Ingo E. Isphording
IZA, Germany
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Author
Current position
Research Associate, IZA
Research interest
Migration economics, applied micro econometrics, labor economics
Qualifications
PhD Economics, Ruhr University Bochum, 2013
Selected publications
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“The costs of Babylon: Linguistic distance in applied economics.” Review of International Economics 21:2 (2013): 177–385 (with S. Otten).
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“Returns to foreign language skills of immigrants in Spain.” Labour 27:4 (2013): 351–461.
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“Disadvantages of linguistic origin: Evidence from immigrant literacy scores.” Economics Letters 123:2 (2014): 236–239.
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“Linguistic barriers in the destination language acquisition of immigrants.” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 105 (2014): 30–50.
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What drives the language proficiency of immigrants?
Immigrants differ in their language proficiency along a range of characteristics
Ingo E. Isphording, August 2015Language proficiency is a key driver of immigrant integration. It increases job opportunities and facilitates social and political participation. However, despite its vital importance, many immigrants never reach adequate proficiency in the host country language. Therefore, insights into the underlying processes and associated factors are crucial for designing measures to improve language acquisition. Empirical evidence shows that immigrants differ in their ability to learn languages, in their experience of everyday language usage, and their incentives to learn host country languages. This offers a range of opportunities for public policy intervention.MoreLess