The Role of Language in International Migrants’ Work Life Experiences

Author(s) : Claudine Gaibrois, Natalie Victoria Wilmot, Wilhelm Barner-Rasmussen

Source:https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2023.18712abstract

Abstract:

“This paper analyses international migrants’ experiences of work life in their new locations specifically from the perspective of how these experiences are (co-)shaped by language. Based on an exploratory qualitative study conducted in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, we identify commonalities and differences between different types of migrants’, ranging from highly qualified self-initiated expatriates to recognized refugees. The findings show that: 1) Limitations on the job market and the need to find a niche as well as the role of the national context, e.g., in the form of prevalent language ideologies, affect all migrants, 2) a hierarchy of languages creates status differences between migrants, which sometimes intersect with nationality- or culture-related preconceptions. We then discuss the implications for conceptualizations of language proficiency and for language expectations towards migrants”

Keywords: Migration, migrant, language-sensitive IB, fluency, intersection, employment, work life