published as 'Parents and Children Talk: English Language Proficiency within Immigrant Families' in: Review of Economics of the Household, 2005, 3 (3), 243-268
This paper extends the analysis of the acquisition of destination language proficiency among
immigrants by explicitly incorporating dynamics among family members – mother, father and
children. Single equation, bivariate, and four-state (multivariate) probit analyses are
employed. Immigrant English language skills are greater the younger the age at migration,
the longer the duration of residence, the higher the level of education, and for immigrants not
from Asia. Large positive correlations in the unmeasured determinants of proficiency exist
between spouses, between siblings, and between parents and children, although the latter
relationship is stronger for the mother.
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