The Handbook of Informal Language Learning

15Service Sector Work and Informal Language Learning

HANIA JANTA AND STEFAN D. KELLER

Introduction

The opportunity to obtain English language skills, or as termed by migration economists, language capital (Dustmann 1999), is one of the key mobility drivers in the intra‐EU context for international students and employees alike. In migration studies, language fluency is recognized as one of the soft skills or competences (Evans 2002; Williams and Baláž 2005) gained via international mobility. Regardless of whether migration is planned as permanent or temporary, mobile individuals benefit from the acquisition of language skills which can later be valorized either in the host or home labor markets. Past research has emphasized the economic benefits that such fluency entails; English fluency is associated with increased wages (Lianos and Pseiridis 2013). For those for whom a migration is only a temporary sojourn, a return with increased language skills can potentially lead to prestigious, well‐paid jobs in the home labor market (Klagge and Klein‐Hitpaß 2007; Williams and Baláž 2005). For that reason, many young individuals accept working below the level of their qualifications, taking up the most accessible jobs in English‐speaking countries, such as those in the service sector (Janta et al. 2012). While improving language skills may be the main motive for these mobile individuals, they are often unable to attend formal language courses. Instead, they learn in an authentic environment ...