Journal Article

KEY CONCEPTS IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS

Cenoz, Jasone, Gorter, Durk

2025

Overview

Today, public spaces are increasingly dominated by visual information, and there is a great density of signs in shopping streets, commercial and industrial areas, and along roads, particularly near urban centers. Almost all these signs incorporate some form of language in textual form on shops, advertisements, posters, notices, warnings, and street name signs. The study of linguistic landscapes is recognized as one of the most dynamic and rapidly expanding fields within applied linguistics and sociolinguistics. A growing number of researchers are focusing on analyzing 'language on signs' in public spaces, predominantly in urban environments. While the analysis of signs has a long tradition in semiotics and advertising, academic research into linguistic landscapes is a relatively recent development. Its origins can be traced back to the 1970s, but the most substantial advancements have occurred in recent decades. Linguistic landscape has evolved into a unique field of study, offering novel and distinct insights into a wide array of phenomena related to languages in public spaces.

• Publisher: Universidad de Sevilla, Departamento de Lengua Inglesa
• Subject: Advertisements / Advertising / Applied linguistics / Classroom Techniques / Cross Cultural Studies / Cross Cultural Training / Cultural Pluralism / Dialect Studies / Education / Educational Attainment / Educational Change / Educational Facilities Improvement / Global Approach / Incidental Learning / Landscape / Language acquisition / Language Dominance / Language Minorities / Language Planning / Language Usage / Languages / Linguistic landscape / Linguistics / Metalinguistics / Multilingualism / Notices / Origin of language / Pedagogy / Public spaces / Researchers / School Policy / Second language learning / Semiotics / Shopping / Shops / Signs / Social Problems / Sociolinguistics / Street signs / Students / Teaching / Urban areas / Warnings