A three-state language competition model including language learning and attrition

Abstract

We develop a three-state agent-based language competition model that takes into account the fact that language learning and attrition are not instantaneous but occur over a finite time interval; i.e., we introduce memory in the system. We show that memory effects significantly impact the dynamics of language competition. Furthermore, we find that including heterogeneity in the linguistic skills of the agents affects the results substantially. We also explore the role of other factors, such as different levels of language learning difficulty, initial population fractions, and daily interaction rates.

Language dynamics within adaptive networks: an agent-based approach of nodes and links coevolution

“…It would be interesting to apply the formalism of multilayer networks (Domenico, 2023) to account for heterogeneous speech communities and how layer interdependence affects language coexistence, possibly incorporating social factors such as economic class (Louf et al, 2023) and status (Rosillo-Rodes et al, 2023). Furthermore, one could also consider the role of memory in the dynamics of both the nodes and the links as in the work of Scialla et al (2023). In addition, one could consider the case where the dynamics, e.g., of the language usage decision, is defined taking into account group interactions rather than simply pairwise interactions (Perc et al, 2013).…”