Integration of Turkish Immigrants into the Norwegian Society: The Role of English as a Lingua Franca

Abstract

The rapid growth of globalisation and the ease of mobility across countries during the past decades have brought about some fundamental changes in the structural organisation of societies. People not only carry their bodies and workforce with them when they move, but they also carry their identities, experiences, cultures, habits and needs. Immigrants may encounter a variety of challenges after they move to a new country. Integration of newcomers is therefore a crucial component of achieving effective and comprehensive social inclusion. The purpose of this research study is to investigate the role that the English language plays as a lingua franca in the integration process of adult Turkish immigrants into Norwegian society. It also attempts to provide an understanding of how Turkish immigrants experience the integration process in Norway, as well as the factors that contribute to increasing the degree of different facets of integration. The current research was conducted through two questionnaires along with 27 semi-structured online interviews with adult Turkish immigrants living in Norway. Interviews were designed to obtain comprehensive information regarding the immigrants’ linguistic background and their level of integration into Norwegian society. The results were analysed through the conceptual framework of Diaz’s (1992) model, which provides a dimensional approach to measure immigrants’ integration.