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The Uneven Recognition of Language Investment for Employability

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Language Investment and Employability

Abstract

This chapter presents two case studies that attest to an uneven recognition of language competences on the labour market. They are telling cases for the valorisation and devalorisation of existing linguistic capital depending on factors independent of the job seekers’ efforts. As such, these particular cases challenge the widespread opinion of rewarding language investment and competences and their conversion potential on the labour market. In both cases, the job seekers have invested a lot of time and money in their multilingual competences. The two cases thus show that language investment can gain or lose value for employability depending on circumstances, life situations, or life span.

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Correspondence to Mi-Cha Flubacher .

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Flubacher, MC., DuchĂȘne, A., Coray, R. (2018). The Uneven Recognition of Language Investment for Employability. In: Language Investment and Employability. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60873-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60873-0_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60872-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60873-0

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