The role of immigrants' first and second language proficiency for social integration, particularly in education: Analyses of NEPS data (NEPS-SPP)

The interdisciplinary project investigates the role of immigrants’ language proficiency for their social integration in the receiving country. Emanating from a general resource perspective, language proficiency is seen as a crucial resource for social integration, especially structural integration into the educational system. While this view is generally accepted with respect to the language of the country of residence (L2), the role of the language of the country of origin (L1) is disputed. In our research, we address this controversial issue and investigate how L1 and L2 relate to educational success using data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). We will explore the relationship between language proficiency and different aspects of academic achievement, educational decisions, and educational attainment. Moreover, the project will examine the effects of language proficiency on other aspects of structural integration, including labor market returns, psychological well-being, social integration, and cultural identity. Another objective is to analyze determinants of proficiency in L1 and L2, such as language support in L1 and L2. The project will also address a methodological issue that is relevant to research on the integration of immigrants in general, namely the validity of different measures of language proficiency.