Integration Benefits of Intimate Intergroup Contact in an Online Language Buddy Program for Migrant Newcomers

Language proficiency and contact with host society members are crucial for migrant newcomer integration. We investigated how positive intergroup contact with one language buddy may facilitate the integration of newcomers. One hundred nineteen newcomers who participated in Kletsmaatjes, a Dutch online language buddy program, participated in a correlational study. Regression analyses (plus path analysis) showed that more positive contact (enjoyment, self-disclosure, respect) with a language buddy was significantly linked to newcomers’ integration outcomes (cultural learning, sense of belonging). Interestingly, self-disclosure and enjoyment were most strongly linked to cultural learning, while respect was most strongly linked to belonging. Thematic coding offered insights into buddies’ interactions corroborating the quantitative insights. We discuss how a language buddy can be a stepping stone into a new society.