Uloga stranog jezika u procesu socijalne integracije izbjeglica i migranata iz Bosne i Hercegovine naseljenih u Sent Luisu

Abstract

Increased migration of people from third world countries and war-affected areas has been observed all over the world, and especially in Western countries. There are various reasons for migration: war, violence, poverty, family reasons, employment, education and various other circumstances where international protection is needed. Immigrants are often pressured into finding work quickly in order to cover living expenses, pay off debts, and send money to relatives in a homeland. Host countries mostly provided short-lived public services to newcomers: social assistance, health care, education, labor rights, employment and other services. Unfortunately, the host countries are not sufficiently able to socially integrate immigrants into society, mainly it is up to immigrants to reach it. Immigrants often face difficulties in adapting to a new society. Indicators of a weak integration process are the low rate of education of immigrants and the inability to find employment, as well as passive participation in society. Many factors that impact adaptation in new communities are observed. One of the key factors is L2 competence during the period of transition. Learning a target language should go beyond the level of adoption of grammar rules; immigrants should use L2 in a sociological context. The rationale of the research is the observed social distance and discrimination that lead to exclusion from the social environment. The most common obstacle to social integration is the L2 deficit. This dissertation aims to investigate the role of an L2 in the process of social integration. We found a correlation between a foreign language and the social integration of refugees and immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina who settled in St. Louis. Consequently, the study examined differences in respondents' perception and behavior towards the L2 construct and social conditions that affect second-language learning and social integration in regards to age, gender, and level of education of respondents. This study was conducted among 358 (N=358) respondents who immigrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the United States, St. Louis. It is known as the largest Bosnian community outside B&H. The social migration of B&H immigrants to St. Louis is treated as positive. To collect the desired data, we used a quantitative method and a survey questionnaire with the 5-point Likert assessment scale. The data was processed in SPSS 24, a statistical package for data analysis. This study presents the significant role of foreign language learning in maintaining immigrants’ adaptation to mainstream culture and society. The L2 is considered a medium that facilitates faster and easier social integration. Moreover, the study offers solutions for faster and efficient SLA, which leads to the sociocultural and socioeconomic integration of immigrants and refugees.