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The integration panel. , , Long-term integration trends among former participants in integration courses
Working paper 52 examines the long-term social integration trends among former participants in integration courses three years after completing their integration courses. This long-term perspective reveals positive trends in the various areas of overall social integration. The majority of former participants in integration courses retain their proficiency in German which they acquired on the course or are able to improve their proficiency by means of learning strategies adopted on their own initiative.
Children and family
The majority of former participants state that they have benefited from the contents of the course with regard to their children's school education. The former participants increasingly consider the knowledge imparted on the integration course to be of great benefit in particular for the purposes of discussions with teachers (2011: 78 per cent) or with other parents (2011: 76 per cent). When reading aloud to their children, for example, which is attributed an important role in developing young children's language skills, almost half of the former participants use the German language for the most part.
Use of German media
At least half of former participants state that they have used German media more frequently than before completing the integration course. Above all, everyday media such as newspapers and magazines are consumed regularly in German, along with television programmes and feature films. The high frequency of use of these media harbours special potential for the daily use and ongoing development of German language skills.
Contact with Germans
The frequency of contact with Germans rose in the period from 2009 to 2011 among former participants in the integration course. The level of contact with persons from their countries of origin is slightly higher, above all on account of family ties, but is declining. As in 2009, former participants in the integration course have more frequent contact with Germans than a surveyed reference group in 2011 as well. The findings also show the special importance of integration in the labour market to communication between immigrants and the host society.
Growing identification with Germany.
A majority of former course participants feels close ties to Germany (2011: 68 per cent). Respondents from the reference group state less frequently that they identify strongly with Germany (2011: 61 per cent). As would be expected, a feeling of identification takes time to develop and only becomes apparent in the long-term perspective. The degree of attachment to Germany among former course participants has grown significantly since 2008.
Authors of the study: Susanne Lochner, Tobias Büttner and Karin Schuller
This publication is only available in German language.