Examining the Linguistic Identity of Asia’s Latin City: A Content Analysis of Multilingualism of a Nonmetropolitan Cityscape

Authors

  • Frenz Djaxxas Daleon Clorion

    Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga, 7000, Philippines
  • Celane Lomoljo Fernandez

    Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga, 7000, Philippines
  • Enrick Franz Daleon Clorion

    Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, San Fernando, Pampanga, 2000, Philippines
  • Aprillette Devanadera

    Southern Luzon State University, Lucban, Quezon, 4328, Philippines
  • Fhadzralyn Aidil-Karanain

    Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga, 7000, Philippines
  • Ericson Alieto

    Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga, 7000, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i3.6540
Received: 11 March2024 | Revised: 5 April 2024 | Accepted: 25 April 2024 | Published Online: 20 May 2024

Abstract

This investigation offers an extensive analysis and examination of the linguistic landscape of a nonmetropolitan cityscape, focusing on the linguistic identity and multiple languages used throughout the city. This study fundamentally analyzes the multilingual nature and characteristics of the central district of Zamboanga City. Furthermore, the investigation incorporated analytical categories, adapted from previous studies, which constituted the systematic foundation for gathering and selecting essential data from multiple sources throughout the city proper. The investigation revealed significant results and indicated that the cityscape contains six (6) languages that comprise its linguistic identity, specifically, English (51.25%), Filipino (23.36%), Chavacano (19.59%), Tausug (2.99%), Chinese (1.74%) and Bisaya (1.07%). To ensure the accuracy of the collected data, the photographs were analyzed through content analysis to examine the linguistic signage of the nonmetropolitan cityscape. Moreover, the study revealed that the cityscape employs monolingual (80.79%), bilingual (18.82%), and multilingual (0.39%) signages, highlighting the city’s commitment to providing universally accessible information and preserving cultural/linguistic heritage. The investigation also revealed that English is the dominant language found within the signage, proving its significance in promoting global development, internationalization and economic growth in the city. However, despite its prominence, both local (Chavacano) and national (Filipino) languages are also evident in the cityscape, which underscores the city’s mission to preserve its cultural and linguistic identity, indicating that the languages are linguistically represented. In addition, the cityscape employs both official and nonofficial signage, which underscores its importance in information dissemination and advertising local services and products to international clients.

Keywords:

Linguistic landscape; Monolingual; Bilingual; Multilingual; Official signage; Nonofficial signage

References

Al-Athwary, A., 2017. English and Arabic inscriptions in the linguistic landscape of Yemen: A multilingual writing approach. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature. 6(4).

Alieto, E., Abequibel-Encarnacion, B., Estigoy, E., et al., 2024. Teaching inside a digital classroom: A quantitative analysis of attitude, technological competence and access among teachers across subject disciplines. Heliyon. 10, e24282.

Al-Qenaie, S., Naser, M., 2023. Mapping sounds in the commercial linguistic landscape of Kuwait: A workable solution. Ampersand. 10, 100120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2023.100120

Aristova, N., 2016. English translations in the urban linguistic landscape as a marker of an emerging global city: The case of Kazan, Russia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 231, 216–222. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.09.094

Aronin, L., Singleton, D., 2008. Multilingualism as a new linguistic dispensation. International Journal of Multilingualism. 5(1), 1–16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2167/ijm072.0

Artawa, K., Mulyawan, I.W., Satyawati, M.S., et al., 2020. Balinese in public spaces (A linguistic landscapes study in Kuta village). Journal of Critical Reviews. 7(7), 6–10.

Artawa, K., Paramarta, I.M.S., Mulyanah, A., et al., 2023. Centripetal and centrifugal interconnection on hotel and restaurant linguistic landscape of Bali, Indonesia. Cogent Arts & Humanities. 10(1), 2218189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2023.2218189

Backhaus, P., 2006. Multilingualism in Tokyo: A look into the linguistic landscape. International Journal of Multilingualism. 3(1), 52–66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790710608668385

Backhaus, P., 2007. Linguistic landscapes: A comparative study of urban multilingualism in Tokyo. Multilingual Matters: Bristol. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853599484

Barni, M., Cadierno, T., 2020. The Routledge handbook of linguistic landscape. Routledge: London.

Barrios, A.L., 2006. Austronesian elements in Philippine Creole Spanish. Philippine Linguistics Journal. 37, 34–49.

Beeh, N., Nenotek, S.A., Snae, A., et al., 2023. Multilinguisticism in the linguistic landscape of transportation in Kupang. LiNGUA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa Dan Sastra. 17(2), 187–198. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/ling.v17i2.17737

Ben-Rafael, E., Shohamy, E., Amara, M., et al., 2006. Linguistic landscape as symbolic construction of the public space: The case of Israel. International Journal of Multilingualism. 3(1), 7–30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790710608668383

Benu, N.N., Artawa, I.K., Satyawati, M.S., et al., 2023. Local language vitality in Kupang city, Indonesia: A linguistic landscape approach. Cogent Arts & Humanities. 10(1), 2153973. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2022.2153973

Blommaert, J., Verschueren, J., 2020. Language, superdiversity, and the city. Routledge: London.

Blommaert, J., Collins, J., Slembrouck, S., 2020. Language, superdiversity, and complexity. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.

Bonczak, B., Kontokosta, C.E., 2019. Large-scale parameterization of 3D building morphology in complex urban landscapes using aerial LiDAR and city administrative data. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. 73, 126–142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2018.09.004

Byrne, S., Marcet, E., 2022. La lluita continua: Socio-political debate and the linguistic landscape of a Catalan city. Social Semiotics. 34(1), 113–139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2022.2037389

Carbonara, V., 2023. The effects of multilingual pedagogies on language awareness: A longitudinal analysis of students’ language portraits. Linguistics and Education. 78, 101244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2023.101244

Carta, M., Gisotti, M.R., Lucchesi, F., 2022. Settlements and urban morphological quality in landscape planning–analytical models and regulating tools in the landscape plan of regione toscana. Sustainability. 14(3), 1851. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031851

Cenoz, J., 2013. Defining multilingualism. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 33, 3–18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S026719051300007X

Chern, C.L., Dooley, K., 2014. Learning English by walking down the street. ELT Journal. 68(2), 113–123. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/cct067

Clorion, F.D.D., Bulado, A.J., Encarnacion, B.A., et al., 2024. Exploring linguistic signage in higher education: An empirical study of a linguistically diverse context. Forum for Linguistic Studies. 6(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/fls.v6i1.2049

Cortesão, J., Lenzholzer, S., 2022. Research through design in urban and landscape design practice. Journal of Urban Design. 27(6), 617–633. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2022.2062313

Cresswell, J.W., 2014. Research design qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v12n5p40

Creswell, J.W., 2007. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks.

Creswell, J.W., Creswell, J.D., 2018. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks.

Devanadera, A., Cortez, R., 2023. Manila Chinatowns Linguistic Landscapes. Journal of Education & Language Studies. 1(1), 84–106.

Díaz, M., Switkes, J., 2021. Speaking out: A mathematical model of language preservation. Heliyon. 7(5), e06975. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06975

Djonda, U., Madrunio, M., 2023. Multilingual characteristics of touristic linguistic landscape of Labuan Bajo. Journal on English Language Teaching and Learning Linguistics and Literature. 5(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.56498/512023450

Eijansantos, A., Alieto, E., Emmanuel, M., et al., 2021. Interspeaker variation in the negated perfective aspect of Zamboanga Chavacano. Linguistics and Culture Review. 5(S3), 287–309. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v5nS3.1528

Eijansantos, A., Ventoza, J., Rochelle, I., et al. (editors), 2023. Zamboanga Chavacano verbal aspects: Superstrate and substrate influences on morphosyntactic behavior. Pacific Asia Conference on Language, Information and Computation; 2023 Dec 2–5; Hong Kong.

Fürst, G., Grin, F., 2023. Multilingualism, multicultural experience, cognition, and creativity. Frontiers in Psychology. 14, 1155158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1155158

Gabriel, A.G., 2018. Bureaucratic red tape in the Philippines. Global encyclopedia of public administration, public policy, and governance. Springer: Cham. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3523-2

Gogonas, N., Baynham, M., 2019. Language and the city: Urban language policies and language practices. Routledge: London.

Gorter, D., 2006. Introduction: The study of the linguistic landscape as a new approach to multilingualism. International Journal of Multilingualism. 3(1), 1–6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790710608668382

The Linguistic Landscape in Rome: Aspects of Multilingualism and Diversity [Internet]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254921109_The_linguistic_landscape_in_Rome_aspects_of_multilingualism_and_diversity

Gorter, D., 2013. Linguistic landscapes in a multilingual world. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 33, 190–212. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190513000020

Gorter, D., Arocena, E., 2020. Teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism in a course on translanguaging. System. 92, 102272. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102272

Gorter, D., Cenoz, J., 2017. Linguistic landscape and multilingualism. Language awareness and multilingualism. Springer: Cham. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02240-6_27

Gorter, D., Marten, H.F., 2020. Minority languages in the linguistic landscape. Palgrave Macmillan: London.

Gorter, D., Cenoz, J., der Worp, K.V., 2021. The linguistic landscape as a resource for language learning and raising language awareness. Journal of Spanish Language Teaching. 8(2), 161–181. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23247797.2021.2014029

Grishaeva, E.B., 2015. Linguistic landscape of the city of Krasnoyarsk. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 200, 210–214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.08.054

Hu, J., 2022. A review of the perspectives of linguistic landscape research. Open Access Library Journal. 9, 1–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1109057

Iye, R., Simpen, I.W., Sedeng, I.N., et al., 2023. Language contextualization in public space in Maluku Province: A landscape linguistics study. Cogent Arts & Humanities. 10(1), 2247648. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2023.2247648

Jaworski, A., Thurlow, C., 2010. Semiotic landscapes: Language, image, space. Bloomsbury Publishing: London.

Kallen, J., 2009. Tourism and representation in the Irish linguistic landscape. Routledge: London.

Kong, H., 2023. Data analysis of linguistic landscape in the context of “Internationalization +” urban construction. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences. 9(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/amns.2023.2.00621

Kothari, C.R., 2004. Research methodology: Methods and techniques, 2nd edition. New Age International Publishers: New Delhi.

Krippendorff, K., 1989. Content analysis. International Encyclopedia of Communication. 1(1), 403–407.

Kroon, S., 2021. Language policy in public space: A historical perspective on Asmara’s linguistic landscape. Journal of Eastern African Studies. 15(2), 274–296. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17531055.2021.1904703

Lado, B., 2011. Linguistic landscape as a reflection of the linguistic and ideological conflict in the Valencian Community. International Journal of Multilingualism. 8(2), 135–150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2010.550296

Landry, R., Bourhis, R., 1997. Linguistic landscape and ethnolinguistic vitality: An empirical study. Journal of Language and Social Psychology. 16(1), 23–49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X970161002

Lanza, E., Woldemariam, H., 2018. Multilingualism and the periphery. Bloomsbury Academic: Bloomsbury.

Leimgruber, J., Dagenais, D., 2020. Linguistic landscape in the city: Multilingualism and social diversity in urban environments. Springer: Berlin.

Leimgruber, J., Al-Issa, A., Lorenz, E., et al., 2022. Managing and investing in hybrid identities in the globalized United Arab Emirates. Journal of Language, Identity & Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2022.2070849

Li, S., 2015. English in the linguistic landscape of Suzhou. English Today. 31(1), 27–33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078414000510

Lipski, J.M., 2001. The place of Chabacano in the Philippine linguistic profile. Estudios de Sociolingüística. 2(2), 119–164.

Lu, S., Li, G., Xu, M., 2020. The linguistic landscape in rural destinations: A case study of Hongcun Village in China. Tourism Management. 77, 104005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104005

Lucas, R.I.G., Alieto, E.O., Eijansantos, A.M., 2023. Assessing language attitudes towards translanguaging of young adult learners in a multilingual setting. Translanguaging for empowerment and equity. Springer: Singapore. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8589-0_3

Malinowski, D., Tufi, S., 2017. Multilingualism in the public sphere: Pedagogy and research. Multilingual Matters: Bristol.

Milani, T.M., Levon, E., 2016. Sexing diversity: Linguistic landscapes of homonationalism. Language & Communication. 51, 69–86. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2016.07.002

Motschenbacher, H., 2020. Walking on Wilton Drive: A linguistic landscape analysis of a homonormative space. Language & Communication. 72, 25–43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2020.02.002

Mulyawan, I.W., Paramarta, I.M.S., Suparwa, I.N., 2022. Language contestation at Batukau Temple, Bali (a linguistic landscape study). Cogent Arts & Humanities. 9(1), 2090651. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2022.2090651

Nambu, S., 2021. Linguistic landscape of immigrants in Japan: A case study of Japanese Brazilian communities. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.2006200

Neuendorf, K., 2017. The content analysis guidebook. SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071802878

Nijman, J., Wei, Y., 2020. Urban inequalities in the 21st century economy. Applied Geography. 117, 102188. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102188

Pakarinen, S., Björklund, S., 2018. Multiple language signage in linguistic landscapes and students’ language practices: A case study from a language immersion setting. Linguistics and Education. 44, 4–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2017.10.005

Paulsrud, B., Juvonen, P., Schalley, A., 2023. Attitudes and beliefs on multilingualism in education: Voices from Sweden. International Journal of Multilingualism. 20(1), 68–85. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2022.2153851

Philippine Statistics, A. (2020). Retrieved from Census of Population and Housing (CPH): https://psa.gov.ph/content/2020-census-population-and-housing-2020-cph-population-counts-declared-official-president

Pietikäinen, S., Kelly-Holmes, H., 2019. Multilingualism and the periphery. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

Plautz, A.M., Hasenauer, L., Jelen, I., et al., 2021. Symbolic ethnicity, cultural and linguistic landscape: remnants of ‘Little Europe’ in the Valcanale (Northeast Italy). National Identities. 24(2), 121–143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2021.1894109

Pletnyova, G., 2020. Linguistic diversity in Kharkiv: Between “Pride” and “Profit,” between the local and the global. East/West: Journal of Ukrainian Studies. 7(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.21226/ewjus570

Pütz, M., 2020. Exploring the linguistic landscape of Cameroon: Reflections on language policy and ideology. Russian Journal of Linguistics. 24(2), 294–324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2687-0088-2020-24-2-294-324

Reh, M., 2004. Multilingual writing: A reader-oriented typology—with examples from Lira Municipality (Uganda). International Journal of the Sociology of Language. (170), 1–41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl.2004.2004.170.1

Reyes, R., 2015. Language of ‘order’: English in the linguistic landscape of two major train stations in the Philippines. Asian Journal of English Language Studies. 2, 20–42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59960/2.a2

Roeder, R., Walden, B.C., 2016. The changing face of dixie: Spanish in the linguistic landscape of an emergent immigrant community in the New South. Ampersand. 3, 126–136. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2016.06.005

Rose, H., McKinley, J., Galloway, N., 2020. Global Englishes and language teaching: A review of pedagogical research. Language Teaching. 54(2), 157–189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444820000518

Sevinc, Y., Mirvahedi, S., 2022. Emotions and multilingualism in family language policy: Introduction to the special issue. International Journal of Bilingualism. 27(2), 145–158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069221131762

Shohamy, E., 2006. Language policy: Hidden agendas and new approaches. Routledge: London.

Shohamy, E., Gorter, D., 2009. Linguistic landscape: Expanding the scenery. Routledge: London.

Song, H., Yang, H., Ma, E., 2022. Restaurants’ outdoor signs say more than you think: An enquiry from a linguistic landscape perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 68, 103054. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103054

Spolsky, B., Shohamy, E., 2021. The Cambridge handbook of linguistic landscape studies. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.

Stranberg, J., 2019. “Nordic Cool” and writing system mimicry in global linguistic landscapes. Lingua. 235, 102783. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2019.102783

Sudarmanto, B., Wahyuni, T., Aji, E., et al., 2023. The languages on the border of Indonesia and Timor Leste: A linguistic landscape study. Cogent Arts & Humanities. 10(2), 2273145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2023.2273145

Takhtarova, S., Kalegina, T., Yarullina, F., 2015. The role of English in shaping the linguistic landscape of Paris, Berlin and Kazan. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 199, 453–458. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.07.531

Taylor, D., 1957. Spanish contact vernaculars in the Philippine. Word. 13(3), 489–499. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00437956.1957.11659649

Titone, D.A., Tiv, M., 2022. Rethinking multilingual experience through a Systems Framework of Bilingualism. Bilingualism-Language and Cognition. 26(1), 1–16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728921001127

Väisänen, T., Järv, O., Toivonen, T., et al., 2022. Mapping urban linguistic diversity with social media and population register data. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. 97, 101857. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2022.101857

Survey chapter: Zamboanga Chabacano [Internet]. Available from: https://apics-online.info/surveys/46

Williams, Q., Lewis, G., 2021. Multilingualisms and development: Negotiating power and identity through. Multilingual Matters: Bristol.

Zhang, H., Shi, Y., 2023. Evolution of English language education policies in the Chinese mainland in the 21st century: A corpus-based analysis of official language policy documents. Linguistics and Education. 76, 101190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2023.101190

Zhunussova, G., 2021. Language teachers’ attitudes towards English in a multilingual setting. System. 100, 102558. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102558

Downloads

How to Cite

Daleon Clorion, F. D., Fernandez, C. L., Daleon Clorion, E. F., Devanadera, A., Aidil-Karanain, F., & Alieto, E. (2024). Examining the Linguistic Identity of Asia’s Latin City: A Content Analysis of Multilingualism of a Nonmetropolitan Cityscape. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 6(3), 1–43. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i3.6540

Issue

Vol. 6 , Iss. 3 (September 2024)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2024 The authors

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.