Discussion paper

DP4942 Learning Foreign Languages.Theoretical and Empirical Implications of the Selten and Pool Model

In this paper we adopt the Selten-Pool model (1993) framework of language acquisition that is based on the notion of communicative benefits and learning costs. We consider a model with languages that serve as imperfect substitutes and show that under supermodularity of the communicative benefits function and some other mild conditions, there exists a unique interior linguistic equilibrium. We then derive a demand function for foreign languages that we estimate for English, French, German and Spanish in 13 European countries.

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Citation

Ginsburgh, V, I Ortuño-Ortin and S Weber (2005), ‘DP4942 Learning Foreign Languages.Theoretical and Empirical Implications of the Selten and Pool Model‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 4942. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp4942