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Immigrant Survey

EMPLOYMENT

Questions in this section

• What’s your mother tongue?

• What other languages do you speak well?

• Did you have any problems that discouraged you from learning the country’s language(s)?

• Have you taken a language or integration course in the country?

• How has this course helped you personally?

LANGUAGES HIGHLIGHTS

DID YOU HAVE A PROBLEM LEARNING THE LANGUAGE?

Learning the language was more of a problem for non-native speakers in Portuguese, Italian and French cities than in German cities or Madrid.

Around 60 to 70% of immigrants in Portuguese, Italian and French cities mention one or more reasons undermining language learning, in contrast with 24 to 30% in German cities and Madrid.

Immigrants generally speak more languages than the average person in their country of residence.

WHAT WERE THE MAJOR PROBLEMS LEARNING

THE LANGUAGE?

What are the biggest obstacles for non-native speakers to learn the language of the country in which they live? Is it a lack of information, the costs, low-quality courses, personal motivation or time?

In most cities, no one reason predominated. More than one in three non-native speakers found that they did not have time to study in Budapest, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish cities.

Half said they did not have time to study in Italian and Portuguese cities.

For immigrants

– like for most people –

time is the major problem

for learning a new language.

Getting information on learning opportunities

may be more difficult for immigrants than

general public.

HAVE YOU STARTED OR COMPLETED AN

INTEGRATION OR LANGUAGE COURSE?

For immigrants – like for most people in the country – time is the main problem for learning a new language. The comparison suggests that time to study was a much greater problem for non-native speakers in Italian and Portuguese cities.

Getting information on learning opportunities is more of a problem for non-native speakers in the Belgian, French, Hungarian, Italian, and Portuguese cities.

Wide range of immigrants participated

in language or integration courses.

HAS THE LANGUAGE OR INTEGRATION COURSE

HELPED YOU?

Participants in most courses were overwhelmingly positive about their effect on language learning and other integration outcomes.

Courses helped most participants not only learn the basics of the language, but also specific vocabulary that they needed for their jobs or skills.