From the standpoint of second-language acquisition, and socio-psychological adaptation in cross-cultural interactions, acculturation and language proficiency have been found to be interrelated. The current study investigates two Iranian women's acculturation orientation in connection to their language experience. Semi-structured interviews were used to obtain the qualitative data, which were then examined in relation to social distance and linguistic characteristics. The analysis sought to comprehend the connections between acculturation strategy choice and language proficiency, as well as the relationships between formal language instruction and language use in a natural situation. The findings demonstrate that, despite individual variation, research participants are more likely to choose integration as their acculturation strategy than assimilation, marginalization, or separation. This could mean that attitudes are more connected with knowing the local language of the host country as a second language by individuals.
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Migration is a brave choice that has been a part of human existence from the beginning of time (Elhami, 2020a), with numerous implications and issues (Naghdi, 2010). Globalization has led to an increase in the procedure’s frequency in recent years. Nowadays, people from less wealthy or developing nations move to wealthier and developed nations to try their luck in a new environment in hopes of improving their economic situation (Rostamalizadoh & Noubakht, 2020), finding a better job, raising their children in a safer environment, enrolling in prestigious universities (Candel, 2021; Qi, et al., 2021), or in general to increase their quality of life (Mocanu, et al., 2020) These factors all encourage interaction and closer relationships among individuals (Vertovec, 2007). During their time there, individuals frequently run into issues like racism, anxiety, relocation stress, and/or language barriers (Wickrama, Beiser & Kaspar, 2002).
According to studies on Iranians, their population throughout history migrated abroad for a variety of reasons (Naghdi, 2010). However, following the 1979 uprising and the Iraqi-Iran conflict, there was an increase in migration (Torbat, 2002). Iranians’ acculturation is a subject that hasn't received much attention in the scientific community, especially in nations with small populations of Iranians, like Spain. Further studies have been conducted, in particular, in nations with substantial Iranian populations, like the Netherlands, the United States, Sweden, Germany, Australia, and Canada (Iman, 2008; Gilan et al., 2022; Hallsten et al., 2008; Moztarzadeh & O'Rourke, 2015; Safdar, et al., 2009; Te Lindert et al.,2008). Because one of the main motivations for Iranians to leave their country is to obtain a lucrative job that will significantly improve their standard of living, Spain is not a popular destination for Iranians fleeing their dire economic position (Elhami, 2023). Instead, more prosperous Iranians who manage their own businesses or earn their living in Iran tend to choose Spain because they can live there and travel across Europe on a golden visa. Hence, in this research, a narrative study was used to identify elements that have an impact on the acculturation orientation as well as the language learning process, which is a key component of acculturation.
In Spain, there is “Golden Visa” that must be renewed every five years and it is for those who spend over €500,000 on housing and are therefore qualified to live and work there. They don't seem to be interested in getting a passport because they can only do so after 10 years of being in Spain; instead, they seem more interested in trying out a new way of life. Another type of visa, which has to be renewed each year, is non-lucrative, allowing immigrants to reside in Spain without having a work permit; nevertheless, after five years of residence, they are granted a “larga duracion”, a-five-year resident permit, that enables them to work there, however, in order to receive this Visa, each applicant must have a certain amount of money in their bank account to demonstrate that they can live in Spain without any financial issues. Moreover, they cannot leave Spain for longer than six months in a calendar year.