. I realise that language acquisition is one aspect of integration. However, integration encompasses many other aspects as well. Which specific aspect of integration can such a language support programme realistically cover, at best?

I would also appreciate any methodological advice and references.

Thank you and best regards

Gwendolyn Gillieron · Accepted Answer

Dear Mr Hared

That is indeed a complex question.

Work or language

First of all, there are various approaches. There are countries such as Switzerland, which regard language as a prerequisite for integration. Then there are countries such as Canada, where language is part of integration. In Canada, for example, people who do not yet have a perfect command of the national language are recruited into the civil service, as it is assumed that they will learn the language better ‘on the job’. The locals speak the national language and can therefore adapt to some extent. So there, it is not language that is the key to integration, but work.

The importance of the mother tongue

Until the 1990s, it was assumed in Switzerland that the mother tongue hindered the learning of the new language. Parents were encouraged to speak German with their children, even if their own German was flawed. Fortunately, this practice has now been abandoned and the opposite view is generally held: a child must first master their native language properly before being able to learn another language.

Language as a means to an end

I would view language in a cross-cutting way (that is, as a means to an end). This means that it can (though need not only) support various aspects of integration. Language in and of itself does not automatically equate to integration. But language can help people find work, make contacts and participate in public life.

Unequal language learning

The discussion often overlooks the fact that not everyone has the same ability to learn a language. For example, older people find it more difficult to learn a new language. People who speak Arabic, Russian, Persian or Tamil have to learn not only a new language but also a new alphabet. Language courses beyond B1 level must be paid for privately, which is expensive. Added to this is the fact that Standard German is taught in Switzerland, whilst Swiss German is spoken in everyday life. Furthermore, there are professions in which language is less important or in which one can also communicate in English or in one’s native language. As you can see, it is a very complex issue.

Approach

I think that in your work you should therefore first determine what your interviewees understand by ‘integration’. Take a look at the federal government’s definition as well. You should then highlight the role that language plays in integration in Switzerland (access to the labour market, to educational opportunities, naturalisation).

In your discussions with the experts, you should avoid asking yes-or-no questions. Instead, ask about their understanding and their specific experiences. I think it’s good that you’re looking at both sides and also speaking to the migrant course participants to find out how they have experienced language acquisition.