A study of the Linguistic Landscape of Kissena and Geranium

By: Courtnei Smalls and Fatimah Rahim LCD 205 Sociolinguistics

For: Professor Michael Newman

The linguistic mosaic that we chose to evaluate is located on

Kissena Boulevard not far from Queens college. Just before

Geranium many commuters pass through a two block span which

provides the viewer with a diversity of language displays.

The written language is available in Chinese, Spanish and English, providing the implication that the speech and reading abilities of the immediate community are as rich

and diverse as their linguistic landscape.

• Courtnei and I surveyed the area, taking an abundance of pictures for a three block length of Kissena Boulevard. Starting at Kissena and Holly and heading North until Kissena and Kalmia Avenue.

Allstate: Top downMultilingualENG/SPA/CH

Beauty Salon:Bottom upMultilingualCHI/ENG/SP

Grocery StoreBottom upBilingualCHI/ENG

Bakery OutletBottom UpBilingualCHI/ENG

Shanghai Noodle ShopBottom UpMonolingualCHI

Aquarium ShopBottom UpBilingualCHI/ENG

Payphones on StreetTop downMultilingualCHI/ENG/SP

Convenience storeBottom Up MultilingualCHI/ENG/SP

Dist. of Languages

Dist. of Languages

Dist. of Languages

Dist. of Languages

Dist. of Languages

Dist. of Languages

Dist. of Languages

Dist. of Languages

Although English was the most Dominante, Chinese and Spanish were displayed using same font size indicating equal status as subordinates

Chinese was the dominant language of display. English was the subordinate language with smaller font. Spanish used the least

Chinese was the dominant language of display. English was subordinate with smaller font.

Chinese was the dominant language of display. English was subordinate with smaller font.

Chinese was the dominant language of display. No speakers of English were employed to order we had to look at the menu and point. Menu w/subordinate English

Chinese was the dominant language of display. English was subordinate with smaller font.

Dominate Lang: Chinese. Subordinate Languages were English and SP. Larger Spanish font indicates an attempt to communicate with them

Spanish was displayed with Dominance due to location next to bus stop. English was displayed with subordinate and Chinese was as well.

What languages are used as means of

communication?

Owner said: “Well if you look around, we have a representative for each language. So if someone comes in, they are fully capable of being helped. And the reason we did that of course is because of the make-up of the community.” We said: “Of course that is understandable. Is there any reason you chose to arrange the languages the way you did?”Owner said: “Allstate is about name recognition. We deal primarily in English because we are a global insurance company and that is why we have English as the biggest displayed language. People recognize the name Allstate regardless of their native language. Like Mcdonalds’. Next is Chinese because the population of the area is more than 50% Asian and 20% Hispanic or Latino. But don’t get me wrong we have the forms and the information available in all the languages that we advertise outside.”

How do power and solidarity influence languages

displayed for this shop owner?

The owner of the beauty salon had quite an explanation for the languages she had selected to advertise on her sign. She proudly

informed us that the reason those languages were on the sign outside was “because I speak all those ‘language.’

“Oh how impressive. You speak three languages?” “No!” she answers indignantly. “I speak four.”“Really? Which four do you speak?” we asked.

“Yes. English, Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese. I learned all of them.”

What is the shop owners intention in relation to the

choice of signage?

What inference could you conclude using the concepts of power and solidarity

here?