The Linguistic Landscape of a Cambodia Town in Lowell, Massachusetts

Abstract

This research was conducted in a Cambodian community recently recognized as the second Cambodia Town in the United States, which is new to the linguistic landscape research community. Data for this research were 279 photos collected in Lowell, {MA} during August of 2013. They were collected from two important main streets (Westford Street and Branch Street) that house many Cambodian businesses. The site for this data collection was purposefully selected because it is located in the heart of the Cambodia Town with many Cambodian businesses and offices. All the photos were entered into and coded with {NVivo} 10. Findings were reported in relation to the number of languages, the role of Khmer language, and the amount of transliteration reflected in the signs. These findings were discussed with implications for a better understanding of the language-in-contact situation (in this case Khmer and English) and the functions of Khmer as a minority language in this context. This understanding also has implications for the learning and teaching of English or Khmer in this community and the language planning of the Cambodia Town. Keywords: Linguistic landscape, Cambodia town, Khmer language