A Linguistic Landscape Study of Signage on Nimmanhemin Road, A Lanna Chiang Mai Chill-Out Street

Abstract

This study investigates how the linguistic landscape both creates and reflects a tourist space on language choices in creating signs on Nimmanhemin Road in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In addition, the study explores what linguistic devices are used in the creation of signs on Nimmanhemin Road. Sign data are collected from both sides of Nimanhaemin Road. Every sign in front of stores was photographed and analyzed in terms of language choices and linguistic devices. The study reveals that tourism in Chiang Mai has influences on language choices in sign creation. Monolingual, bilingual and trilingual signs can be found on Nimmanhemin Road, normally written in Thai, English and / or Chinese. In terms of linguistic strategies, transliteration, word formation, lexical relations, speech acts and politeness strategies are demonstrated in my findings. The study has both theoretical and practical contributions. Theoretically, it challenges commonly held notions of bilingual organization of information and language prominence. Practically, the study has pedagogical applications and the study findings can be used for English language instruction.