Never Enough? A Psychological Contract Perspective on Migrants’ Efforts at Local-Language Acquisition in Work-Related Contexts

Purpose – Using psychological contract (PC) theory, this study aims to generate a typology for migrants' reasoning about learning their host country's language and explain the pathways behind each type with a focus on work-related outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach based on chi-square tests and a hierarchical cluster analysis of 201 survey responses together with a thematic analysis of 31 qualitative interviews among Asian migrants in Finland. Findings – We identify five local language-acquisition trajectories with associated PC consequences: “disenchanted quitters”, “proactive seekers”, “inertial learners”, “fast integrators” and “late bloomers”. Originality/value – This typology sheds light on migrants' positions on their host country's language and offers practical guidance for both migrants and host countries, particularly ones where English is not the dominant language.