The dynamics of recent refugees’ language acquisition: How do their pathways compare to those of other new immigrants?

Do the processes underlying destination-language acquisition differ between recently arrived refugees and other new immigrants? Based on a well-established model of language learning according to which language fluency is a function of efficiency, incentives, and exposure, this study addresses general processes of language learning as well as conditions specific to refugees. Longitudinal data on refugees (IAB-BAMF-SOEP Sample of Refugees in Germany) and other immigrants (IAB-SOEP Migration Sample) in Germany indicate that exposure to the destination language is the main driver of proficiency, followed by efficiency, whereas incentives matter less. Moreover, refugees profit substantially from structured learning in language courses, while other immigrants benefit more from informal exposure in their everyday environments. Overall, the findings suggest that language acquisition is a general process that is similar across different types of immigrants.

本研究旨在探讨目的地语言习得过程中，近期抵达的难民与其他新移民之间是否存在差异。基于一个已确立的语言学习模型，该模型认为语言流利度是效率、动机和接触频率的函数，本研究不仅探讨了语言学习的普遍过程，还关注了难民特有的条件。对德国难民（IAB-BAMF-SOEP 德国难民样本）和其他移民（IAB-SOEP 移民样本）的纵向数据表明，接触目的地语言是提高语言能力的主要驱动力，其次是效率，而动机的影响较小。此外，难民从结构化的语言课程中受益匪浅，而其他移民则更多地从日常环境中的非正式接触中获益。总体而言，研究结果表明，语言习得是一个普遍的过程，在不同类型的移民中具有相似性。