Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP17505
Authors: Caroline Chuard; Annatina Aerne; Simone Balestra; Beatrix Eugster; Roland Hodler
Abstract: We study how ethnic clustering during compulsory schooling affects postcompulsory educational outcomes among ethnic minority students. We evaluate the impacts of students’ exposure to foreign language speakers and speakers of their own foreign language on their educational tracks, difficulty of vocational education, and projected labour market outcomes. We find that a higher share of foreign language speakers in the cohort increases a student’s probability of entering the vocational (vs. academic) track; this effect is amplified by an increasing share of peers speaking the student’s own foreign language. Furthermore, it leads to less difficult vocational education and lower predicted earnings. The drivers of these peer effects are shown to be related to language acquisition, ambition, and networks.
Keywords: foreign language speakers; ethnic concentration; peer effects; education; early career outcomes
JEL Codes: I21; J15; J24; J30
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Share of foreign language speakers in cohort (J11) | Career outcomes of foreign language speaking students (A29) |
| Share of foreign language speakers in cohort (J11) | Probability of proceeding to academic track (D29) |
| Share of foreign language speakers in cohort (J11) | Probability of starting vocational education (J24) |
| Share of peers speaking the same foreign language (F29) | Career outcomes of foreign language speaking students (A29) |
| Share of peers speaking the same foreign language (F29) | Probability of proceeding to academic track (D29) |
| Share of peers speaking the same foreign language (F29) | Probability of starting vocational education (J24) |