Multilingualism in the Workplace: The Value of Using Multilingual Skills in Professional Settings

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Tobias Schroedler
• Subject Area: Applied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 543774739

The project 'MAriE' (Multilingualism in the Workplace: The Value of Using Multilingual Skills in Professional Settings) addresses the role of heritage languages in employment as well as questions regarding the value that is attributed to them. These questions about the utility or value of heritage languages (as well as foreign languages) in the labour market are explored in various disciplines in different ways, with sometimes rather divergent results. In economics, it is largely established that speaking languages other than the majority language usually has no positive impact on the employment or wages of workers (except for English skills). In sociolinguistics, the use of heritage languages in the workplace is considered in more nuanced ways. Various contributions point to exploitation effects (also: commodification of language) of language skills of multilingual speakers. In Germany, a lack of systematic studies on the use and value of heritage languages that illuminate the situation of migrants with multiple languages can be observed. At the same time, it can be inferred from the current situation of the German labor market in the context of dynamic migration and influx processes and a steadily increasing shortage of skilled workers, that using multilingual skills in professional contexts either already is a reality in many industries or will become one in the near future. Based on a variety of the author’s own previous studies, this project first systematically quantify, how often and for what purposes heritage language speakers use their language skills in their professions. Furthermore, participants are asked whether (and if so, what) personal professional advantages arise from using their home language skills or whether (and if so, what) constraints or (structural) exploitation mechanisms are at play at the employers’ side. Finally, aspects of linguistic confidence and linguistic well-being in professional communication are addressed. This quantitative survey is complemented by a qualitative group discussion study. The group discussions serve, in complement to the questionnaire survey, to explore external and internal expectations regarding the use of heritage languages in the professional context with multilingual employees. The overall goal of the project is to generate knowledge, first, about whether and how linguistic exploitation and commodification mechanisms can occur in the German labor market. Second, the project aims to address the conditions that must prevail for multilingual individuals to experience fair participation in the labor market regarding the use of their language skills.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants