TITLE:
Investigating the Indigenous Linguistic Landscape of a Historic Block along the Grand Canal in China
AUTHORS:
Pucheng Wang, Hailong Li
KEYWORDS:
Linguistic Landscape, Grand Canal, Historic Block, Geosemiotics Framework
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.12 No.5,
May
28,
2024
ABSTRACT: This study utilised the Geosemiotics Framework proposed by Scollon and Scollon (2003) to examine the linguistic landscape of Dadou Road Historic Block in Hangzhou, China. A total of 678 signs were photographed and analyzed for language choice, code preference, and emplacement. Results show that Chinese is the dominant language in this linguistic landscape, appearing on 96.8 percent of signs, while English is the second most common language (34.1 percent). Other languages, such as Japanese, Korean, and French, appear less frequently. On bilingual and multilingual signs, Chinese is prioritized through positioning, font size, and color. Most signs are appropriately placed to activate their intended meanings and connect with the sociocultural context. However, the limited number of foreign languages on private signs does not reflect the diversity of potential international tourists. The findings highlight the influence of the Grand Canal on the region’s linguistic landscape and the role of tourism in shaping language use in public spaces.