Linguistic Ecology Research Articles

The Linguistic Ecologic Analysis of the Error-prone Emergency Prevention and Control Slogans during the COVID-19 Epidemic in China

As a typical form of emergency language service, the emergency prevention and control slogans (EPCS) play an important role in the prevention and control of social emergencies in China. However, due to the characteristics of "emergency", the prevention and control slogans are errorprone, which can cause a negative impact on the language ecology. Based on the theory of linguistic ecology, this paper conducts a thorough analysis of the error-prone slogans during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. First, error-prone slogans can be divided into four categories from the internal language ecological environment: language standardization errors, application appropriateness errors, content adaptability errors, and ethical compliance errors. Second, this paper assesses three aspects of error-prone slogans from external social ecological environment: the degree of errors, the distribution of errors, and the citizens' normative willingness. Finally, the paper puts forward suggestions to prevent language conflict, stop language exclusion, eliminate language dissent and govern the language environment in order to reduce error-prone emergency prevention and control slogans, improve the quality of emergency language services, and build a harmonious ecological environment inside and outside the language.

English passing off as Thai in twenty-first century Thai linguistic landscape

ABSTRACT With deepening globalisation and increased people-to-people contact, English is becoming more relevant in Thailand, which boasts a sizable expat community and tourists from around the world. While various scholars have explored the more overt, explicit, and obvious aspect of English glocalised in the Thai context (e.g. expressions such as ‘same same but different’), the more implicit, covert and hidden aspect has rarely been examined, that is, how the all-powerful English becomes disguised in the Thai script and becomes taken for granted and even passes off as ‘local’ in various settings in an inter-scriptal manner. In a context of change, linguistic landscape represents an important venue to observe the development and evolution of English in action. Drawing on authentic real-world data taken from Thailand’s linguistic landscape, this study points to the pervasive nature of English being disguised, through transliteration, in the Thai script in Thailand’s twenty-first century linguistic ecology. Beyond discussing the reasons and ideologies behind this interesting hybridised variety, this study also attempts to document the phonological changes and phonetic features exhibited when English is glocalised and (re)contextualised in the distant and seemingly incompatible Thai script, which symbolises a vastly different sociocultural and religious identity.

The Ecological Construction Path of English Vocabulary Teaching Based on Markov Chain in the Perspective of Ecological Linguistics

The new curriculum standards have put forward new requirements for high school English vocabulary teaching, and the English vocabulary eco-classroom under the guidance of ecological linguistics theory can precisely make up for the shortcomings in the traditional vocabulary classroom and meet the challenges of the times. However, most of the existing researches on ecological classroom are combined with macro English subjects, and few of them are about English vocabulary teaching. This study takes the principles of ecological linguistics as the theoretical basis to support the conceptual construction and morphological reliance of the vocabulary ecological classroom, supplemented by modal theory as the process orientation of the four major stages in the teaching process, constructs a new vocabulary ecological classroom model based on Markov chain model, and applies the ecological classroom model to high school English vocabulary teaching to verify its teaching effects. The experimental results show that the Markov chain-based high school English vocabulary teaching under the “ecological linguistics” model can help students’ interest in vocabulary learning and promote their vocabulary learning level, accounting for 15% improvement in the learning effect.

Family linguistic ecology in Chinese American diasporas: migrants’ heritage language planning and discursive ethnolinguistic identity in-between

ABSTRACT Heritage language maintenance is a challenge faced by many immigrant parents. Previous studies on Chinese immigrant families and inheritance of the mother tongue privileged a pedagogical perspective focusing on second-language acquisition and literacy developments. Little attention has been paid to the nuanced understanding of how Chinese immigrant parents help their children construct language resilience of (un)belongingness across home and host contexts and how children negotiate fluid hybrid identity construction. Through questionnaires, semi-constructed interviews, and home visits with four Chinese immigrant families in the United States, this linguistic ethnography study probes the linguistic ecology, (in)visible language planning, and discursive identity construction in Chinese American diaspora families. The findings suggest migrant parents’ congruence and conflict in explicit and implicit family language ideology, management, and practice. Children negotiate fluid discursive identity construction and mediate hybrid culture characterised by the diversity of pathways of language learning as a (dis)continuum. The findings highlight the significance of a linguistic ecological niche in emergent bilingual immigrants’ heritage language maintenance and development. This research illuminates how parents can foster a greater sense of possibility for transitional children’s journeys of being and becoming bilinguals or multilinguals.

Linguistic landscaping in Kathmandu’s Thamel ‘Chinatown’: language as commodity in the construction of a cosmopolitan transnational space

ABSTRACT This study explores the linguistic landscape of a new unofficial 'Chinatown' in Kathmandu, Nepal. Located in the tourist hub Thamel, this Chinatown came into being recently because of globalisation and China's outbound tourism boom. Using authentic photographic data, this study examines how the use of Chinese and various semiotic elements (e.g. colour) contributes to the making of a commodified ethnic enclave and space of consumption, where a foreign culture is inscribed and embedded in the existing built environment. Unlike the traditional old-world Chinatowns, simplified Chinese characters are omnipresent in this Chinatown and many Chinese-run business names are highly up-to-date and reflect the latest trends in their home country. The exclusive use of monolingual Chinese is also commonplace. Interestingly, awkwardly hand-copied Chinese and Google translated Chinese are used as part of local businesses' marketing repertoire in what can be called 'linguistic jugaad'. Additionally, some local businesses resort to creative, affective and playful language to attract and engage with Chinese tourists. Contributing to research on ethnic enclaves and urban sociolinguistics, this study highlights language as commodity in transforming/constructing a cosmopolitan transnational space in our globalised and mobile world, illustrating how South-South population flows can leave material traces in a place's linguistic ecology.

Incorporation as a Grammaticalization Pathway

Abstract In addition to canonical noun incorporation, Chukchi exhibits other kinds of incorporating morphology that are consistent with polysynthesis but have seldom been considered as part of a unified morphological phenomenon. This paper examines different patterns of incorporation in Chukchi across time and asks: what are the useful loci of variation for typological comparison, how do these distinct patterns emerge diachronically, and how do these features spread in contact? I consider the existing documentation of Chukchi from the early 20th century through the present, including modern data which exhibits some novel patterns. Consistent with previous investigations of Chukchi in contact (Bogoras, 1922; de Reuse, 1994; Pupynina and Aralova, 2021), I demonstrate that the effects Chukchi has had on other languages is greater than the reverse: many morphological phenomena in Chukchi are internally-motivated and emerge from speakers’ reliance on incorporation as a discourse strategy. Specifically, I provide a unified analysis of incorporation across the nominal and verbal domains, valency-changing derivational morphology, and inflectional morphology built on the morpheme -in(e), which I argue functions as a generic underspecified noun in the language. In the realm of language contact, I propose a cline to model patterns in the borrowing of derivational phenomena like incorporation, and present shared patterns in Chukchi, Central Siberian Yupik, and Even which support this cline. Finally, I examine data from Chukchi as it is spoken today and argue that the historical linguistic ecology of northeastern Siberia has made it possible for incorporation to remain highly productive even with significant shift to Russian.

Multilingual mindset

Abstract In this paper, I examine the changing currency of languages in the context of migration and mobility based on case studies of Filipino migrants in Australia. Drawing on two sociolinguistic studies conducted with and for Filipino migrants, I highlight how the “monolingual mindset” (Clyne, 2008) reinforced by the “White-English complex” (Piller, Torsh, & Smith-Khan, 2023) negatively impact on the value and currency of Philippine languages. As an alternative, I offer the concept multilingual mindset as an inclusive framework for valuing multilingual migrants in the diaspora. I first introduce the linguistic ecology and national language policies of both the Philippines and Australia to set the scene for my argument. I then map out the migration trends in both countries and the simultaneous socio-political events that have driven the growth of Filipino migration in Australia and introduce the two sociolinguistic studies with and for (Blackledge, 2006; Tetteh, 2015) Filipino migrants. This is followed by the presentation and critical discussion of three key conceptual arguments of this paper derived from these studies. Employing the “monolingual mindset” (Clyne, 2008) and “White-English complex” (Piller et al., 2023) as lenses, I then critically discuss how these concepts are detrimental to heritage language maintenance and inclusive multilingualism and argue that the maintenance of migrant languages in the diaspora would best be facilitated by an adoption of a multilingual mindset. The paper concludes with a discussion on the significance of the multilingual mindset to sociolinguistic studies and migration linguistics (Borlongan, 2023), in general, and to language attitudes, language practices, and language policies across different sectors, in particular.

Mouthing Constructions in 37 Signed Languages

Abstract The descriptive contribution of this paper is a typology of mouthing constructions in 37 signed languages and an analysis of the ideologies and resources that affect their documentation. The languages are divided into two categories labelled deaf (n=26) and rural (n=11), that are defined based on socio-historical/-cultural properties, but which have been problematised for their conflation of multiple linguistic ecologies (Kusters, 2009: 200; Nyst, 2012; Reed, 2019; Safar, 2020). The analysis is used to argue that phenomena like mouthing are marginalised in documentation, as opposed to marginal, and that the deaf-rural divide tracks differences that are more related to issues of documentation than contexts of language use and emergence. The Semiotic Repertoires approach (Kusters et al., 2017) is used to motivate the unit of analysis, the mouthing construction, and Uniformitarianism in Creole linguistics (Mufwene, 2000; DeGraff, 2005) is used as a lens onto signed language typology.

“Let’s ride this out together”: unpacking multilingual top-down and bottom-up pandemic communication evidenced in Singapore’s coronavirus-related linguistic and semiotic landscape

Abstract Access to languages is a human right and multilingual crisis communication is vital during a pandemic. Multilingual and (super)diverse Singapore features four official languages (English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil), with English being a dominant lingua franca. Additionally, other minority/migrant languages are also spoken to varying degrees (e.g. Tagalog, Thai, Burmese, Hindi, Punjabi, and Nepali). Contributing to public health communication research, this study explores Singapore’s multilingual pandemic communication practices evidenced on its COVID-related linguistic landscape, drawing on real-world top-down and bottom-up signs (N = 128). Top-down signs in Singapore are found to mostly feature English monolingualism or the four official languages. In comparison, Singapore’s bottom-up COVID-scape manifests in more scenarios. The findings are aligned with Singapore’s linguistic policy and existing pre-COVID linguistic ecology. What is conspicuously absent is that minority/migrant languages other than the four official languages are rarely represented. Despite Singapore's relative success in the anti-Covid journey overall, this raises questions of inclusiveness and accessibility and suggests that the city state needs to get out of its linguistic “comfort zone” and use a broader range of languages in crisis communication, especially considering the possibility of disease X and other future public health contingencies. The wider significance and ramifications of the study are also explored and discussed.

It's better to die before dishonour: Linguistic creativity and the negotiation of meaning in the Nigerian Army community of practice

This article investigates emblematic language use and the negotiation of meaning with particular emphasis on generative mechanisms like jargon and slang in two Nigerian Army barracks in Calabar municipality, Cross River State, south-eastern Nigeria. The study is anchored in a linguistic ideology framework which is grounded in beliefs and values people have towards explicit and implicit language use in a particular communicative context. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic data sourced through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 30 participants who were purposively sampled, the authors argue that jargon and slang are indexical linguistic resources that enable military personnel to create diverse new meanings in the informal linguistic ecology of the army. We conclude that beyond helping to create a new linguistic convention in the barracks, jargon and slang also facilitate the construction of professional identity, enact inclusion/exclusion and sustain dominant values and professional ethos. The study focuses on ways of interpreting the specificity of the military world and the reality of dominance through the prism of these linguistic specimens. Jargon and slang, therefore, offer a firmer lens to appreciate the army's social universe and subjectivities, and more broadly to enhance an understanding of contextually embedded social practices in the military.

Corrigendum: Revisiting the past to understand the present: the linguistic ecology of the Singapore deaf community and the historical evolution of Singapore Sign Language (SgSL)

Corrigendum: Revisiting the past to understand the present: the linguistic ecology of the Singapore deaf community and the historical evolution of Singapore Sign Language (SgSL)

Research on the construction of English "eco-classroom" in primary schools under the perspective of ecological linguistics

Research on the construction of English "eco-classroom" in primary schools under the perspective of ecological linguistics

A Study on the Application of Ecological linguistics to English Teaching

This paper explores the application of ecological linguistics to English teaching, highlighting its significance in enhancing language learning and promoting a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between language, culture, and the environment. Ecological linguistics recognizes that language is inseparable from its social, cultural, and ecological contexts, emphasizing the role of context in language teaching. By incorporating ecological perspectives, English language educators can help learners comprehend how language usage varies across different contexts and how ecological factors influence linguistic choices, thereby improving learners' ability to communicate effectively in real-world situations. Additionally, ecological linguistics promotes the use of authentic language materials and real-world contexts, exposing learners to diverse linguistic practices and cultural diversity. It also acknowledges language variation and diversity, fostering tolerance, inclusivity, and intercultural competence. Furthermore, the integration of language and culture is emphasized, promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity among learners. The paper proposes strategies for English teaching within the Ecological Linguistics Dynamic Mode, such as establishing clear and adaptive teaching objectives, utilizing diverse teaching approaches, and implementing dynamic assessment. By adopting these strategies, educators can create a comprehensive and meaningful learning experience that extends beyond language structures, equipping learners with the necessary linguistic and cultural tools to navigate a diverse and rapidly changing world.

Study of Animal Discourse in Language Textbooks from the Perspective of Ecological Linguistics

Study of Animal Discourse in Language Textbooks from the Perspective of Ecological Linguistics

Sociophonetic variation in the alveolar lateral in Yami

Abstract This paper examines lateral (/l/) variation in Yami, an indigenous language of Orchid Island, Taiwan. New acoustic evidence on F2–F1 distance and duration shows that palatalized laterals [lj] in Yami are characterized by greater formant distance and longer duration. These acoustic correlates are influenced by a mixed bag of social and linguistic factors, indicating the need for a coordinated assessment of these factors. Results also suggest that in general, younger, less-rooted, and Mandarin-dominant speakers have a narrower formant distance and shorter duration, indicating a less palatal-like /l/ pronunciation. The loss of [lj] among these speakers may be linked to a rapidly changing linguistic ecology, which fuels cross-linguistic transfer from Mandarin, the language of communication with outsiders. Since [lj] only occurs in Yami, younger speakers may have converged towards Mandarin and predominantly use [l]s, leading to a restructuring process in Yami phonology.

Роль русского языка в формировании и продвижении традиционных ценностей России

The article considers the role of the Russian language in the formation and promotion of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values of the nation. The object of the study is the linguocultural potential of the Russian language. The subject of the study is the building of value links between language and the elements that form the model of worldview pentabasis: ‘man’, ‘family’, ‘society’, ‘state’, ‘country’. The study reveals that for a person, language acts as an instructor, giving instructions on how to choose the verbal code of communication that will be most appropriate in specifi c circumstances of communication. For the family, the native language is a guide to culture, providing a link between generations through family traditions, folklore and stories of world literature. For society, the Russian language acts as an indicator of its state, because it quickly reacts to changes and easily adapts to the new reality. For the state, the Russian language is an instrument of ‘soft’ power, contributing to strengthening the unity of the multinational Russian people and enhancing Russia’s cultural presence in the world. For the country, the native language is an effective means of civic and patriotic education for young people. The analysis of sources on the topic of the study allows us to conclude that in the context of modern globalization processes, the Russian language and the languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation are subject to negative infl uence. Among the negative factors affecting the development of Russian languages are the following: the targeted penetration of English into all spheres of activity, a decline in the general level of language profi ciency, and following the global language trends. To neutralize the infl uence of negative factors on the language, an effective language policy is being developed. It is aimed at supporting the growth of interest in the native language and culture, as well as at preserving, protecting and revitalizing the languages of smallnumbered peoples of Russia. For example, the Russian-language platforms for online learning are spreading, a new trend – linguistic (language) ecology – is developing, and scientifi c centers for the preservation and revival of Russian languages are now operating.

Ecolinguistics, Ecotranslatology, Ecology of Translation: Correlation of Concepts in the Light of Modern Discourse Practice

In today's world, there is a notable shift not only towards the "ecologization" of human consciousness but also within various domains of scientific knowledge, including translation theory and linguistics. Translation studies that incorporate the prefix "eco" necessitate a systematic classification and the establishment of semantic connections among terms. This article seeks to delve into the emergence of an ecological approach to translation within the contexts of both Russian and Chinese translation studies, aiming to elucidate the interrelationships between key concepts that characterize modern trends in translation research across diverse academic traditions. The primary objective of this article is to establish a symbiotic relationship between ecotranslatology, which originated in China, and the ecology of translation, a discipline that has emerged in Russia. Ecotranslatology, as an independent subfield within translation studies, is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture and currently stands as a thriving area of inquiry in the People's Republic of China. In contrast, the ecology of translation is actively advancing under the purview of Russian linguists, who emphasize that high-quality, harmonious translation encompasses not only cultural congruence but also ecological alignment. This ecological perspective is posited to underpin the development of a translation ecosystem within the broader global ecosystem. Methodologically, this study draws from several dimensions: firstly, it brings together the ideas of international linguists specializing in linguistic ecology and ecolinguistics; secondly, it explores research on cognitive modeling of the translation process in an ecosystem that unites the translator with the socio-natural environment of his habitat. Finally, the study includes the perspective of Chinese scholars based on the classical theory of adaptation and choice in translation. Ultimately, this study highlights the importance of environmental science in understanding the cognitive mechanisms inherent in the translation process.

The National Languages Act (2019), Taiwanese Sign Language, and language planning and policy (LPP)

ABSTRACT [Development of the National Languages Act [of Taiwan]. (2019, January 9). Ministry of Culture. https://law.moj.gov.tw/ENG/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=H0170143] incorporating Taiwanese Sign Language (TSL) evolved from Taiwan’s historical linguistic ecology and intertwined with the linguistic ecology of Taiwan’s Deaf community. Utilising a qualitative document analysis incorporating a language planning and policy framework [Cooper, R. L. (1989). Language planning and social change. Cambridge University Press; Reagan, T. (2022). Language planning and language policies for sign languages: an emerging civil rights movement. Sociolinguistica, 36(1-2), 169–182], we analyze how this law fits into Taiwan’s multicultural milieu. Specifically, we analyze the transmission, revival, and development of TSL by legislating status, acquisition, corpus, and prestige planning for teaching TSL to hearing learners. Secondly, gaps are identified, such as establishing early TSL access to the birth to age five deaf learners and their caregivers, promoting Chinese literacy with TSL strategies, and hiring native Deaf signing teachers. Limitations and future directions for research and practice are then outlined.

“Eat Me! Eat Me! tounsi”: English in Tunisian linguistic landscapes beyond the official policy legislations

Aims and objectives: This paper investigates the diffusion of English into the linguistic ecologies of Tunisia, an Expanding Outer Circle society in North Africa. It analyzes the language practices of Tunisian business operators in five commercial localities in metropolitan Tunis. The paper focuses, in particular, on the uses of English and its interaction with Tunisia’s dominant languages, the ways the resources of English are locally understood and deployed and the intersection of the emerging “language regime” (Kroskrity, 2000) with the official linguistic landscapes policies and the wider sociohistorical, political, and economic conditions of the country. Methodology and data: Detailed discourse-ethnographic analysis of 363 linguistic landscape signs collected from 5 commercial districts in metropolitan Tunis. Findings and conclusions: The findings indicated the emergence of a bottom-up English-led public signage communicating a global corporate ideology circumventing the official language policies mandating the use and visibility of Modern Standard Arabic in public signage. However, this English-led public posting is intertwined in complex ways with Tunisia’s dominant languages, resulting in translanguaging, linguistic puns, the commodification of vernacular forms of communication as well as (supra)national and aesthetic identity markers. Originality: Tunisia, a traditionally constructed Francophone country moving toward English, is very little explored in the major Global English(es) paradigms. The paper focuses on the possible ideological, economic, and cultural changes engendered by English and connects these changes to the global socioeconomic, political, and cultural transformations undergone by the country over the last decades.

LANGUAGE ECOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY TRANSLATOR’S DISCOURSE

The paper considers the axiological problems of postmodern translator’s discourse in the aspect of the ecology of language. The object of the study is the contemporary translator’s discourse, its subject is the changes in the axiological linguistic scale of this discourse in the postmodern paradigm, reflected in the language (the “text lifting” strategy). The material under consideration is the contemporary translations of the English literary texts into Russian. The paper aims at the revealing of the contemporary translation discourse axiological constants and their linguistic ecology status in the contemporary translator’s discourse, including the situations of political correctness. The linguistic ecology problems of the postmodern translator’s discourse are connected, firstly, with the contemporary global and democratic tendency to transfer the authenticity of the source text, its style and lexis, and secondly, with a decrease in the standards of translation ethics and aesthetics. Translation ethics in such situations is often subordinated to postmodern anti-aesthetics, which challenges the basic principles of the classical Soviet translation tradition.