Language Landscape Research Articles

Construction of Chinese Language Teaching and Training Platform for International Students Based on Multimodal Tourism Language Landscape

Construction of Chinese Language Teaching and Training Platform for International Students Based on Multimodal Tourism Language Landscape

Jezički pejzaž mesta Kovačica

In researching the linguistic landscape of Kovačica, we analyze the linguistic diversity of this multicultural town with a focus on both official and public inscriptions. The aim was to ascertain how minority language policies regulate public language use, as well as to examine whether one of the languages is more dominant than the other and whether a certain language is used for certain domains. The research corpus consisted of 152 photographs and accompanying notes taken during fieldwork. Through a detailed analysis of the corpus, we come to the conclusion that the linguistic landscape of the town of Kovačica is diverse and in accordance with the structure of the population and the languages that are in official use in the territory of the municipality of Kovačica. Regarding official inscriptions, we notice that Serbian, as the official and majority language in the Republic of Serbia, is more dominant than Slovak, except for some situations, for example street names and inscriptions on local historical monuments. On the other hand, the Romanian and Hungarian languages appear only on official signs as a feature of a multinational municipality in which four languages are in official use, which means that those two languages do not appear in other domains of the language landscape of Kovačica. In addition, English is becoming more prevalent in the official language landscape of Kovačica, especially in the tourist sector, which reflects the impact of globalization and the need to communicate with a wider international audience. When public written signs are concerned, our analysis shows the indisputable dominance of the Serbian language, which indicates a tendency towards monolingualism in the public space. In addition, there are occasional deviations in the spelling and correct use of both the Serbian and Slovak languages in the public space. Overall, the linguistic landscape of Kovačica reflects the town's rich traditional culture and confirms that the official use of languages is in line with Serbian legislation, but the private sphere does indicate a gradual shift from multilingualism towards monolingualism.

Multimodal linguistic landscape ecological optimization strategy for Nanchang urban area based on big data analysis

Abstract How to better coordinate construction development and regional landscape ecology in the process of urbanization is a realistic problem to be solved. This paper firstly constructs a multimodal language landscape ecological analysis and prediction model based on the patch-corridor-substrate theory for the urban geographical characteristics of Nanchang city and analyzes the urban dynamic data and landscape element change transfer by Markov transfer matrix combined with the entropy weight method to realize the analytical functions of land use change, landscape ecological pattern, spatial measurements, and landscape ecological health risk evaluation. It has been found that the landscape ecological condition of Nanchang City has generally deteriorated from 2005 to 2023, and the average value of the landscape ecological index has decreased. With the improvement of ecological environment laws and regulations, the city will develop in a more scientific, orderly, and sustainable direction, the degree of damage to the landscape will gradually decrease, and the landscape patches become more regular. The degree of forest land separation decreased from 1.932 to 1.228. The area of unutilized land continued to decrease, the degree of disturbance increased to 0.994, and the degree of loss increased to 0.342. The area of the lower ecological risk zone continued to decrease to 1,364.96km2. The proportion of the medium ecological risk zone decreased from 33.42% to 5.26%, and the area decreased by 1,996.77km2. The area of the high ecological risk and high ecological risk zones decreased by 400.72% respectively. Higher ecological risk and high ecological risk areas were reduced by 400.72km² and 31.91km², respectively, according to which this paper puts forward three landscape ecological optimization strategies, such as constructing an ecological network system, strengthening monitoring and early warning, and rationally planning land space. This paper is of great significance in carrying out a regional landscape ecological evaluation, regulating the spatial pattern of Nanchang, optimizing the use of regional land resources, and guaranteeing the sustainable development of the region.

A Survey on the Multimodal Foreign Language Landscape Serving the Asian Games in Hangzhou

A Survey on the Multimodal Foreign Language Landscape Serving the Asian Games in Hangzhou

The Evolving Language Landscape : Advanced Korean Learners’ Use Of ‘-(u)lkka?’ in Chat Conversations and Its Impact on Artificial Intelligence

The Evolving Language Landscape : Advanced Korean Learners’ Use Of ‘-(u)lkka?’ in Chat Conversations and Its Impact on Artificial Intelligence

Construction of Language Landscape in Newly Built Ancient Cities: A Case of Yizhou Ancient City, China

Introduction: As China has increasingly ushered in the era of mass tourism, ancient city or town tourism has gained popularity across the country, and a significant number of new scenic spots in ancient towns have been constructed. However, these lovely spots typically rely on conventional tourist and catering. Many tourists focus more on the issue of how to study old cities’ cultural ambiance and internal features on a deeper level, as well as the depth of its connotations. This paper examined the language landscape creation of the Yizhou Ancient City in Linyi, China, to delve into the language landscape building of newly built ancient town tourist attractions. Methodology: The data collection stage was mainly completed through field investigation, using digital cameras to shoot various language signs in the scenic spot. The data statistics stage mainly included random interviews, research objective determination, and data statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that the language signs in the scenic spot were mainly monolingual, supplemented by bilingual signs. There were two languages, Chinese and English, in which Chinese was the priority code, while English was a marginalized code in the language landscape of the scenic spot. The management department of scenic spots played a decisive role in constructing language landscapes. However, the managers of scenic spots and shop operators had not yet realized the economic value of language landscapes. The language landscape of Yizhou ancient City has the following problems: insufficient construction of a diversified language landscape, weak design sense of language landscape, lack of cultural connotation of language landscape, lack of innovation of language landscape construction and so on. Conclusion: It is suggested that the scenic spot management department should pay attention to different aspects in the future. They should pay attention to the potential value of language landscape construction, the unique linguistic landscape brand of the scenic spot should be constructed, and the multi-language needs of tourists.

New Developments in English for Special Purposes (ESP) Lexicology and Lexicography

The fact that languages are living organisms that evolve and vary as a result of different factors, including societal vicissitudes, cultural influences, technological advancements, migration and intercultural communication, among others, requires a continued effort to identify, characterize and represent the new lexical forms and meanings that emerge in various contexts and domains. Lexicologists and lexicographers thus need to always take on new challenges in their attempt to adequately describe and map our ever-changing language landscapes. Not only does everyday language change but also languages for special purposes (LSP) are subject to variation. On the one hand, new terms and senses are incorporated into already existing lexicons, while, on the other hand, micro-languages with a rich variety of novel lexical items keep appearing. Some cases in point are ecotourism discourse which has been accelerated by recent greater awareness of the impact of human activities on the environment (Penz & Fill, 2022); the language of digital technology, now that societies and technologies have become increasingly interconnected (Würschinger, 2021); certain medical talk, as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic (Salazar & Wild, 2022), to mention just a few areas of lexical innovation.

ЖАНР NATURE WRITING У НОВІТНІЙ НІМЕЦЬКІЙ ЛІТЕРАТУРІ: УЛЬРІКЕ ДРЕСНЕР, МАРІОН ПОШМАН

Ecocriticism theory has been applied to analyze the artistic features of Nature Writing, an Anglophone genre recently fi rmly established in German-language literature. The study is based on theoretical and fi ctional texts of writers Ulrike Draesner and Marion Poschmann, recognized with the German Award in Nature Writing. The issue of translating the notion of “Nature Writing” and the use of adequate names for this type of literature (“nature writing”, “green literature”, and “language landscapes”) has been considered. Poetical properties of the genre have been identifi ed, and national diff erences between the writings in Anglophone countries and Germany have been highlighted in view of said properties. With reference to literary traditions of writing about nature, the conventions of German Nature Writing have been established, and its correspondence with the well-established Anglophone theory has been determined. The German writer Ulrike Draesner has been introduced as an author and thinker, actively participating in the theoretical discourse on ecology. Her work is a creative manifestation of the “writing according to nature” programme justifi ed in her poetological lectures. It implies “reading from the book of nature”, which is not open but actively constituting itself to promote the reading of the non-linguistic, alive element, skilfully expressed by the author on the level of language. Marion Poschmann, a poet, novelist, and essay writer, understands writing as “poetry of nature” and aims to achieve such a level of impact on the reader that they change their attitude towards the environment and rethink their role in it. According to the artist, specifi c for “nature writing” is the requirement of a high artistic level as we aim to combine observation and concentration in artistic expression. A study of German-language Nature Writing highlights the immediate relevance of a number of environmental issues that this literary genre addresses. Key words: Nature Writing, writing according to nature, poetry of nature, ecocriticism, linguistic experiments, Ulrike Draesner, Marion Poschmann.

Multimodal Linguistic Landscape in Lombok: A Case Study of Product Branding

A study of writing a language in a public area is known as the linguistic landscape. This research aims to map language choices (monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual) on food products in Lombok and analyze the interconnections between the implementation of national, regional, and foreign language policies on food products in Lombok. The multimodal approach can describe more about the language landscape, including the meaning and function of public writing. This multimodal concept views signs as a form of visual communication that is definite and non-arbitrary. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are explored as a case study in creative linguistic marketing about local interactions and global forces on the linguistic landscape. These MSMEs use various semiotic sources of regional languages, foreign languages, local wisdom, and inclusive spirit as an introduction and production process. Through linguistic analysis of landscapes, researchers examine systems of signs, images, and texts within a semiotic framework. The uniqueness of this study is what makes it unique to researchers because it has rich local meaning in context. This research describes not only MSMEs but also semiotic landscapes that contribute to understanding changes in sociolinguistic patterns and creativity in the branding of MSME products in the Lombok region.

Language dynamics within adaptive networks: an agent-based approach of nodes and links coevolution

Motivated by the dramatic disappearance of endangered languages observed in recent years, a great deal of attention has been given to the modeling of language competition in order to understand the factors that promote the disappearance of a language and its unfolding dynamics. With this in mind, we build on existing network models of language competition in bilingual societies. These models deal with the interplay between the usage of a language (link state) and the preference or attitude of the speakers towards the language (node state). In this work, we allow for the case where agents have the freedom to adapt their local interactions in accordance with their language preference. This is modeled by introducing a local rewiring mechanism triggered by the dissatisfaction of an agent with its usage of a given language. Our numerical simulations show that permitting this freedom to agents likely results in linguistically segregated communities for small network sizes. However, for networks of sufficiently large size, the extinction of one of the languages is the most probable scenario. Furthermore, we analyze how the fraction of minority speakers changes with the system size and we find that this fraction grows as the total population increases, which is consistent with existing data. Overall, the results of this work help us understand the impact of speakers’ preferences and choices in the complex language landscape of bilingual societies.

Initiating an Educational Agricultural Flower Tourism Village through the Construction of Language Landscape and Eco Folklore

The community service initiative seeks to elevate the educational tourism village by engaging in various activities, such as training in derivative product production, constructing branded landscape equipment, establishing an encyclopedia, and revitalizing folklore. Supported by the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, along with the Directorate General of Vocational Education through the 2023 PKM Grant Scheme, this initiative addresses multifaceted aspects of community development. Primarily, by training locals in derivative product production, the community gains the ability to craft handicrafts and enhance local products, creating economic opportunities and enhancing tourists' experiences. Simultaneously, the development of branded landscape equipment enhances the village's infrastructure, making it more appealing and comfortable for visitors while establishing a distinct identity. Moreover, the creation of an encyclopedia serves as a repository of local knowledge, history, and traditional wisdom. This not only informs tourists but also preserves cultural heritage for future generations. Lastly, the revitalization of folklore aims to bring oral traditions and storytelling back to life. Through folklore, local stories are presented in an engaging manner, enriching the educational tourism experience. These initiatives collectively result in an empowered, appealing, and culturally enriched tourism village. The economic upliftment, improved infrastructure, knowledge documentation through the encyclopedia, and cultural preservation through folklore contribute to the sustainable and positive development of the educational tourism village for all stakeholders.
 Keywords: Educational Tourism Village, Language Landscape, Eco-Folklore, Tuberose Flower

Data Analysis of Linguistic Landscape in the Context of “Internationalization +” Urban Construction

Abstract With the rapid development of internationalization and urban construction, the urban linguistic landscape has become an area of great interest. The purpose of this paper is to explore the data analysis method of urban visual linguistic landscape based on line-of-sight orientation and to optimize the design of urban linguistic landscape based on an improved genetic algorithm. The basic visual analysis unit and the viewable area analysis unit of the linguistic landscape are proposed to quantify the visual characteristic indexes and the optimal view distance of the linguistic landscape. At the same time, the viewable spatial point set analysis unit is used to obtain the view accessibility of the language landscape. Finally, the linguistic landscape optimization model was evaluated and analyzed for application effects. The results show that through the optimized design of 10 linguistic spots in H City National Forest Park, the average score of each spot evaluation is 3.48, and the full score ratio is 63.18%. The urban language landscape optimization model proposed in this paper can effectively improve the aesthetics and visual sensitivity of the urban language landscape.

Identification of 10 Regional Indonesian Languages Using Machine Learning

Language Identification plays a pivotal role in deciphering the rich tapestry of Indonesia's diverse regional languages, encompassing a wide spectrum of scripts, and spoken forms. Language Identification, an integral component of Natural Language Processing, is frequently addressed through Text Classification. In this study, we embark on the task of identifying 10 Indonesian languages, leveraging the NusaX dataset, with the overarching objective of contextual language determination. To achieve this, we harness a diverse array of machine learning techniques, including Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes Classifier, Decision Tree, Rocchio Classification, Logistic Regression, and Random Forest. We complement these methods with two distinct feature extraction approaches: N-gram and TF-IDF. This comprehensive approach enables us to construct robust models for language identification. Our findings unveil the strong efficacy of these models in discerning Indonesian languages, with the Naïve Bayes Classifier emerging as the frontrunner, achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 99.2% with TF-IDF and an even more remarkable 99.4% with N-Gram. To gain deeper insights, we delve into error analysis, revealing that misclassifications often stem from shared words across different languages. This research is underpinned by the necessity for a robust language identification model, underscoring its critical role within the complex linguistic landscape of Indonesian regional languages. These results hold great promise for applications in automated language processing and understanding within this diverse and multifaceted linguistic context.

Written Сommunication in Chinese on the International University Сampus

The article examines the place and role of the Chinese language in the linguistic landscape of the campus of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba. The subject of the study is written public texts in Chinese, posted on the university campus (announcements, signs, posters, etc.). The material collected by the continuous sampling method was analyzed from the positions of the addressees of the texts, their subject matter and multilingualism, and also evaluated from the point of view of compliance with the norms of the Chinese language in the texts. The effectiveness of Chinese-language written communication was assessed using a survey of Chinese-speaking students. The place of the Chinese language in the linguistic landscape of the university campus is described; it is noted that written communication in Chinese on campus plays an important role both in the educational process and in everyday interaction. At the same time, conclusions about the insufficient representation and limited thematic diversity of Chinese-language texts were drawn. Recommendations for improving written communication in Chinese are proposed, which will help optimize the process of adaptation of students from China, increase their awareness, which will generally have a positive impact on the ergonomics of the communicative space, as well as increase the status of the Chinese language in the language landscape of an internationally oriented university.

Challenges for Multilingual Writers in Pakistan: Issues and Implications of Linguistic Diversity and Complex Language Landscape

Pakistan’s multilingual linguistic diversity is shaped by its colonial past and post-independence history. After gaining independence, Pakistan's major languages were Urdu, English, Punjabi, and Saraiki. However, multiple languages have posed challenges for multilingual writers. One of them is the lack of a standardized orthography for regional languages, making it difficult for writers to produce texts in their native languages. The prevalence of Urdu and English has resulted in a language hierarchy where these languages are seen as superior to regional languages. In the face of these challenges, the establishment of language authorities, such as the National Language Authority and the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture, aim to promote and standardize regional languages. Efforts are being made towards the betterment of these writers. Promoting and standardizing regional languages and recognizing multilingualism as an asset can contribute to a more inclusive and representative society in Pakistan.

Revisiting language teacher education in an ELF aware perspective: responses to innovations

Abstract Teachers’ and teacher educators’ individual theories, attitudes and beliefs underlying their daily practice, are often challenged by sociolinguistic changes, curricular innovations, or new language policies that may often trigger teachers’ resistance to change, particularly when they are required to adapt and revisit their teaching practices. In many European countries recent migration flows have modified the countries language landscapes; their school population is now growingly plurilingual and with different learning and language needs. In their out-of-school experiences, learners are more and more exposed to English through social media and to non-native speakers’ English (ELF), aspects not integrated yet in local language policies, nor in teacher education programs. It is thus important to design pre- and in-service teacher education programs aimed at sensitizing language and subject teachers to these new scenarios, using reflective practice approaches in multilingual contexts. These contexts require English language teachers, and teachers who use English in different fields such as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) or English Medium of Instruction (EMI), to reconsider their personal assumptions and beliefs, and to develop new competences that would incorporate the powerful reflective framework provided by ELF-awareness. The ELF-aware perspective had been adopted in recent courses for English teachers carried out in Italy, as the ENRICH CPD course, and in the CLIL courses for content teachers. The aim of this contribution is to present and discuss findings of two research studies carried out within the above-mentioned courses that were meant to make teachers aware of new instantiations of English through a reflective practice approach such as the ELF-aware approach, and to sustain their professional development as well as their agency. This paper is mostly related to the lessons learnt from the findings from teachers’ responses to course innovations and their agency development during these courses.

The Role of Linguistic Landscape in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language: Taking the Linguistic Landscape in Lanzhou Subway Station as an Example

"Previous studies have found that the limitations of the classroom teaching environment and the unlimited learning needs of learners are a pair of contradictions. Therefore, an important reason to explore the extracurricular environment is to make up for the deficiency of the classroom environment and let the language environment play a potential role in second language acquisition.
 As an important part of the language environment, in recent years, the linguistic landscape has attracted the attention of some scholars in China. However, most of the research on it focuses on theoretical research, and empirical research is relatively few. Therefore, this paper takes the linguistic landscape of the Lanzhou subway as an example to explore the role of the linguistic landscape in teaching Chinese as a foreign language.
 The current research found that the linguistic landscape of the Lanzhou subway is multi-modal. It has the characteristics of rich content, comprehensive coverage, clear code orientation, and multimodality, and is a good living material in foreign language teaching. In addition, through the questionnaire survey, it is found that foreign students have a positive attitude towards the linguistic landscape and believe that the linguistic landscape can promote their Chinese learning. The linguistic landscape constitutes different contexts. Learners can indirectly test the learning effect in these language environments, consolidate the knowledge they have learned, and unconsciously cultivate their contextual ability.
 This study proves that the linguistic landscape not only provides language learning resources and a language environment for learners but also reshapes learners’ language awareness to a certain extent. The research hopes to attract the attention of both teachers and learners to the linguistic landscape, and provide some reference for the language landscape to enter the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language."

A Study of Multilingual Tourism Language Landscape in Xi'an under the Perspective of Linguistic Economics—Taking Great Tang All Day Mall, Hui Min Street and Big Wild Goose Pagoda as Examples

Linguistic landscape research focuses on the presentation of language on signage in urban space, and the choice of language on signage is often constrained by a variety of factors. From the perspective of linguistic economics, this paper explores the economic factors involved in the construction of the linguistic landscapes of Datang Never Night City, Hui Min Street and Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Datang Never Night City, Hui Min Street and Big Wild Goose Pagoda are representative attractions in Xi'an City, in which the official government language landscape and private language landscape are mainly in Chinese, and bilingualism and multilingualism are common. In this paper, the concepts of linguistic economics, such as cost and benefit, efficiency and equity, supply and demand, are used as analytical tools to explain the economic motivations in the construction of the language landscapes of the Great Tang Nocturnal City, Hui Min Street and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The analysis points out that the official domain emphasizes the political utility of the signage, while the private owners focus on the economic benefits of the signage, and this difference results in the inconsistency of the language choices on the signage. The analysis in this paper suggests that the economics of language can provide a useful analytical tool for certain language policy and planning studies.

Научная рецензия: Язык, общество и государство в изменяющемся мире / под редакцией Стэнли Д. Бранна, Роланда Кехрейна, Швейцария. 398 с. ISBN 978-3-031-18146-7

The collective monograph published in English by Springer Nature Switzerland AG in 2023 was written by the world’s leading linguists and edited by Stanley D. Brunn from the University of Kentucky and Roland Kehrein from Marburg University. The book is divided into three parts: the first part discusses mapping language landscapes, the second one covers the interconnection of language, society, and politics; and the third one focuses on the functions of language on a local and a global scale. The book also features an extensive bibliography and index. The book is supposed to be full of timely, actual examples, drawn from real life, of communication concepts in action. It is also intended to serve as a reference text for professionals in the fields of communication and language dynamics. The purpose of this research project is to provide a detailed analysis of the language landscapes and the status quo of different languages in the world. This analysis will ultimately lead to an understanding of what language policies there are in the world.

국어 문화 정책적 관점에서의 언어 경관 실태 연구

This study aims to identify the current state of language landscapes of Apsan Cafe street in Daegu City from the perspective of Korean language and culture policy and propose measures for improvement. The results are as follows: It was found that outdoor advertisements, particularly billboards and secondary signs, are the core media that make up the linguistic landscape of Apsan Cafe Street. And the number of text characters in outdoor advertising materials was higher in the order of Hangul, Romanization, Mixed, Chinese character, and Japanese. Based on these results, we analyzed the linguistic landscape of Apsan Cafe Street. We found that lack of communicability was the highest in internal linguistic improvements while decline, aging, and aesthetic incongruity were the highest in external linguistic improvements. To create a linguistic landscape that utilizes the local characteristics of Daegu’s ‘Apsan Cafe Street’, it is necessary to improve ‘communicability’, ‘aesthetic incongruity’, and ‘decay and old’.