Struben, Jeroen with Charles Gauvin, "Language Evolution in Québec: Network effects and clustering", 2011 July 24-2011 July 28

Language Evolution in Québec: Network effects and dustering
Charles Gauvin*, Jeroen Struben**

*HEC Montréal, Montréal, H3T2A7

**Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montréal, H2A1G5

Abstract

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 bilingualism. 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 pattems. 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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