Bengt-Arne Wickström - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Bengt-Arne Wickström

Constitutional Political Economy

Constitutional Political Economy, May 26, 2023

How to use this book 1. Read the introduction to get an overview of the MIME project 2. Check the... more How to use this book 1. Read the introduction to get an overview of the MIME project 2. Check the "Key Results" to access our main conclusions and findings 3. Wander through the 72 entries in accordance with your own interests and needs PDF disclaimer This is the PDF version of the paperback book by the same name. Very effort has been made in order to facilitate reading on a screen or a mobile device. Therefore, page order remains the same but some changes might appear in text distribution at the end or at the beginning of a column. This Vademecum is a practical tool resulting from the MIME project on Mobility and Inclusion in Multilingual Europe funded by the European Commission. Using a novel approach combining eleven different disciplines, this Vademecum offers an innovative and integrated response to language policy challenges usually considered separately. It is intended for people whose professional or political activities lead them to consider matters of multilingualism, take a stand on those issues and, directly or indirectly, shape language policy decisions at local, national or supra-national level. Backcover text of paperback edition 1. it reviews the essential features of the MIME project. This helps to approach the rest of the Vademecum with a deeper understanding of the challenges of linguistic diversity; 2. it presents the structure of the Vademecum, explaining what this volume offers (but also, no less importantly, what it is not intended to provide); 3. it contains practical indications on how to use this Vademecum. The MIME Vademecum: an Introduction MIME is a research project on multilingualism (2014-2018) financed by the European Commission under FP7 This Vademecum offers a set of tools and research results François Grin MIME Project coordinator ß How can Europeans balance the requirements of mobility in a modern, integrated, technologically advanced society with the need to maintain and take advantage of Europe's linguistic and cultural diversity? ß What does this challenge imply in terms of communication practices, language use and language rights, language teaching and learning? ß How does this translate into policies regarding national languages, minority languages, and immigrant or heritage languages? MIME offers an innovative approach to language policy selection and design with (i) a policy analysis angle, (ii) an interdisciplinary perspective combining eleven different disciplines, (iii) a diversity management framework that integrates language questions usually considered separately Introduction ß the protection and promotion of regional and minority languages in Europe; ß the presence and visibility, in an EU member state, of the official languages of other member states (as a result of intra-European mobility); ß the challenges of effective second and foreign language learning in education systems, which raises, in particular, the issue of the special role of major languages, including one or more lingua francas; ß the language issues surrounding the presence of other (often extra-European) languages accompanying migration flows; ß the problem of efficient and fair communication in multilingual organisations-not least the European institutions themselves; ß a number of specific questions connected to the management of multilingualism, such as the linguistic dimensions of consumer protection or the specific language needs of retirees settling in another EU member state. We need to rethink language planning in response to profound changes due to globalisation and technological development The interconnections between the micro level (individuals), the meso level (organisations) and the macro level (state and society) must be taken into account ß on the one hand, Europe means becoming a strongly integrated union whose citizens can freely move between member states for work, study, leisure or retirement. This is what we call mobility, a notion which denotes a broader range of processes than physical migration and captures the growing multiplicity of motivations and modalities associated with the geographical, or sometimes virtual movement of people. Mobility requires easy communication among people with different linguistic backgrounds. This can be achieved by appropriately combining multiple communication strategies involving language learning as well as various ways of using languages. Mobility, however, challenges the association traditionally made between a particular language and a particular geographical area; ß on the other hand, the "multilingual challenge" raises issues of inclusion, in which languages play a fundamental role. The range of languages spoken in Europe is crucial to the definition of its diversity, which is recognised as a core value of the Union. This diversity is manifested in the linguistic specificity of different parts of the EU, whose member states have different official languages (sometimes more than one, with various internal arrangements, at national and/or sub-national level, to deal with this diversity). Inclusion, then, refers to a sense of belonging to, Europe as a social and political project requires both mobility and inclusion, but having more of one often means having less of the other, and vice-versa The tension between mobility and inclusion is particularly acute in the area of language ß if its citizens can easily move between member states and not be confined to one state where they happen to have been born or to have studied. This requires support for arrangements and institutions that facilitate mobility for work, study, leisure, and retirement. Such support may concern the legal provision of language rights, the design of school syllabuses, the regulation of multilingualism in the packaging of consumer goods, the conditions under which access to public services is guaranteed, etc.; ß and if, while taking full advantage of the educational, professional and other opportunities offered by mobility, citizens are included in the local community in which they settle, for a short or extended period. This requires support for the vitality of diverse communities, big or small, which differ from each other and manifest their uniqueness, in particular, through their specific linguistic features. Cohesion, therefore, also implies paying attention to the concerns of those who choose not to move or have no particular reason to do so, but who may find themselves in the role of a host society. Their sense of MIME's core mission is to identify language policies that can improve compatibility between mobility and inclusion in areas such as language rights, language use in the public sphere, language education, and communication in specific settings Social cohesion, at the European level, requires a balanced combination of mobility and inclusion, also in terms of language use, language rights and language skills Multilingualism is of crucial importance at a time when the EU as a social and political project needs to rethink the conditions of its appeal to citizens MIME is not about a specific facet of multilingualism, but about managing multilingualism in an integrated fashion, as a feature that cuts across different situations This volume provides concepts, models, principles, references, and examples of successful practice This Vademecum is a tool for users to identify priorities for their own policy plans, suited to their own contexts ß language policy analysis (questions 1 to 13) ß minorities, majorities, and language rights (questions 14 to 25) ß linguistic diversity, mobility, and integration (questions 26 to 40) ß language education, teaching, and learning (questions 41 to 53) ß translation, language technologies, and alternative strategies (questions 54 to 64) ß special topics (questions 65 to 72) Within each group, the Vademecum entries have been chosen in such a way as to offer an ample coverage of practical questions, and the entries of this Vademecum can be used as stepping stones in order to approach other questions. The general principles and findings also apply to language policy issues not addressed in this Vademecum This book is neither an encyclopaedia nor a textbook, but it offers an extensive, hands-on coverage of the linguistic environment that language policies are intended to influence The 72 entries allow quick, effective and targeted access to essential language policy issues The MIME project generates a wide range of research results providing orientations for the selection and design of language policies in Europe. Let us begin by highlighting four major conclusions, from which general policy orientations may be derived.

Zusammenfassung Der Artikel befaßt sich mit dem Zusammenhang zwischen Sprache, Humankapital und A... more Zusammenfassung Der Artikel befaßt sich mit dem Zusammenhang zwischen Sprache, Humankapital und Arbeitsmarkt. Er beginnt mit einer prinzipiellen Diskussion vom Einfluß der Sprache auf Konsum und Produktion. Sprachkenntnisse werden gesehen als Humankapital, das sowohl den Genuß von Konsumaktivitäten als auch die Produktivität im Arbeitsmarkt beeinflußt. Es wird betont, daß der Wert der Sprachkenntnisse sowohl von der Nachfrage als auch vom Angebot der sprachlichen Fähigkeiten abhängt. Die empirische Evidenz wird erörtert mit Ausgangspunkt in der reichhaltigen Literatur zum Thema, vor allem zu der Beherrschung verschiedener Fremdsprachen und dem Erfolg im Arbeitsmarkt. In vielen Fällen üben Fremdsprachenkenntnisse einen signifikanten Einfluß auf Lohn und Beschäftigung aus. Anhand aktueller Datensätzen aus Deutschland wird eine deskriptive Analyse der Beziehungen zwischen Englischkenntnissen und dem Einkommen beziehungsweise dem Beschäftigungsstatus im deutschen Arbeitsmarkt vorgestellt. * Diese Arbeit wurde zum Teil in der Forschungsgruppe »Ökonomie und Sprache« in Berlin ausgeführt, mit der die Verfasserin und die beiden Verfasser assoziiert sind. Die Forschungsgruppe wird durch das siebte Rahmenprogramm der Europäischen Union unterstützt (Projekt MIME-Zuwendungsvertrag 613344). Wir sind für diese Unterstützung dankbar. Wir danken auch dem SOEP (Sozialökonomischem Panel). das die Daten zur Verfügung gestellt hat.

Minority Rights and Liberal Democratic Insecurities

An economic analysis of language rights takes its point of departure in individual preferences. I... more An economic analysis of language rights takes its point of departure in individual preferences. Individuals attribute values to different allocations of language rights. One then compares the implementation costs to the aggregate value attributed to the rights by the individuals; a certain allocation of rights should then be implemented if the aggregate value exceeds the costs of realizing the allocation. The costs of implementing a certain right are as a rule both conceptually and practically well defined. Generally they will decrease per capita when the number of beneficiaries increases. This implies that optimal rules should be expressed in terms of a "critical mass" of beneficiaries. The definition of value is more difficult and, hence, more interesting. As in any cost-benefit analysis, the point of departure is the individual propensities of pay for the rights allocation. The benchmark is then that rights should be realized if aggregated benefits exceed costs. The ben...

Advances in Interdisciplinary Language Policy, 2022

Overview In an era of globalization, issues of language diversity have economic and political imp... more Overview In an era of globalization, issues of language diversity have economic and political implications. Transnational labor mobility, trade, social inclusion of migrants, democracy in multilingual countries, and companies’ international competitiveness all have a linguistic dimension; yet economists in general do not include language as a variable in their research. This volume demonstrates that the application of rigorous economic theories and research methods to issues of language policy yields valuable insights. The contributors offer both theoretical and empirical analyses of such topics as the impact of language diversity on economic outcomes, the distributive effects of policy regarding official languages, the individual welfare consequences of bilingualism, and the link between language and national identity. Their research is based on data from countries including Canada, India, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia and from the regions of Central America, Europe, and Sub-Saharan Af...

European Journal of Political Economy, 2004

European Journal of Political Economy

The MIT Press

This chapter may be seen as a companion to chapter one, which proposes an overview of language ec... more This chapter may be seen as a companion to chapter one, which proposes an overview of language economics in the form of a “mental map”. It is devoted to a bibliography which provides an extensive set of references to all the categories of literature in language economics featured in the mental map. This bibliography list consolidates the respective literature lists used by the authors of this chapter in their research and teaching.

The American Economist, 1979

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, European and Regional Studies, 2016

In this note, we outline various possible long-run effects of an English-only acquisition policy ... more In this note, we outline various possible long-run effects of an English-only acquisition policy in the European Union. The point of departure is how individual behaviour adapts to constraints in the environment. This leads to changes in collective behaviour, which becomes part of the environment, again influencing individual behaviour. Possible equilibria of this feedback mechanism are discussed. It is argued that domain loss and diglossia may result. The process is further characterized by external effects. Looking at language knowledge as a merit good, path dependencies and multiple stable equilibria can be explained.