Contexts of English Language Use among First Generation Immigrants

Ilana Redstone Akresh, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

In this study, I use data from the New Immigrant Survey to consider four contexts of English use among adult, first generation immigrants: at home, at work, with friends, and with a spouse. Particular attention is paid to the individual’s age at arrival and years of experience in the U.S. Results suggest substantial increases in the probabilities of using English with friends and at work for adult first generation immigrants, even after controlling for age at arrival. This pattern suggests substantial social integration even within the first generation. However, English use at home and with a spouse show little change within the first generation once age at arrival is controlled for.