Language dynamics in multi-language societies is a growing field of study. Most extant research focuses on the dynamics of language death in multilingual societies. However, empirically, languages form more complex patterns, including survival in local clusters. This paper lays the foundation for a model to explain the process by which dominated languages sustain themselves. The key mechanism we explore in this paper is the social-network effect that affects single or multiple language adoption. In particular we hypothesize an important role of bilangualism. To analyze this we extend existing, stylized, models that predict one single dominant language. We simulate the competition of two language groups who interact through a bilingual population. We include factors such as language status and ease of learning. The model is tested against the empirical case of Quebec from 1931 to 2006. We explore the importance of bilingual parents raising their children as bilinguals or unilinguals according to the relative attractiveness of each language. We find that this factor, while not critical in explaining qualitative patterns, is instrumental to replicate more accurate patterns. We conclude by developing a hypothesis of how spatial disaggregation of the network effects may explain the local cluster survival of dominated languages.

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Date created

• 2011 July 24-2011 July 28

Type

• Document

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• Processing documentation available at: https://wiki.albany.edu/display/SCA/Processing+Ingested+Digital+Files

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• Creative Commons BY-NC-ND Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International

  
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28441c340962a2b363963713d1bba533

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Part of

e35e9d46c0556df862a8fbb9e32d2143

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23d738ba88f8333bc39725f9cb5bd0b8

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Collection

System Dynamic Society Records

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Collecting area

• This collection is part of the University Archives