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Your language or mine?

Author

Listed:
  • Ramon Caminal

    (Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC) and Barcelona GSE)

  • Antonio Di Paolo

    (AQR-Universitat de Barcelona)

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 expanded cooperation across speech communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Ramon Caminal & Antonio Di Paolo, 2015. "Your language or mine?," Working Papers XREAP2015-05, Xarxa de Referència en Economia Aplicada (XREAP), revised Nov 2015.
    • Handle: RePEc:xrp:wpaper:xreap2015-05
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Anna Castañer & Mª Mercè Claramunt & Alba Tadeo & Javier Varea, 2016. "Modelización de la dependencia del número de siniestros. Aplicación a Solvencia II," Working Papers XREAP2016-01, Xarxa de Referència en Economia Aplicada (XREAP), revised Sep 2016.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    partnership formation; preferences; segregation; language skills; language use; language policy;
    All these keywords.

    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

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