Linguistic Landscape Analysis Research Articles

English in Polish outdoor advertising a linguistic landscape analysis of Polish advertisements of cultural events

The paper presents a linguistic landscape analysis with elements of multimodality of 60 advertisements of various cultural events collected in Polish public space, written in both Polish and English. The study aims to establish what elements of the advertisements tend to be expressed in English, how, additionally, multimodal tools foreground or background the use of the two languages, and, consequently, what message such choices convey about the status of English in Poland as reflected through the analysed genre.

The Emergence of a Globalized City Through Multilingual Local Practice: A Situated Reading of Signs in Jeddah

The current research aims to add to the ethnographic studies by providing an overview to the linguistic landscape of the city of Jeddah which is considered as one of the most important historical and cultural cities in Saudi Arabia. It mainly attempts to analyse texts shown on public and private signs found in government buildings, streets, districts’ names, malls and commercial shops. The study makes use of a sample of 300 signs collected randomly from different parts of Jeddah, interviews and observations. Following Bourdieu’s (1991) design approach to describe an intellectual character to space with a new ideological load, the study intends to examine the influences of certain ethnographic factors on the linguistic landscape; namely the geographical distribution, power relation, globalization and the presence of English, modernity and prestige. To investigate information and symbolic functions, linguistic landscape analysis was carried out to the data collected. Results obtained from the study include that Jeddah’s linguistic landscape has specific characteristics influenced by the aforementioned ethnographic factors, occurrence of alignment between official language policy and language use and practice, slight variation in the linguistic landscape between the three parts of the city is noticed and that English language is gaining more prominent status compared to Arabic language.

Contrasting a university's language policy with its linguistic landscape: a Norwegian case study

ABSTRACT This study demonstrates that linguistic landscape analysis is a powerful tool for assessing the effectiveness of a university language policy, as it provides in situ evidence for discursive patterns shaping language use in public space. It uses the official language policy of a Norwegian institution of higher education (Høgskulen på Vestlandet, HVL) as a case study, contrasting its language guidelines with the linguistic make-up of the signage in the linguistic landscape on one of its campuses. The comparison shows that the linguistic landscape prioritizes the national representational level (use of Bokmål) in its bottom-up signage, while the language policy of the university mainly highlights regional and international aspects (connected to the parallel use of Nynorsk and English). At the same time, it is shown that the top-down signage issued by the university does not efficiently implement its language policy goals, as bilingual Nynorsk-English signs are rare, Nynorsk faces substantial competition from Bokmål, and English is both neglected and constructed as a less important variety.

Names of Accommodation in Sayan Tourism Village Bali: A Linguistic Landscape Analysis

This research aimed at analyzing the choices of words or terms used for commercial accommodation in Sayan Tourism Village, Bali. The data were collected by taking pictures of accommodation signages using handphone camera. The data were then selected and a number of 107 pictures were appropriate to be analyzed. Firstly, they were classifiedon the bases of similarity in choice of words and languages used and quantitatively presented. Secondly, they were analyzed using qualitative approach. The results showed that there were 21 (twenty-one) variations used in signages or name plaques to refer to accommodation namely: Cottage, Kubu, Pondok, Puri, Rumah, Bungalow, Villa, Resort, House, Guesthouse, House, Accommodation, Casa, combination of Kubu and House, Kubu and Villa, Pondokand Griya, Pondokand Guest House, Pondok and Villa, Casaand Villa, Villa and Rumah, and using name only without word representing accommodation. It was also found out thatmultilingualism existed in the naming of accommodation, by using Balinese, Indonesian, English and Italian. The term “villa” wasthe most frequently used then followed by “pondok”, and “house”. The other terms were not used as many as these three terms.
 Keywords: choice of words, accommodation, linguistic landscape, Sayan tourism village
 

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.

Turn-taking in the interactive Linguistic Landscape

Abstract Building on Linguistic Landscape (LL) research that highlights its interactivity, we examine how interaction is a crucial element in the creation of meaning in the LL. Our analysis draws on the concept of turn-taking from conversation analysis, in applying the concept of turn, i.e. individual interactants’ contributions to conversation, and introducing its counterpart in the LL. Pairing this with the principles of geosemiotics and Ethnographic Linguistic Landscape Analysis (ELLA), we demonstrate that LLs can consist of interlinked semiotic turns that proceed similarly to turns of a conversation. Combining turn-taking, geosemiotics and ELLA encourages us to go beyond the fixation of ‘top-down’ vs. ‘bottom-up’ and ‘transgressive’ processes. Not only does the LL hold an ever-present possibility of an interactive response but we show that actors attend to the turn-taking mechanism that includes consistent approaches to dealing with discernible interactants, taking turns, and turn-design.

Crossing language boundaries. The use of English in advertisements in Polish lifestyle magazines

Advertising is an area open to various types of innovation and a creative use of language. Advertisers use a variety of strategies to attract as many customers as possible, employing enticing visuals, clever puns, detailed descriptions, direct appeals, etc. Yet, if the product is to sell, it appears self-evident that the language of the advertisement should not constitute a barrier. Contrary to this assumption, however, there has been an ever growing trend visible in Polish magazines for the last two decades to formulate parts of or even complete advertisements, not infrequently of Polish brands, in English, despite the fact that English remains a foreign language in Poland, although, admittedly, a very popular one. The present study is conducted within the framework of sociolinguistically informed linguistic landscape analysis. It investigates the visibility of English in the advertising landscape of lifestyle magazines published in Poland, represented by a selection of high quality and mid-range general interest and specialised women’s and men’s magazines. Its objective is to identify tendencies in the manifestations of this newly developing multilingualism in respect of the frequency of using English, the category of advertised products which particularly often appear in such multilingual advertisements as well as the type of magazines which admit such advertisements rather readily. Regarding the linguistic strategies used in the analysed texts, attempts are made to establish whether English tends to be used in complete texts and sentences or only parts of those, and if the latter, which elements of the genre of advertising are especially marked by such language choices and why.

In-Service Primary Teachers’ Practices and Beliefs About Multilingualism: Linguistically Sensitive Teaching in the Basque Autonomous Community

Summary European schools have seen a considerable increase in the number of multilingual students (Bergroth et al., 2021). Teaching languages separately restricts the use of students’ entire linguistic repertoire; however, new lines of research have pointed out the usefulness of multilingualism and the potential benefits of pedagogical translanguaging (Leonet et al., 2017). In this context, Linguistically Sensitive Teaching (LST) allows teachers to make multilingualism visible in their classrooms (Llompart & Birello, 2020). This qualitative research study was conducted in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC), where Basque and Spanish are official languages. In most cases, English is taught as a Foreign Language. Even though the minority language is not the student’s first language in many cases, most students’ families choose Basque as the language of instruction (Basque Government, 2020). This study analyses in-service primary teachers’ perspectives on multilingual education in a government aided semiprivate school. Data were collected through linguistic landscape analysis, observations, and a focus group discussion. Two researchers observed one hundred six primary multilingual students and eight in-service language and content teachers for three weeks. Teachers who participated in the study were at least bilingual and fluent in Basque and Spanish and some (4) were also fluent in English (B2–C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for languages). The findings reveal that in-service primary teachers are aware of the utility of putting LST into practice, and they are willing to teach and flexibly use languages. In addition, they believe in transferences across languages and highlight the value of using language to learn content. Although in many cases, multilingual strategies are appropriate for adapting to the current situation, those strategies are not systematized, creating a climate of insecurity. The results suggest the need for more linguistically sensitive education and training.

African linguistic landscapes: Focus on English

English is the official or co-official language in 21 African nations. Out of these the linguistic landscape analysis here focuses on two countries, that is Namibia and Tanzania. In the latter case, the national language Swahili enjoys de facto the same status as English which, however, for the number of competent speakers is a minority language in this East African country, Namibia and elsewhere in Africa. The paper deals mainly with the English use in various domains, as evidenced in billboard texts, shop signs, on murals, buildings and more. It describes the top-down (originating from central institutions) or bottom up (grassroots) approach to shaping the linguistic landscape in public. From this perspective the paper demonstrates the high prestige of English.

English as an index of neoliberal globalization: The linguistic landscape of Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

Examining the linguistic landscape of the new capital city of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana), this article demonstrates the sociolinguistic transformations following adoption of neoliberal economic policies during the post-Soviet period. The study uses ‘neoliberal governmentality’ as a conceptual lens to examine how neoliberalism as an economic policy evolves into a form of governance reinforcing the logic of the market in peoples' linguistic behaviors. Drawing on a photographic survey of the linguistic landscape and ethnographic interviews, the study shows that liberalization and flexibilization of the linguistic market has allowed English and Latinized brand names in several foreign languages to occupy a substantial space, frequency, and prominence in the LL. English appears to challenge the decades old dominance of the Russian language as it evidently wields remarkable visibility as the most valued marketing tool. Glimpses of Latinized Kazakh signboards indicates a gradual bottom-up shift to Latinization of the Kazakh language. By situating language as a socially grounded practice, ethnographic analysis of linguistic landscape can provide valuable theoretical insights about different manifestations of neoliberalism, particularly showing how neoliberal governmentality shapes mental linguistic hierarchies, mobilizing peoples' subjectivities to associate language (s) with the quality of goods/products, their prices, bargaining strategies, lifestyles, and social standing.

Linguistic Landscape Analysis of Food Advertisement in Makassar

The focus of this research is on Makassar's linguistic landscape of food advertisements. The study's goals are to determine the language used in food advertisements in Makassar city and to describe the roles of the Makassar language employed in food advertisements. This study uses the descriptive qualitative method. The data are analyzed based on Canoz and Gorter’s theory (2006). The findings show that English is the most frequently used language in food advertisements in the city center of Makassar. The other languages utilized in advertisements include Indonesian, English, Makassar, and Mandarin. This study also found the function of using English in advertisements is a promotional medium and the identity of each store. Additionally, using a foreign language has a trendy and stylish impact, which improves product quality, intrigues buyers, and attracts their attention. Even though many offers in advertisements are not understood by consumers, all of the functions indicated by all informants allude to the benefits of utilizing English in their product advertisements, notably the increased sales value.
 Keywords: Linguistic Lanscape Analysis, Analysis Food Advertisement, Analysis Advertisement

Which language(s) matter(s) the most? Exploring the ‘schoolscapes’ of rural primary schools in Uganda

This article is an ethnographic investigation into the power and ideological relation between English and Luganda in the sociocultural and pedagogic spaces of rural primary schools in Uganda. This study focuses on the ‘schoolscape’ and examines how teachers choose the languages they use for instruction. The article also examines how signage within and without the classroom space is an extended metaphor of the power dynamics that exist between English and Luganda. The study answers two questions: firstly, what are the signage-making practices in rural Ugandan primary schools and what do these say about the status of local languages? Secondly, what are the teachers’ views regarding the signage-making practices in school? The study data were collected through observation, photography and interviews. The data is qualitatively analysed with the linguistic landscape and nexus analysis approach. The overarching claim made is that ‘schoolscapes’ are in effect microcosmic representations of wider debates foregrounded on the national language policy, which privileges English above indigenous languages. Moreover, teachers believe that indigenous languages such as Luganda hinder learners from acquiring English and therefore limit their use in learners’ interactions at school. This article calls for a rethinking of such a status quo and the deconstruction of the colonial legacy of English so as to accord greater importance to local languages for purposes of teaching and learning.

Traditional Visual Language: A Geographical Semiotic Analysis of Indigenous Linguistic Landscape of Ancient Waterfront Towns in China

This paper investigates the characteristics of the indigenous linguistic landscape and the features of traditional visual language under the conceptual framework of Geo-semiotics, which has been generally overlooked in the literature. As a case study of the indigenous linguistic landscape situated in ancient waterfront towns of China, the ethnographic data was collected through a field-based survey for 3 months by recording hundreds of photographs of top-down and bottom-up signs, conducting semi-structured questionnaires, and in-depth interviews in the heritage precincts. The results show that the Chinese language firmly occupies a dominant position. The use of Chinese semiotic assemblages and historical linguistic objects including handwritten font, traditional Chinese characters, and calligraphic nameplates facilitate the nostalgia visual communication in the context of urbanization. In this light, this paper contributes to preserving the indigenous linguistic landscape and Chinese semiotic artifact in the sociolinguistics approach.

Risk and Health Communication during Covid-19: A Linguistic Landscape Analysis

ABSTRACT Since the outbreak of Covid-19 health communicators around the globe have had to reach, urge, and persuade individuals and communities to adopt appropriate health protective behaviors. They have used a mix of communication channels, including outdoor media and public signage which are the focus of this paper. Drawing on a comparative linguistic landscape analysis, this paper critically examined the amount, content, and prominence of Covid-19 signage in Hackney, a London borough severely hit by the first wave of the pandemic. Having analyzed 1288 signs collected between May and July 2020, we found significant differences in Covid-19 signage between deprived and less deprived areas. These differences (e.g., in messaging about staying at home) have created inequalities in access to Covid-19 related health information and guidance. We also explored the changes in Covid-19 signage over time and the tailoring of risk and health messages to minority communities.

A linguistic landscape analysis of shop signs

It is surprising to find that there have been many shops in Banda Aceh that use English on their signs. This study was conducted to investigate the shop owners’ reasons for using English on their shop signs. To obtain the data from the shop owners, observation sheet and interview guide were used as the research instruments. The data were analyzed by using the model proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014). It was found that the 10 shop owners gave four reasons they used English in their shop signs, which can be classified into the themes. They are 1) to be easily remembered; 2) to follow the trend; 3) to use their own name; and 4) to be unique. In conclusion, among four terms of reasons of shop owners in using English in their shop signs, the theme of “becoming unique” or distinctive is the most given reason by the shop owners.

Religious performance in Malang, Indonesia: Linguistic landscape on worship sign

The name of worship place is closely related to history, ideology, power, and social. Naming a worship place is a symbol of how power represented through text in public spaces. This study aims to look at an environmental print by investigating the performance of religions in Malang, Indonesia, through the use of language in the names of worship places. Data was taken through photography totaling 157 names of worship place including mosques, churches, Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, and Chinese temples. Linguistic landscape analysis carried out to investigate information and symbolic functions. The results show that writing the name of a place of worship involves seven languages, namely Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, English, Javanese, Sanskrit, Dutch, and Chinese. Monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual forms emerge with Bahasa Indonesia involvement in all patterns. These findings indicate that Bahasa Indonesia has a high level of language competence in society, in addition to language policy, power, and prestige. Bahasa Indonesian used in all places of worship. It also found in English. These two languages combine to support the existence of religious ideologies in the region. Other languages are only able to characterize religious and ethnic identities.

Language policy in public space: a historical perspective on Asmara’s linguistic landscape

ABSTRACT This article presents a linguistic landscape analysis of pictures taken in Eritrea’s capital Asmara between 2001 and 2018, stemming from the respective periods of Italian, British, Ethiopian and Eritrean rule. The analysis illustrates how these semiotic signs, fossilized as well as contemporary, bear witness of the ways in which language and state ideologies of the country’s respective rulers were symbolically implemented and enshrined in visible language. Next to Italian, Amharic, Tigrinya and Arabic, attention is given to English, the international language that was introduced during the British Protectorate period and managed to maintain and strengthen its position in Asmara in recent years in relation to the inhabitants’ connection to the internet as a means to virtually escape from the city. Central in the analysis is the notion of public space as a multilayered socially constructed phenomenon showing the imprints of societal happenings. Such traces of history in Asmara contribute to changing concrete places into spaces and as such help memorizing and handing over the narratives connected to them as reflections of historical and contemporary language policies that over the years have co-constructed and given meaning to Asmara’s public space.

Symbolic ethnicity, cultural and linguistic landscape: remnants of ‘Little Europe’ in the Valcanale (Northeast Italy)

ABSTRACT This study investigates ‘Little Europe’, the rural, mountainous Italian region of the quadrilingual Valcanale, bordering Austria and Slovenia. The combined analysis of cultural landscape, linguistic landscape (LL) and symbolic ethnicity provides a new concept to examine multilingual regions. In this once Austrian valley, where German was the official language before WWI, Italian now dominates over minority languages, as exemplified by official signs. However, elements of the area's cultural and linguistic landscape reveal unexpected linguistic practices and visible, locatable artefacts of the Valcanale's ethnolinguistic heritage, which we assume to play a key role in the preservation of symbolic ethnicity.

Change and continuity in Hurstville’s Chinese restaurants

Abstract This paper investigates the Linguistic Landscape of Chinese restaurants in Hurstville, a Chinese-concentrated suburb in Sydney, Australia. It draws on Blommaert and Maly’s (2016) Ethnographic Linguistic Landscape Analysis (ELLA) and Scollon and Scollon’s geosemiotics (2003). Our data set consists of photographs, Google Street View archives, and ethnographic fieldwork, in particular in-depth interviews with restaurant owners. This paper adopts a diachronic perspective to compare the restaurant scape between 2009 and 2019 and presents an ELLA case study of a long-standing Chinese restaurant. It aims to unveil the temporal and spatial relationships between signs, agents, and place, that demonstrate how a social and historical perspective in Linguistic Landscape studies of diasporic communities can shed light on the changes in the broader social context.

Linguistic landscape in a city of migrants: a study of Souk Naif area in Dubai

ABSTRACT This paper presents the first in-depth analysis of linguistic landscape (LL) of a migrant area in Dubai. While Arabic is the official language of the country, few foreigners learn it and English has become the lingua franca that allows migrant communities to communicate. Nonetheless, English and Arabic are mother tongues to a minority of resident population. A multitude of other languages are spoken among expatriates. Despite that variety, the visibility and salience of particular languages in LL is a reflection of, most often, their differing social standing. As such, this research shows how multilingualism, language contact, social hierarchy as well as official policies with regards to language use in UAE, have led to the minimisation of third languages use in LL. Through a multilingual analysis of signs in Souk Naif area, this research provides important insights on the meaning of linguistic landscapes in cosmopolitan cities in the Arabian Gulf, specifically, how bottom-up sign makers negotiate the public space, why English is the primary language used, and finally, why high levels of multiculturalism lead to deterritorialisation and commodification of languages in LL.