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The value of language skills

Author

Listed:
  • Gilles Grenier

    (University of Ottawa, Canada)

  • Weiguo Zhang

    (Shandong University, China)

Abstract

In today's globalized world, people are increasingly mobile and often need to communicate across different languages. Learning a new language is an investment in human capital. Migrants must learn the language of their destination country, but even non-migrants must often learn other languages if their work involves communicating with foreigners. Economic studies have shown that fluency in a dominant language is important to economic success and increases economic efficiency. However, maintaining linguistic diversity also has value since language is also an expression of people's culture.

Suggested Citation

  • Gilles Grenier & Weiguo Zhang, 2021. "The value of language skills," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 205-205, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:2021:n:205
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Victor Ginsburgh & Shlomo Weber, 2011. "How Many Languages Do We Need? The Economics of Linguistic Diversity," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 9481.
    2. Gianmarco I.P. Ottaviano & Giovanni Peri, 2021. "Cities and cultures," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Firms and Workers in a Globalized World Larger Markets, Tougher Competition, chapter 6, pages 153-186, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Grenier, G. & Vaillancourt, F., 1982. "An Economic Perspective on Learning a Second Language," Cahiers de recherche 8238, Universite de Montreal, Departement de sciences economiques.
    4. Weiguo Zhang & Gilles Grenier, 2012. "How can Language be linked to Economics? A Survey of Two Strands of Research," Working Papers 1206E, University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhu, Junbing & Grigoriadis, Theocharis N., 2022. "Chinese dialects, culture & economic performance," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    2. Ibrahim Bousmah & Gilles Grenier & David M. Gray, 2021. "Linguistic Distance, Languages of Work and Wages of Immigrants in Montreal," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 1-28, March.
    3. Lorraine Wong, 2023. "The effect of linguistic proximity on the labour market outcomes of the asylum population," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(2), pages 609-652, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    language; human capital; immigration; lingua franca; English; linguistic diversity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J26 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Retirement; Retirement Policies
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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