The Effect of Language Training on Immigrants’ Integration: Does the Duration of Training Matter?

Abstract

Language training programmes have become a crucial part of immigrant integration policies in many developed countries. We examine whether the intensity of training, in terms of duration, increases the likelihood of integration, particularly labour market integration. We investigate a government-sponsored language training programme for immigrants in France. Using both difference-in-differences (DiD) and matching-DiD, we find that, for employed immigrants, longer hours of training significantly increases their chances of having a formal-sector job and a permanent employment contract. We also find suggestive evidence that more effective conveyance of knowledge on labour market institutions, and greater opportunities to expand one’s social network during the programme, underlie the benefits of longer training hours. These effects are more pronounced among more educated immigrants, but disappear for refugees.