Linguistic Landscape Studies Research Articles

Benidorm’s linguistic landscape: unveiling the multifaceted tapestry of urban expression

ABSTRACT The study of linguistic landscapes offers a captivating and nuanced avenue for understanding the intricate interplay among language, culture, and urban environments. The influence of mass tourism in Benidorm, a vibrant city within the Valencian region, has left an indelible mark on its linguistic landscape, offering a testament to the transformations brought about by the tourism industry. In addition, the coexistence of autochthonous minority languages within this city presents a complex and often precarious situation, where the tensions between cultural preservation and economic prosperity come to the fore. Through our own field methodology, and under the theoretical framework of the Critical Discourse Theory, we will analyse in depth the different aspects of the linguistic landscape of Benidorm, showing the challenges that the city faces to maintain coexistence between all the different languages that populate its streets and that make up a unique linguistic landscape.

Chinese in the Linguistic Landscape of Chinese Communities in Malaysia: A Tale of Three Cities

The study of linguistic landscapes (LL) in Malaysia has emerged as a prominent area of research in Asia, predominantly focused on Kuala Lumpur, the capital city. Despite Chinese constituting over one fifth of Malaysia’s population, the presence of Chinese in the LL remains insufficiently explored. This empirical study addresses this gap by examining the visibility of Chinese in the LL of Chinese communities across three Malaysian cities: Penang, Ipoh, and Johor Bahru. By analysing a corpus of photographed public signs from various spaces, this research investigates the visibility of Chinese in the LL both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings reveal that the visibility of Chinese in the LL of Chinese communities in the three selected cities not only signifies Chinese identity but also serves as an effective means to preserve traditional Chinese culture among Malaysian Chinese. This study underscores the importance of understanding the role of minority languages in the LL within ethnic communities, contributing to a more comprehensive view of Malaysia’s multilingual and multicultural context.

Analysis of Linguistic Landscape: Holy Child College of Education Campus

The aim of the paper is to analyze the linguistic landscape of Holy Child College of Education. Drawing of data from first-hand fieldwork, this paper explores the display of language and multimodal on signage on the College campus. In all, it was found out that English language is prevalent on all types of surfaces (walls, doorpost, buildings, cenotaph, billboard) to aid in the identity of occupants as well as associate identity to the properties of the institution. There were also a few private shops which have names on them. The study employs qualitative and quantitative content analysis of a data of about 74 signages from the College. It looked into issues such as top-down, bottom-up approach as well as symbolic and informational function. It also examined if there are instances of the use of only one language or more than a language on a signage. The theory that supported this investigation was Linguistic Landscape Theory foundered by Landry and Bourhis (1997). This theory has it that the study of linguistic landscapes refers to the visibility and salience of languages on public and commercial signs in a given territory or region. Landry and Bourhis argue that the linguistic landscape of an area can serve as an indicator of the relative power and status of different linguistic communities within that area. This theory suggests that the languages displayed in public spaces can reflect broader social, cultural, and political dynamics, such as the dominance of one language over another, and it can affect the perception of language status and identity among community members.

Multimodal Analysis of the Spanish Linguistic Landscape in Alabama

The study of linguistic landscapes (LL) examines the use of signage in public spaces, often with a focus on the use of non-majority languages. The main goals of this project are to map, quantify, and analyze signage in Spanish within Tuscaloosa County, AL, an emerging site of Spanish language use which differs from the large urban places often studied in the LL literature. Photographs of public signage in Spanish were taken and uploaded to an ArcGIS Field Maps app to allow for both geolocation of the image and tagging of the image for specific linguistic and visual characteristics, which are subsumed under multimodality. Multimodality refers to the interaction of the linguistic code with other modes of communication such as images, colors, flags, and other cultural objects to make meaning in a given LL text. Within the multimodality framework, we examine the use of Spanish by itself or with English, location of the signage, communicative functions (symbolic, informative), and the combination of multimodal resources to index the actors originating the text and their intended audience.

English and local languages in linguistic structuration of the public space in Islamabad and the neighbouring town

ABSTRACT Research studies in the linguistic landscape (LL) in Pakistan seem to have been getting a foothold and topics like the survey of commercial public signs, the glocalisation of English in public signs, traffic signboards on highways, the cinematic-built environment, bilingual advertisements and LL in a tourist place of natural beauty have emerged recently in the LL field. In this study, three commercial locations from Islamabad city and one location from a neighbouring town were selected for data collection in the form of photo clips. The data were analysed by following the model introduced by Ben-Rafael [2009. A sociological approach to the study of linguistic landscapes. In E. G. Shohamy & D. Gorter (Eds.), Linguistic landscape: Expanding the scenery (pp. 40–54). Routledge] that is a sociological framework formed by four structuration principles which are the presentation of self, good reasons, collective identity and power relations. The data were compared to show the attitude of the surrounding population about English and local languages. Moreover, 12 shop owners, three from each location, were interviewed to know their motives behind the language selection on their signboards. The findings revealed that English dominated on signs in the city's commercial locations while Urdu or transliteration overwhelmed the signboards in the neighbouring town. Future studies should explore customers' points of view as well with regard to signboard language.

A linguistic landscape study of shop signs on Barkhor Street in Lhasa

ABSTRACT This study adopts a mixed-method approach to analyze the characteristics of the linguistic landscape in Barkhor Street, the attitudes of tourists, shop owners, and residents towards it, and the strengths and weaknesses of linguistic landscape design there. Findings showed that: 1) In terms of the presentation of linguistic landscape, the combination of ‘Tibetan + Chinese’ appears most frequently, with Tibetan being a priority code present in them. Moreover, different types of shops employ different marking methods for shop signs. 2) Overall, the audience expressed satisfaction with the linguistic landscape, with a preference for using the ‘Tibetan + Chinese + Pinyin’ combination. Most respondents suggested using Tibetan as a priority code and graphemic marking as a marking method. 3) The linguistic landscape design has the advantages of preserving and promoting Tibetan culture and boosting economic development. However, it also has the disadvantage of weak information function and a monolithic presentation of the linguistic landscape due to related language policies. 4) Furthermore, the study found that economic factors significantly influence the choice of language combinations and marking methods in the linguistic landscape. Language policies are a double-edged sword, and language, economy, and culture form an interconnected cycle.

Linguistic landscape as social identity construction of the public space: an empirical study of the plain region of Darjeeling district

ABSTRACT In the past decade, Linguistic Landscape Studies (LLS) have grown into a robust discipline within sociolinguistics. There is a growing focus on multilingualism within linguistic landscape (LL) scholarship, which is gaining traction in European contexts. However, empirical research conducted in Indian contexts has been notably scarce despite India’s potential as a multilingual society. This study addresses the research gap by focusing on an Indian urban context, i.e. Siliguri. The study aims to explore the social identity construction of Siliguri through LL in light of the theoretical underpinning proposed by Landry and Bourhis (1997) and Ben-Rafael et al. (2006). A total of 446 photographic data were collected and analysed employing a mixed method analysis. The findings show five languages in the LL: English, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, and Urdu. English is the most commonly used language, followed by Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, and Urdu. Furthermore, the finding shows the city as an emerging commercial hub in the entire North Bengal, leaning towards Western cultural influences and the process of globalisation. The predominant representation of English signs in public spaces also proves their high symbolic value in the city, making it a language with ‘linguistic capital’.

‘Little Arabia’ on Buddhist land: Exploring the linguistic landscape of Bangkok’s ‘Soi Arab’ enclave

Abstract Never formally colonised by Western powers, Thailand is a rapidly developing nation in Southeast Asia. To outsiders, the assumption might be that Thailand is a homogenous Thai-speaking Buddhist country. However, such over-simplistic views ignore diversity and the existence of de facto multilingualism and multiculturalism on the ground. This linguistic landscape (LL) study explores a unique and sociolinguistically compelling area called ‘Little Arabia’ (Soi Arab) in the heart of Bangkok, where elements of both Islamic and Buddhist civilisations meet. The existence of this Middle Eastern enclave creates a sense of contrasts on linguistic, religious, and cultural levels. Because of globalisation and spurred by (medical and sex) tourism, this area boasts a number of halal restaurants, hotels, travel agencies, stores, pharmacies, and clinics. This gives rise to an interesting sociolinguistic ecology, featuring an ‘ethnic’ economy which caters to the needs of tourists and businessmen hailing from the Arab world. Drawing on authentic photographic data, this study explores how various linguistic practices give the area a unique identity. More specifically, we reveal how various languages (including Arabic, Thai, and English) are mobilised and combined in ways that illustrate translation practices evidenced within the enclave for particularised marketing, commercial, and communication purposes. Theoretically and conceptually, the term ‘machine-translated multilingualism’ is coined to capture the growing trend for businesses to resort to translation software for multilingual communication, which may result in non-standard translations and orthographic forms. This study contributes to a growing body of sociolinguistic research examining LLs in global cities and commercial hubs in the Global South, particularly those arising from ‘South-South’ population flows.

The role of language in economic activities in the Borobudur area: a linguistic landscape study

The role of language in economic activities in the Borobudur area: a linguistic landscape study

A Study of Linguistic Landscape in Culinary Business

A Study of Linguistic Landscape in Culinary Business

Investigation of the Linguistic Landscape of Local People at ‘’Pantura”

Indonesia, with about 700 regional languages, is considered one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. The imposition of a national language and the global dominance of English constitute a danger to multilingualism. This article explores the utilization and manipulation of language in Cirebon by applying social semiotics in linguistic landscape studies. We juxtapose the conventional signage seen on government buildings with that of private enterprises, such as restaurants and retail. The national/regional language policy acknowledges the existence of tensions between macro and micro language policies, which pertain to the rights of private and individual language choice. The conflicts are analyzed. The investigation uncovers a clear and discernible arrangement in the linguistic environment, where public signs prominently showcase Indonesian, Javanese, and English languages, while personal signs exhibit Indonesian, English, as well as other foreign languages such as Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin. The research indicates that language choices are not random, emphasizing that the linguistic environment is a powerful instrument for rejuvenating endangered local languages, such as Javanese.

Linguistic landscape study: signs of public transportation places in Sidoarjo regency

Linguistic landscape study: signs of public transportation places in Sidoarjo regency

Muslim majority yet without preference for Arabic: Mapping linguistic landscape studies in Indonesia

Linguistic Landscape (LL) research has explored signage in various public places in the world, including Indonesia. However, since there has been no comprehensive review of LL studies in Indonesia, the current article seeks to identify trends in LL research in Indonesia. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) method was applied to analyze thirty-one LL articles coming out from the open knowledge maps application. The findings suggest that there is a steady increase in the number of LL studies in Indonesia apparent starting from the year of 2017 based on the obtained data from eleven provinces. More bottom-up signs were found mostly using quantitative approaches. The findings also reveal that the Indonesian language dominates signs in the LL studies followed by English. Interestingly, although Indonesia has the biggest number of Muslim citizens in the world, Arabic is used more often than English only in two locations of LL studies, namely the tomb of Sunan Ampel and the City of Mataram. Issues often discussed in the LL studies are multilingualism, micro-analysis of linguistics, and broader issues, namely powerandsolidarity, identity, and ideology. Future researchers may focus more on qualitative analysis of LL studies, and relates LL studies with promising topics on geo-linguistics, management of halal food, ecology and culture, inequality and economic mobility, health issues, minority language, media in ELT, and online/virtual LL as well as language contestation related to the abovementioned issues.

Spanish Loyalty and English Prestige in the Linguistic Landscape of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

Linguistic landscape (LL) studies in bilingual regions can reveal power dynamics between two languages, providing important information regarding their status and vitality. To analyze the relationship between Spanish and English in Ciudad Juárez, a city on the south side of the U.S.-Mexico border, we collected 1649 pictures of public signs in several sections of the city, whose “wellness levels” differ from each other. Pictures were coded for several factors, including language choice, business type, sign type, and the main and informative section, amongst others. Results show that while Spanish is the most frequently used language, English has a strong presence in the LL of Ciudad Juárez. The main factor affecting language choice is “business type”. Certain businesses within the “beauty” category tend to favor the use of English, while businesses within the “home” category favor the use of Spanish. An analysis of socio-economic status (SES) and language choice revealed a direct relationship between them: English is favored in high-income neighborhoods, while Spanish is favored used in low-income areas. The analysis of the main and informative sections on signs further confirmed the prestige assigned to English, which appears mostly in the main and most prominent sections of a sign. Our research shows that although Spanish vitality in Ciudad Juárez is strong, English is used in advertising because it is prestigious and increases the value of products and services, making them more appealing to shoppers.

Indonesian Language Minority in the Virtual Space of Indonesian People Majority: Virtual Linguistic Landscape of r/Indonesia Subreddit

Through the study of Virtual Linguistic Landscape (LLV), this descriptive qualitative research aims to explore the contestation of Indonesian language in a virtual multilingual space with Indonesian people as the majority, namely the r/Indonesia subreddit community, within a social media site dominated by English speakers, Reddit. Each of the top-down contents made by the community moderators and bottom-ups made by the community members is observed. The analysis consists of the identification of the language dominance as well as the informational and symbolic functions behind the use of the languages in both types of content to further elaborate the significance of the dynamic. The research found that although members of the community are mostly Indonesian, English dominates all top-down contents. This domination functions informationally as a form of language accommodation while symbolically signifying that positive attitude is more assigned to English than Indonesian language as a status symbol. However, both English and Indonesian language dominate various different bottom-up contents. While the use of both languages also functions informationally as a form of language accommodation, the symbolic functions are more significant. That is, English as a marker of competence within the space designed for niche discussions and Indonesian language as a form of closeness and solidarity among members. Additionally, the use of English in the semi-formal bottom-up content indicates an influence of language choice by the top-down contents.

Commodifying Green living: Discourses of class and sustainability in housing estates

With the call to care for the environment becoming more urgent, the notion of what it means to be Green, in light of consumption culture, is explored. In conceptualizing Greenness as a continuous variable rather than an absolute quality, this linguistic landscape study examines the role that language plays in communicating Greenness across place-making discourses of luxury and mass/everyday housing. Despite the criticisms leveled at consumption culture for co-opting the Green movement, the study shows there are no easy assumptions to be made due to the multiple facets of Greenness as it interacts in complex ways with class-oriented discourse.

Linguistic Landscape of a Modern Post-Soviet Capital — Case of Chișinău, Republic of Moldova

The study of linguistic landscape considers the hierarchy of languages motivated by political, administrative, and economic reasons, as reflected in the graphic design and order of inscriptions. In this research, we will present the linguistic landscape of Chișinău by analyzing top-down and bottom-up signs and commercial billboards. The choice fell on this city because it is multiethnic, home for Moldovans/Romanians and other nationalities. The relevance of the topic is explained by the fact that Moldova aspires to join the European Union, and in 2018 Chișinău became one of the country’s pilot municipalities for the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which the country has adopted, but has not yet ratified. The new signs must indicate direction to public and cultural institutions, monuments and memorials, parks and major streets, university buildings, the railway station, and the airport with trilingual inscriptions in Moldovan, a local minority language (Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, German or Yiddish) and English. The investigation of the linguistic landscape will help identify the dominant language(s) in the Moldovan capital, understand the relations between linguistic communities and the linguistic situation in Chișinău.

Multilingualism in Australia: A Case Study of the Linguistic Landscape of Springvale, Melbourne

In this study, the linguistic landscape of Springvale was analyzed according to Ben-Rafael's (2009) principles. Quantitative and social semiotic approaches were used to examine how the local Asian speech communities were reflected in the area's linguistic landscape. A commercial street was sampled, and 143 signs were examined, with 107 being multilingual and displaying up to eight different languages on a single sign. The remaining 36 signs were monolingual and displayed only three languages. The signs were categorized by business domain, and the results showed that the type of business influenced the language choice of signs. The signwriters presented unique and authentic identities to the public through their signing, constructing various distinctive identities and revealing certain ideologies to potential customers through different modalities and language choices on signs. This study sheds light on the sociolinguistic situation of Springvale, demonstrating the impact of power across ethnicities, how identities are claimed through commercial signage, and how different groups settle in new places through the linguistic landscape. It is an important contribution to the linguistic landscape and multilingualism studies.

BAC, U KRY! Space, Albanian Commemoration and the Gheg Variety as a Linguistic Symbol of State Independence in Postwar Kosovo

Abstract This paper investigates the reconstruction of Albanian identity in Kosovo after the region's transformation to state independence in 2008. The cultural environment emerged as a site of ethnic appropriation and contestation in the longstanding interethnic struggles between the Albanians and the Serbs. The study examines the socio-symbolic and linguistic manifestations of national identity in Pristina, the capital city of Kosovo, through the lens of Linguistic Landscape Studies. The first aspect of the study investigates M. Theresa Boulevard, the central promenade of the city and a site of memory and commemoration, to highlight how the period of South Slavic hegemony in Kosovo and the recent interethnic war resulted in a redefinition of Albanian identity. The second aspect of the study focuses on the written manifestation of the Gheg variety of Albanian as a symbol of Kosovo's independence. Through this dual focus on memory and language, the study aims to arrive at an understanding of how new national and political self-identifications are shaped in contexts that have undergone ethno-political conflicts and socio-political shifts. We argue that the symbolic configuration of Kosovo suggests a redefinition of Kosovo-based Albanian identity following the transformation to state independence. The study contributes to an understanding of the multi-layered redefinition of Albanian identity in Kosovo, calling attention to language and memory in the process of constructing national identities in postwar contexts.

Soundscapes of two rural communities in Papua New Guinea

This article presents an analysis of the soundscapes in two rural communities in northwestern Papua New Guinea where the endangered languages Srenge and Walman are spoken. These languages have no written tradition and therefore are not publicly displayed in signage. In the last few years, the discipline of linguistic landscape studies has fostered the study of aspects of the visual semiotics of public signs together with aspects of other semiotic modalities including interactional semiotics and auditory semiotics. By discussing the sounds of instruments, conch shells, place names, recitations, and messenger birds in areas where Srenge, Walman, and other languages are spoken, the aim is twofold. The first goal is to fill a gap in the study of semiotic systems that play a role in linguistic landscapes by focusing on a rural area and on auditory semiotics. The second goal is to document anthropological knowledge in an area that is extremely rich culturally and linguistically but where language attrition and cultural loss have been greatly accelerated in the last few decades.