BILINGUALISM AND NETWORK EXTERNALITIES

Authors
CHURCH J KING I
Citation
J. Church et I. King, BILINGUALISM AND NETWORK EXTERNALITIES, Canadian journal of economics, 26(2), 1993, pp. 337-345
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
Economics
Journal title
Canadian journal of economics → ACNP
ISSN journal
00084085
Volume
26
Issue
2
Year of publication
1993
Pages
337 - 345
Database
ISI
SICI code
0008-4085(1993)26:2<337:BANE>2.0.ZU;2-0
Abstract
We develop a model in which the benefit of language acquisition is inc reasing in the number of individuals who speak the language. This give s rise to a network externality, and if language acquisition is costly , the language acquisition decisions by individuals may be inefficient . If the available policy instruments affect all members of a language group homogeneously, then policies that effectively subsidize languag e acquisition are warranted only for the majority language.