Linguistic Landscape in the Time of Covid: An Introduction of Sorts

English 295 is a special topics class, and this semester, the class studied linguistic landscape. Linguistic landscape study is interested in the functions, meanings, and ideologies of signs in public spaces in particular historical periods. While relatively new compared to other fields in language studies, linguistic landscape has established its own sets of theoretical and methodological lens over the last two decades, positioning itself as a key area of study for contemporary language issues. The growth and popularity of linguistic landscape study owe to its dynamism and flexibility. It is quick to challenge and push its own theoretical and methodological assumptions in the face of (often drastically) shifting landscapes in the contemporary period. It is also heavily multi-disciplinary, borrowing liberally from a range of fields in the humanities and social sciences (e.g., literary criticism, art studies, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, social semiotics, applied linguistics, geography, history, among others), thus bringing into the analysis of public signs the affordances of these various academic traditions. Linguistic landscape is therefore a productive area for study in a special topics class because it lends itself well to present-day issues and concerns not only in language studies but also in the world. 

In this English 295 class, the overall landscape is the covid-19 pandemic, specifically as it plays out in Philippine spaces. This means that while the readings are not necessarily situated within and/or about the present health crisis, they are discussed and processed with this in mind. The first section of the class focuses on the development of linguistic landscape research by looking into its theoretical foundations and methodologies, the implications of these on the notion of “public signs”, and some of its limitations and challenges. The second section looks at language use, linguistic practices, and language research that have surfaced in relation to the pandemic. The third section deals with case studies coming from different parts of the world. The last section brings all previously discussed concepts and studies into the analysis of public signs in the Philippines with the pandemic as backdrop. 

As someone who does not go out very much, I haven't had many opportunities to see and observe the signs that have emerged in the pandemic. However, there are those signs that enter my home. These two have become a part of my regular food delivery experience over the last few months. 

The picture on top shows food in a microwaveable box covered in cling wrap with a sticker that says ‘Prepared with utmost care’. The food is from a restaurant called Provenciano. The name and the kalesa, the restaurant logo, are also in the sticker. The picture below shows a plastic bag, part of a receipt, and a sticker that says ‘Safe’. The food is, of course, from McDonald’s as made obvious by the symbol of the Golden Arches. What has become immediately obvious to me is that to study linguistic landscape, or perhaps more accurately, to study anything at all, during a pandemic, we need to come up with new frameworks and new methodologies. We should also rethink and redefine our understanding of ‘public’ signs, or for that matter, other long-held beliefs and definitions. However, some questions remain the same: what does it mean to say ‘Prepared with utmost care’ instead of ‘Safe’? What is the speech act here? Is there a difference? Why are these utterances in English? One would think a restaurant that calls itself Provenciano and uses a ‘kalesa’ as a logo, will perhaps not use English. Are there restaurants that use Filipino or Taglish in conveying to their customers that their food is safe? If yes, which ones? 

I will not venture into my own analysis here. After all, this blog is not about me. This blog is the culmination of all the work that my students have done in class. I am very happy with and proud of what my students have accomplished this semester. Despite the many constraints and limitations of doing linguistic landscape study at this time, my students have demonstrated resourcefulness in finding and choosing their ‘public’ signs, thoughtfulness in making sense of them, and commitment in finishing this project. Surely, the signs that surround us now are a reflection of the most pressing realities that we now confront. These signs also help in shaping these very same realities in the ways that we view and engage them. It is my hope that the analyses posted on this blog allow us some understanding of how this relationship between language and society plays out as we navigate the challenges of this new old world.