Speaking out: A mathematical model of language preservation

Abstract

Languages evolve as an effect of communal competition while environmental and social dynamics characterize a language. There are thousands of languages spoken around the world but many of them are in danger of going extinct because of language competition and shifts. Modeling language preservation is important because the rise and fall of a language directly impacts the culture attached to it. We present a study of language competition and preservation between a bilingual population and two monolingual populations using a mathematical model involving nonlinear systems of differential equations. Building upon the ideas of previous models in the literature, the model utilizes population proportions with a simple structure that yields noteworthy behavior including a stable spiral with all three language groups preserved. We investigate how bilinguals and monolinguals can coexist as well as how they can affect one another. Los idiomas evolucionan como efecto de la competencia comunitaria, mientras que las dinámicas ambientales y sociales caracterizan a un idioma. Se hablan miles de idiomas en todo el mundo, pero muchos de ellos están en peligro de extinción debido a la competencia lingüística y los cambios. Modelar la preservación del lenguaje es importante porque el auge y la caída de un idioma impacta directamente en la cultura que se le atribuye. Presentamos un estudio de la competencia y preservación del lenguaje entre una población bilingüe y dos poblaciones monolingües utilizando un modelo matemático que involucra sistemas no lineales de ecuaciones diferenciales. Sobre la base de las ideas de modelos anteriores en la literatura, el modelo utiliza proporciones de población con una estructura simple que produce un comportamiento notable que incluye una espiral estable con los tres grupos lingüísticos preservados. Investigamos cómo los bilingües y los monolingües pueden coexistir y cómo pueden afectarse unos a otros.

Digitalization: Advantage or disadvantage in the issue of preserving the languages of minority ethnic groups (on the example of the Abaza language)

“…Globalization is creating an entire cultural and commercial ecosystem that is transforming communities and diversifying populations. As communities around the world come together, a truly co-evolutionary dynamic is being created in which bilingualism is increasingly favored [1]. This bilingualism includes the state language, and the second -a foreign language, although the native language should rightfully occupy a leading position.…”