How Much Language is Enough? Some Immigrant Language Lessons from Canada and Germany
90 Pages Posted: 9 Sep 2002 Last revised: 16 Apr 2023
Abstract
Germany and Canada stand at polar ends of the scientific debate over language integrationand ascension to citizenship. German naturalization, as of January 2000, contains an explicitlanguage criterion for naturalization. The first German immigration act that will presumablycome into effect on January 1, 2003, does not only concentrate on control aspects but alsoaims at language as a criterion for legal immigration. Canada, in effect, does not base entryor citizenship on knowledge of either of its official languages. Acquisition of a secondlanguage in Canada is voluntary and largely dependent on labour market incentives. Whichsystem of second language acquisition the statist German system or the laissez faireCanadian model provides the best milieu for immigrant second language acquisition? Thispaper undertakes a comparative review of Canadian and German legal and educationalprograms in order to answer this question.
Keywords: migration politics, language skills, integration, immigration, citizenship
JEL Classification: F22, I29, J60, J61
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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