The Language Barrier in Migrant Aging

Autor/inn/en	Pot, Anna; Keijzer, Merel; De Bot, Kees
Titel	The Language Barrier in Migrant Aging
Quelle	In: International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23 (2020) 9, S.1139-1157 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Pot, Anna) ORCID (De Bot, Kees)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1367-0050
DOI	10.1080/13670050.2018.1435627
Schlagwörter	Immigrants; Aging (Individuals); Barriers; Second Language Learning; Language Proficiency; Older Adults; Females; Daily Living Skills; Security (Psychology); Interpersonal Relationship; Well Being; Native Language; Social Networks; Foreign Countries; Turkish; Indo European Languages; Netherlands; Turkey + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Immigrant; Immigrantin; Immigranten; Aging; Altern; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Älterer Erwachsener; Weibliches Geschlecht; Alltagsfertigkeit; Security; Psychology; Sicherheit; Interpersonal relation; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonelle Beziehung; Zwischenmenschliche Beziehung; Well-being; Wellness; Wohlbefinden; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Ausland; Türkisch; Indoeuropäisch; Niederlande; Türkei
Abstract	Studies on aging and migration often note a 'language barrier' for older migrants when communicating in a (medical) second language (L2) context. Yet how a limited L2 proficiency impacts the aging process of migrant adults has, so far, not been systematically investigated. This question is important given that having a limited L2 proficiency may pose immediate drawbacks on one's ability to maintain independence. Through a combination of qualitative interviews and quantitative language and cognitive measures, this study investigates if and under which circumstances a 'language barrier' may be detrimental for the aging process of a group of older female Turkish migrants in the Netherlands. Findings suggest that a limited L2 proficiency reciprocally fuels feelings of L2 insecurity, which impacts the formation of social relationships in the L2, feelings of belonging and lower wellbeing levels. A firm embedding in an L1 network positively impacts wellbeing levels, yet results in a heavy dependence on others in L2 situations. We conclude that limited L2 skills may steer the aging process in a detrimental direction for those older migrants who lack a social support network in the L1 and cannot communicate effectively in the L2. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01