The Linguistic Landscape of Los Angeles Chinatowns

Feiyang Tian, Sjaak Kroon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

This paper presents a multi-level analysis of the signage in Los Angeles (LA) Chinatowns. Through a combined method of ethnographic observations, interviews and textual and visual analysis of language orthographies, the processes in which signage is designed, perceived, and interpreted are examined. A discussion of the range of interpretive readings of Chinese orthography and romanization is presented, with a focus on the relationship between the linguistic landscape and people’s language perception, and the changing social indexicalities of different linguistic variables displayed in LA Chinatowns. The paper concludes that the linguistic landscape can be taken as a form of informal language input which impacts Chinese immigrants’ language perception. Moreover, linguistic variables displayed on public signage not only contribute to the construction of the sociolinguistic context but also to the immigrants’ identity transformation.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-21
Number of pages21
JournalNew Perspectives on Languages
VolumeOct 2024
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Aug 2024

Keywords

  • Linguistic landscape
  • LA Chinatowns
  • ethnography
  • language perception
  • identity transformation

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