A Comparison of the Linguistic Landscape of Manchester:

© David Ryan

Linguistic Landscapes refers to linguistic objects that mark the public space. Despite being a relatively new field there have been a number of studies focusing on quantifying the number of languages on signs around the world. In this study, the linguistic landscapes of two different communities are quantified and compared and in addition to this interviews and micro-level analysis of signs has been conducted to try and produce a comprehensive analysis of multilingualism in a community. The study found differences in how both communities linguistic landscapes are structured, and proposes theories of plurilingualism as an alternative to arguments of power that have been used so far to explain the phenomenon uncovered.

For more information please see David's Undergraduate dissertation.