Mapping the Linguistic Cityscape of a Tourist City in Southwestern China: Monolingualism, Bilingualism, and Silenced Minorities

Abstract

The linguistic landscapes (LL) model acts to mirror the intricate and dynamic linguistic reality of public spaces, providing a panoramic view of society and its language practices. A majority of LL studies have focused on language in the public spaces of large cities, directing less attention to language practices of less developed small cities. Anshun exemplifies a less developed small city, as a prefectural urban centre located in Southwestern China, and well-known for its tourism and ethnic minorities. Ethnic groups as well as tourists from several global regions complexify the sociolinguistic situation of Anshun. In this study, we conducted videographic fieldwork to develop understandings of the linguistic landscapes of Anshun. To analyze the data, we opted for a mixed method approach, combining broad statistics and semiotics. The monolingual and multilingual signage in public spaces in Anshun suggests that the Chinese language predominates in these public spaces in interesting ways, yet English operates as a foreign language pervasively employed in guideboards, advertising billboards, and tourist signs, so as to facilitate government intentions. The findings thus expose the absence of ethnic monitories in the cityscape’s landscape, and thus, a specific societal engineering by the government. This study provides insights into the linguistic dynamics and the spread of English in a small Chinese tourist city, and offers visual evidence for the decline of minority languages in Chinese communities.