Exploring Indigenous Culture Through the Linguistic Landscape in Pakistan: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Abstract

Signs are the center of a city’s identity that is more than just intermediaries, rather they are also a vital component of that identity; both physically and culturally. This research examines semiotic citizenship’s role in developing the language landscape and determines whether or not the language landscape contributes to constructing socio-political identities. The purpose of this research is a comprehensive multimodal survey of multilingual signs and advertisements seen in public places, also known as the linguistic landscape as signs created by individuals of any area indicate their direct connection with the city and ownership. The data collected for this research includes 825 photographic samples from roadside restaurants, advertisements, hospitals, various shops, and other sources in the cities, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The theoretical framework used for this research is Linguistic Landscape Theory from the perspective of Landry–Bourhis (1997). The findings highlight that Urdu and English, language and sometimes Punjabi is preferred on street signs. Furthermore, Urdu was the language of choice in the Tourist Destination and its more modest surroundings, whereas English was in the business districts. In general, language and signs are used to describe the linguistic landscape in Pakistan.