Current Issues In Language Planning
Polity Editors: Robert B. Kaplan (University of Southern California), Richard B. Baldauf Jr. (University of Queensland) and Nkonko Kamwangamalu (Howard University)Bob and Dick are also editors of the book series Language Policy and Planning
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Volume: 4 Number: 1 Page: 1–66
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Language Planning and Economics
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François Grin
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This paper proposes a comprehensive overview of the 'economics of language'. This field of research, which is grounded in the discipline of economics, displays a strong interdisciplinary orientation, which
places it on the fringes of mainstream economics. It studies the ways in which linguistic and economic processes influence one another. It is also well placed to contribute to the evaluation of public policies
regarding language, because it offers analytical tools for the systematic identification and measurement of the advantages and drawbacks of policy alternatives. I begin by discussing the reasons why an
economic perspective on language is scientifically and politically relevant; I then review some of the attendant epistemological and methodological issues, before moving on to an overview of the main lines
of research in language economics. A full section of this paper is devoted to the economic approach to language policy, and another focuses on an application to education policy, detailing the economics
of second or foreign language education. The paper aims at making the key economic tools accessible to readers from varied academic backgrounds; it also emphasises the need to combine disciplines to develop
an inclusive methodology for the selection, design, and implementation of language policies.
Keywords: LANGUAGE ECONOMICS, LANGUAGE POLICY, POLICY ANALYSIS, DIVERSITY, RATES OF RETURN ON LANGUAGE SKILLS, COSTS OF LANGUAGE POLICY
© Multilingual Matters 2003
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