Linguistic Landscape Research Articles

Language choice and identity in the linguistic landscape of Barcelona

ABSTRACT The present research examines the linguistic landscape (LL) of two demographically distinct neighborhoods in Barcelona: Vila de Gràcia and El Barri Gòtic. The aim of this study is to analyze how language choice among Catalan, Castilian, and English indexes collective and individual aspects of identity in written messages on public walls. All transgressive artifacts in both communities were documented, and the language(s) and theme of each message were systematically coded. A qualitative content analysis complemented this quantitative coding scheme. While the Catalan-dominant Vila de Gràcia had a significantly higher representation of Catalan in its LL, the thematic repertoire of Catalan artifacts between the two neighborhoods was largely similar. Castilian and English artifacts showed thematic representation patterns that were distinct from Catalan, but parallel to each other. Language-theme relationships in the data indicate that Catalan is more prevalent in messages pertaining to society or community, whereas Castilian and English are preferred for intimate themes of a sentimental or rebellious nature. The LL data shed light on the evolution of language ideologies in the tense socio-political climate of Barcelona in the years following Catalonia's controversial 2017 independence referendum.

A tale of three global cities: A comparative account of Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong’s multilingual repertoires evidenced in their Covidscapes as part of Covid-19 crisis and public health communication

Living under the far-reaching ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic, effective communication has been the order of the day in recent years. The very nature of the pandemic strikes home the crucial need to communicate multilingually in our increasingly (super)diverse world, in which translation has a big part to play. Constituting a socially shaped and socially shaping discourse, the multilingual communication and translation practices on the ground tell fascinating stories about a city’s demographic profile and multilingual repertoire during a public health crisis. So far, while a limited number of LL studies have been conducted in a few individual cities, there has been a glaring lack of scholarly engagement with Covid-related linguistic landscapes in our world’s global cities from a comparative perspective. To address this gap, framed within the broader context of crisis communication, this sociolinguistic study compares the Covidscapes between Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, three dynamic Asian metropolises and commercial hubs featuring speakers of different languages. The signs in the three cities’ Covid-scapes all share similar themes (e.g. mask wearing and social distancing), represent multimodal and semiotic assemblages, and are realised in the form of top-down and bottom-up signage. However, the Covid-scape in Kuala Lumpur tends to involve mostly Malay and/or English and the Covid-scape in the superdiverse Dubai tends to be predominantly bilingual in Arabic and English only. In comparison, Hong Kong tends to mobilise a wider range of linguistic repertoire where multiple ethnic languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Tagalog and Indonesian are involved (especially top-down officially instituted signs). This is fascinating (and counterintuitive) considering Dubai and Kuala Lumpur are significantly more ethnolinguistically diverse compared with Hong Kong, which features an ethnic Chinese majority. Using authentic real-world examples, the observed features and trends are discussed and analysed. The tentative reasons and implications of the findings are also explored.

Monoglot Ideologies in Multilingual Ecologies: Case Study of Language-in-Education Policies in India and Indonesia

The creation of language policies is a socially embedded process that affects the socioeconomic well-being of those who live in a given language ecosystem. Unrealistic presumptions about a nation’s linguistic landscape on the part of its government run the risk of perpetuating an unequal social climate in which some demographic groups are given more possibilities for social mobility, while others are pushed into a marginalized position of powerlessness. In multilingual societies, the power structures that exist mirror the roles that various languages are given in social, educational, and other domains. The current study examines the ecology/practice of language in multilingual Indian and Indonesian contexts and strives to determine if it receives adequate reflection in the language policies (LPs) of both nations. To comprehend how multilingual social practice is managed and planned through official policy framing, it construes these situations as case studies. In social contexts where societal multilingualism is the norm, the current study takes a critically reflexive approach toward the formulation and application of policy. To determine whether there is a correlation between contentious LPs in multilingual situations and social justice, in terms of equal access to high-quality education, it links top-down government language management with local linguistic realities. Moreover, it draws its own conclusions regarding the implications of policy analysis for fair language management in multilingual contexts and teachers’ participation in policy implementation as part of their regular professional activities.

Uncovering minoritized voices: The linguistic landscape of Mieres, Asturies

Abstract Recent sociolinguistic studies have emphasized the role of the linguistic landscape (LL) in relation to languages and identity negotiation. The present study examines the presence of Asturian, a minoritized language spoken in the Principality of Asturies, in the LL of a town located in the center of Asturies: Mieres. Through qualitative analyses, data illustrate that Asturian has visibility not only on top-down signage but also on bottom-up. Furthermore, findings reveal that the use of this language, as well as semiotic resources that convey the Asturian identity in the Mieres signage, portray the struggles and fragility of the Asturian minoritized linguistic group within this locality. This study illustrates the importance of comprehensive implementation of language protection policies in relation to the maintenance and revitalization of minoritized languages, as well as in the protection of a speech community’s linguistic rights.

Heroic landscapes and the linguistic reconstitution of the self

ABSTRACT This case study draws on evidence gathered in a minority setting in north-eastern Italy where Ladin, the heritage language, is central to the construction of past and present narratives of heroism and resistance. The article aims to contribute to the development of new debates within this journal as facilitated by different disciplinary perspectives, and in line with recent discussions about the status of language as heritage, which question the problematic UNESCO definition of language as a vehicle to intangible cultural heritage. Adopting a Linguistic Landscape approach, which focuses on material aspects of language and spatial dimensions of identity-building, the article discusses local micro-narratives of heroism which are in turn encompassed in macro-narratives of major events with global repercussions, such as World War 1. Evidence of the symbiotic relationship between the natural landscape and these events is represented by linguistic resources interacting with the setting to render it a rich example of history being inscribed in geography, and of landscape as monument. The discussion foregrounds the centrality of the heritage language in the performance of heroism, and its role in engendering interconnections between self-perception, aesthetics and ethics.

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.

Warung Makan di Pantai Melasti, Bali dalam Kajian Lanskap Linguistik: Dari Tipat Cantok sampai Burger

The linguistic landscape has attracted the interest of many language researchers recently. One area of study that has not received much attention is the linguistic landscape of restaurants. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the linguistic landscape of food stalls in Melasti Beach, Bali. Data was obtained by taking photos using a cell phone camera against signboards, banners and menu lists displayed in front of the restaurant. A total of 43 photos were collected and there were 144 items analyzed. then categorized based on the language used. The results of the study found that the use of language in the linguistic landscape at Melasti Beach was dominated by the use of Indonesian and followed by English and other foreign languages. There is the phenomenon of bilingualism and multilingualism. This linguistic landscape is in line with tourists visiting Melasti Beach.

Centripetal and centrifugal interconnection on hotel and restaurant linguistic landscape of Bali, Indonesia

Centripetal and centrifugal interconnection on hotel and restaurant linguistic landscape of Bali, Indonesia

CHANGING THE LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE: VLACH ROMANIAN IN EASTERN SERBIA

This paper discusses the increased visibility of Vlach Romanian in the linguistic landscape of rural and small-town Eastern Serbia, analysing it in the context of the revitalisation measures the community has undertaken in the last 20 years. Our research was conducted in a mainly rural area, comprising four neighbouring municipalities in Eastern Serbia, with a dense Vlach population. We investigate a sample of the inscriptions we encountered, focusing on the intended audience of the inscriptions and correlating it with the basic functions of the signs (informational and symbolic). We show that, in the area under discussion, the signs have a mainly symbolic value, and are used as identity markers, as support for the legitimisation of the language, or as indexes of authenticity, while their informational function is apparent only in relation with the commodification of the language.

Linguistic Landscape of Bilingual Shop Signs in Abha, Saudi Arabia

Linguistic Landscape of Bilingual Shop Signs in Abha, Saudi Arabia

The Role of Cebuano in the Global Linguistic Landscape: An Exploration of its Internationalization

The Role of Cebuano in the Global Linguistic Landscape: An Exploration of its Internationalization

English Depiction of Given-New Information in Business-Scape in Padang: a Linguistic Landscape Exploration

This study aims at revealing English representation on the business signboards in some business centers in Padang. This research is a qualitative descriptive study that helps researchers to have a thorough analysis of the data. Linguistic landscape and visual semiotics theories proposed by Landry and Bourhis, Kress and van Leeuwen, and Scollon and Scollon are applied to discuss the results. The visual semiotics theory is specified for only composition, especially given and new composition. The study finds that there are 687 data with 957 compositions of given-new, ideal-real, and center-margin information. Among them are 54 (6%) given compositions and 221 (23%) new compositions. It indicates that the business owners in Padang mostly use English as a subordinate language on the signboard. The business owners use English on the signboards to give new information to promote their stores. Hopefully, this research can give more contributions to the linguistic landscape in Padang. It also can broaden the readers’ horizons about the language in public spaces, especially the language used in business areas.AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan mengungkap penggambaran bahasa Inggris pada papan nama bisnis di beberapa pusat bisnis di Padang. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif kualitatif yang membantu peneliti untuk melakukan analisis data secara mendalam. Teori lanskap linguistik dan semiotika visual oleh Landry dan Bourhis, Kress dan van Leeuwen, dan Scollon dan Scollon diterapkan untuk membahas hasil penelitian. Teori semiotika visual dikhususkan hanya untuk komposisi, terutama komposisi ‘given’ dan komposisi ‘new’. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa ada 687 data dengan 957 komposisi informasi yang given-new, ideal-real, dan center-margin. Diantaranya, terdapat 54 (6%) komposisi given dan 221 (23%) komposisi new. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa pemilik bisnis di Padang sebagian besar menggunakan bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa pelengkap pada papan nama. Pemilik usaha menggunakan bahasa Inggris pada papan nama untuk memberikan informasi baru untuk mempromosikan toko mereka. Diharapkan penelitian ini dapat menambah kontribusi penelitian lanskap linguistik di kota Padang. Selain itu, penelitian ini dapat memperluas wawasan pembaca mengenai bahasa di ruang publik, khususnya di bidang bisnis.

Linguistic landscape in Malaysia: The case of language choice used in signboards

This study aimed to investigate the languages used in shop signs in three different areas in Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia. Using a mixed-method approach, this paper identified the preferred language for shop signs in the town of Semenyih, Pelangi Semenyih, and Setia Ecohill, as well as examined the relationship between the language choice in signages and linguistic landscape in Malaysia. A total of 180 signboards was photographed to ensure the impartiality of data collection, and they were coded based on four aspects: full names of the shops in various languages, the business scope of the shops, the number of languages used in shop signs, size of the scripts, and layout of languages highlighted, adopted from the study of Shang and Guo (2017). Questionnaires and interviews with the shop owners were also employed to elicit information about their preferences regarding the language choice for their shop signages, which shed light on the impact of the development in Semenyih towards the choice of shop signages. The findings revealed that, despite the regulations imposed by the local city council (Majlis Perbandaran Kajang (MPKJ) or Kajang Municipal Town Council) on the permissible shop signages, the shop owners still used languages other than the Malay language in their signboards, such as English, Mandarin, and Tamil, with English being the most dominant one. This indicates that, as the towns develop, the linguistic landscape here changes with importance being given to signboards in English compared to Malay.

Multilingualism in linguistic landscapes in Tunisia: a critical discourse analysis of language policy activities

ABSTRACT Taking a multi-level perspective on language-in-public-space policy, this study investigates the way Tunisia’s dominant languages are dealt with in three independent but interrelated activities of language policy: official texts, public talk, and the actual practices of business actors in five commercial districts in metropolitan Tunis. Detailed critical discourse analysis of these policy activities indicated considerable tension between official texts’ legislations on, and public élites’ debate about public signage and “on the ground” sociolinguistic practices. While official texts and public debates base the dominant languages on monolingual, postcolonial and highly compartmentalized language ideologies, the sociolinguistic practices within these localities are marked by the emergence of an English-leaning trend in public signage. Nevertheless, this trend is heavily qualified by the concurrent use of identifiable language clusters, creative wordplay, multiscriptal practices, the commodification of heritage, national and supranational symbols, and an overall resistance to big commercial names as well as subversion of the official legislations and public debates. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the approach to multilingualism adopted in this study for illuminating the connections between Tunisia’s dominant languages, language policy and linguistic landscapes.

Multilingual COVID-19 linguistic landscape in Berehove

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought severe changes to people’s lives and has influenced all aspects of our being. The most common attribute of these changes is that we had to comply with regulations that we had not experienced before, use words and phrases that might have been previously unknown to us. Tour daily rhythm was radically transformed. The measures taken to stop the epidemic and the social effects of the pandemic have been examined in many forms. In our paper, we focus on a multilingual town in Transcarpathia, namely Berehove. The results of our longitudinal study, the trends that emerge from the data, can be projected not only on the city, but also on its agglomeration and other settlements that are inhabited by Hungarian speakers. In the linguistic landscape of Berehove, a multiethnic town in the westernmost part of Ukraine, a number of new signs have appeared after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are an excellent reflection of the multilingual nature in the region and the municipality. In our study, we present the geosemiotic characteristics of the signs, announcements on epidemiological restrictions and warnings published in public places in Berehove. We also investigate whether the advertisements, inscriptions and symbols were made on the official or private level (top-down / bottom-up). The photographic data was collected in the course of two years (2020–2021) and clearly shows the ever-changing multilingual landscape of the territory, and the alternations of different waves of the pandemic. International literature finds it important to advocate for the appearance of multiple languages as regards to the linguistic landscape of the virus, precisely because linguistic tolerance towards minorities in a hard times like the previous years of constant lockdowns, financial and heath crises, is not only a language policy issue, but also related to health policy. Linguistic landscape, even in these times is not only a reflection of a territory’s ethnolinguistic and ethno-demographical composition but is shaped issues of language policy, cultural legacies, language dynamics and attitudes.

National Identity and the Choice of Official Languages: A Case Study of Bilingual Education in Singapore

Official languages reflect a country's people and cultures, and the process by which they are formulated provides insight into the country's historical development. In multi-ethnic countries, the diversity of languages represents rich cultural deposits, and each language has become a symbol of its people. However, such diversity can make the formulation of official languages challenging. Singapore serves as a compelling example of this challenge. In this research, I will examine the advantages and disadvantages of adopting English and Mandarin as official languages in Singapore, a multi-ethnic country with a complex linguistic landscape. I will also explore the negative outcomes that can arise from overemphasizing Mandarin in bilingual education. This research will demonstrate that mandatory implementation of a language cannot necessarily improve citizens' national identity, and may even exacerbate centrifugal forces.

Linguistic landscape in film works and video games

Linguistic landscape studies can yield information about the society inhabiting the given area: the use and distribution of languages, but also social structure and hierarchy of linguistic groups. For these reason, the linguistic landscape can be used in artworks to convey information regarding the fictional reality to the recipient. This paper aims to analyse what functions the linguistic landscape can perform in film works and video games, and how certain aspects of fictional realities are portrayed through the intentional use of linguistic landscapes.

РЕСТРУКТУРИЗАЦІЯ В МЕЗОЛЕКТІ: ПРИКЛАД НА ОСНОВІ ФОРМАЛЬНОЇ ВАРІАТИВНОСТІ ІНФІНІТИВА В УКРАЇНСЬКО-РОСІЙСЬКОМУ «СУРЖИКУ»

Apart from minority languages such as Polish, Bulgarian and some others, the linguistic landscape of modern Ukraine can be characterized as «tricodal»: in addition to the Ukrainian and Russian languages, mixed Ukrainian-Russian speech or «Surzhyk»

Linguistic landscapes tasks in Global Englishes teacher education

Abstract This cross-sectional study attempts to investigate the impacts of linguistic landscape (LL) tasks on EFL teacher candidates’ understanding of English in local and global contexts. To this end, three cohorts of student teachers carried out LL fieldwork, uploaded images of English signage to an LL application, Lingscape, and submitted a mini research paper on the use of Englishes. They also wrote a reflective journal featuring a discussion of their experiences. Qualitative content analysis was utilized to interpret the data for the purpose of illustrating major themes emerging from the data. The findings highlighted a heightened awareness among student teachers towards locating and reflecting on Englishes in everyday contexts, an improved understanding of English as a lingua franca and Global Englishes, and their intentions to adopt Global-Englishes-oriented language teaching practices in the future. The study concludes by discussing the implications of this approach, and calls for a wider inclusion of LL-centred tasks in EFL teacher education curricula.

The prominence of English in the Linguistic Landscape of Jamshedpur

Abstract The study explores the public and private signs in the Linguistic Landscape (LL) of Jamshedpur city in India. It employs a mixed methods approach as it integrates quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis to reveal the city’s careful display of monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual signs representing distinct identities. The study investigates the distribution of signs across five sample locations while focusing on the signs’ content, their functions (symbolic vs informational), and explores the sign producers’ motivation for their language choice on signs.