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Your Language Or Mine? The Noncommunicative Benefits Of Language Skills

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  • Ramon Caminal
  • Antonio Di Paolo

Abstract

Do languages matter beyond their communicative benefits? We explore the potential role of preferences over the language of use, theoretically and empirically. We focus on Catalonia, a bilingual society where everyone is fully proficient in Spanish, to isolate linguistic preferences from communicative benefits. Moreover, we exploit the language‐in‐education reform of 1983 to identify the causal effects of language skills. Results indicate that the policy change has improved the Catalan proficiency of native Spanish speakers, which in turn increased their propensity to find Catalan‐speaking partners. Hence, the acquisition of apparently redundant language skills has reduced endogamy. (JEL C26, C78, I28, J12, J15, Z13)

Suggested Citation

  • Ramon Caminal & Antonio Di Paolo, 2019. "Your Language Or Mine? The Noncommunicative Benefits Of Language Skills," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(1), pages 726-750, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:57:y:2019:i:1:p:726-750
    DOI: 10.1111/ecin.12542
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Antonio Di Paolo & Bernat Mallén, 2022. ""Does geographical exposure to language learning centres matter in a bilingual city?"," IREA Working Papers 202205, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised May 2022.
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    3. Bernat Mallén, 2023. "“The Effect of Competition on Language Diversity in the Movie-Theatre Industry”," AQR Working Papers 202302, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised May 2023.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C26 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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