Socio-Economic Status and Language Prestige in the Linguistic Landscape of the U.S.-Mexico Border

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores language choice in the public signage of a bilingual border city where the co-existing languages, Spanish and English, have unbalanced power and prestige. We analyzed 1400 signs around El Paso, Texas to investigate Spanish-English bilingualism, whether the signs reflect the demographic characteristics of the speech community, the vitality and prestige of both languages and the relationship between sign location and language choice. The results reveal that the use of English in signs is over-represented (63%) in a city where most of the population speaks Spanish at home (67%). Proximity to the border with Mexico and lower socio-economic status are strong predictors of Spanish use in signs, as are certain business categories.