论语言的经济效应:理论、经验与启示

Economic Effect of Language: Theories, Evidence, and Implications

探索语言与经济社会之间的关系是语言应用研究中的一个重要问题。作为人类特有的交流媒介,语言具有一些显著的经济特征,这使其成为经济学研究的合适对象。本文讨论了语言的经济特征和属性,从个体和国家两个层面分析梳理了语言的经济效应。微观个体层面,语言表现为依附人体的语言能力,较高的语言能力有助于提高劳动者收入,产生工资效应;宏观国家层面,个体语言能力加总构成国家语言能力,是国家对外交往中克服语言障碍的先决条件,具有贸易效应,对国家经济发展具有重要意义。研究探讨语言的经济效应,对于国家语言文字事业和语言生活研究具有积极意义。

The relationship between language and societal economy is an important issue in the study of language application.As a unique medium of communication,language has some remarkable economic characteristics which make it a suitable object for economic research.This paper discusses the economic characteristics and attributes of language,and analyzes the economic effects of language from individual and nation levels.At the micro level of individuals,language embodies language skills attached to human body,and higher language skills can increase the income of workers and have a wage effect.At the macro level of a nation,the aggregation of individual language skills constitutes the national language ability,which is a prerequisite for a country to overcome language barriers in its foreign affairs,which is important to the economic development of the country.Therefore,studying the economic effects of language is important for language practice and the study of language life.