LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE AND ETHNOLINGUISTIC VITALITY - AN EMPIRICAL-STUDY

Citation
R. Landry et Ry. Bourhis, LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE AND ETHNOLINGUISTIC VITALITY - AN EMPIRICAL-STUDY, Journal of language and social psychology, 16(1), 1997, pp. 23-49
Citations number
61
Categorie Soggetti
Language & Linguistics","Psychology, Social
ISSN journal
0261927X
Volume
16
Issue
1
Year of publication
1997
Pages
23 - 49
Database
ISI
SICI code
0261-927X(1997)16:1<23:LLAEV->2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
Linguistic landscape refers to the visibility and salience of language s on public and commercial signs in a given territory or region. It is proposed that the linguistic landscape may serve important informatio nal and symbolic functions as a marker of the relative power and statu s of the linguistic communities inhabiting the territory. Using the th eoretical framework of ethnolinguistic vitality, it was hypothesized t hat the experience of the linguistic landscape by members of a languag e group may contribute to social psychological aspects of bilingual de velopment. Factor analysis results show that the linguistic landscape emerges as a distinct factor separate from other measures of linguisti c contacts. This factor was an important correlate of subjective ethno linguistic vitality representing perceptions of the vitality of the in -group language in various domains. The study also found relations bet ween the Linguistic Landscape factor and degree of in-group language u se, especially in institutional settings, suggesting a ''carryover eff ect'' of the linguistic landscape on language behavior.