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A Linguistic Landscape Study of Signage on Nimmanhemin Road

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A LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE Practically, the study has pedagogical STUDY OF SIGNAGE ON applications and the study findings can be used for English language instruction. NIMMANHEMIN ROAD, A LANNA CHIANG MAI 1. Introduction CHILL-OUT STREET Linguistic landscape studies can be seen as a sub-field of both sociolinguistics and 1 Tiwahporn Thongtong applied linguistics, concerned with the “written form” of languages in public space (Gorter and Cenoz 2006, p. 2) Abstract especially focusing on “multilingual settings” (Coulmas 2009, p. 14). This study investigates how the linguistic According to Landry and Bourhis (1997, landscape both creates and reflects a p. 25), linguistic landscape refers to “The tourist space on language choices in language of public road signs, advertising creating signs on Nimmanhemin Road in billboards, street names, place names, Chiang Mai, Thailand. In addition, the commercial shop signs, and public signs study explores what linguistic devices are on government buildings … of a given used in the creation of signs on territory, region, or urban agglomeration”. Nimmanhemin Road. Sign data are But the field of linguistic landscape collected from both sides of Nimanhaemin studies has expanded from the analysis of Road. Every sign in front of stores was commercial and government signs found photographed and analyzed in terms of on the streets of large metropolitan language choices and linguistic devices. centers, ethnic neighborhoods and small The study reveals that tourism in Chiang towns. Among the diverse objects of Mai has influences on language choices in linguistic landscape scrutiny are schools sign creation. Monolingual, bilingual and (Dagenais et al 2009; Dressler 2015), train trilingual signs can be found on stations (Lock 2003; Backhaus 2006), Nimmanhemin Road, normally written in science labs (Hanauer 2009); apartment Thai, English and / or Chinese. In terms of buildings (Jaworski and Yeung 2010), linguistic strategies, transliteration, word post cards (Jaworski 2010), public formation, lexical relations, speech acts monuments (Shohamy and Waksman and politeness strategies are demonstrated 2009; Abousnnouga and Machin 2010), in my findings. The study has both and cyberspace (Ivkovic and Lotherington theoretical and practical contributions. 2009; Troyer 2012; Jones 2011). Theoretically, it challenges commonly held Linguistic landscapes have been notions of bilingual organization of investigated from a number of viewpoints, information and language prominence. such as language policy and language ideology (Sloboda 2009; Marten 2010), national and ethnic identity (Trumper- 1 a Ph.D. candidate in English as an International Language Program from Chulalongkorn University. Hecht 2009; Dray 2010) language She graduated with a Master's degree in Language awareness and education (Dagenais et al., and Culture for Communication and Development 2009), marginalization of minority from Mahidol University and received her communities (Lou 2010), language Bachelor's degree in Education from Chiang Mai switching and hybridization (Huebner University. Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 10:20:53AM via free access A Linguistic Landscape Study of Signage on Nimmanhemin Road 2009), linguistic input for language 2010), none has looked at the role of the learning (Cenos & Gorter 2008; Dagenais linguistic landscape in the creation and et al 2009; Bolton 2012; Sayer 2010), and promotion of tourist spaces in Thailand. tourism and the commodification of To bridge the gap, this study investigates culture (Kallen 2009; Piller 2010; signage on Nimmanhemin Road, an up- Moriarty 2015). scale tourist street in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second city, the metropolitan Tourist spaces are complex sites of hub and major tourist attraction of language contact. Indeed the creation of Northern Thailand, and the former capital tourist spaces relies heavily on the of the ancient Lanna Kingdom. linguistic landscapes of those spaces (Bruyei- Olmedo and Juan-Garau 2009; 2. The Context and Research Jaworski 2010; Moriarty 2015). Language Questions usage for tourism promotion is an essential source of information for the potential One of the most attractive tourist tourists. It engages people in decision- destinations in the north of Thailand, the making regarding the destination they city of Chiang Mai has a rich, idealized would like to travel to (Salim et al 2012). and romanticized history. Chiang Mai and Research on language and tourism is in its its surroundings are blessed with stunning infancy in both linguistics and tourism natural beauty and a uniquely indigenous studies. Much of the research comes from cultural identity. Chiang Mai has had a within sociolinguistics, where scholars long and mostly independent history, have considered how the particular social which has to a large extent preserved a context of the tourist encounter reflects or most distinctive culture. This is witnessed challenges existing theories of language both in the daily lives of the people, who use (Cohen and Cooper 1986; Heller 2003; maintain their own dialect, customs and Boudreau and White 2004; Manca 2008; cuisine, and in a host of ancient temples, Jaworski 2010). Other related work in fascinating for their northern Thai sociolinguistics considers the role of architectural styles and rich decorative language in the broader representation of details. Chiang Mai also continues its cultural perspectives, and other identities renowned tradition as a handicraft center, in tourism destinations (Pietikäinen and producing items in silk, wood, silver, Kelly-Holmes 2001; Coupland et al 2005; ceramics, umbrellas, textiles and more, Cos 2006; Drozdzewski 2011; Thurlow which make the city the country’s top and Jaworski 2011; Strand 2012, 2013; shopping destination for arts and crafts. Ploner 2013). Studies of linguistic landscape and tourism have contributed to There are many languages spoken in an understanding of how language and Northern Thailand. The distinctive tourism are related and how cultural northern dialect is a major regional dialect perspectives and other identities in tourism and may be considered a high prestige destinations are presented in tourist space. dialect of Thai. Eighty percent of the people in Chiang Mai are locals by birth While there have been few studies of the and speak Northern Thai dialect, also linguistic landscapes of Thailand, and only known as Chiang Mai dialect or Kam one to my knowledge, of linguistic Mueang, which varies from Standard Thai, landscapes outside of Bangkok (Draper the official language in its phonology and 732 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 10:20:53AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities, Special Issue No.22, 2016 lexicon (Leerabhandh Hatfield, 2005, coffee shops, tea houses, wine bars, sushi p.11-12). Northern Thai also varies joints and craft shops. As one walks considerably within northern Thailand through Nimmanhemin’s alleys, one can itself. Other minority languages in the see some beautiful houses among the North include related languages of the Tai- shops. Most of those houses are modern- Kadai language family (e.g., Tai Dam, Tai style houses influenced by the western Lue, etc.) and various unrelated languages modern architectural movement popular in spoken by minority hill tribe communities. Thailand since the 1970’s (Ward 2012). Due to the promotion of northern tourism, Hints of the neighborhood’s history other languages including English and remain, creating a mix of authentic Thai Chinese are also used in tourist areas to architecture and quirky new commercial communicate with foreign tourists. development. That mix makes Nimmanhemin Road one of the popular Nimmanhemin Street, a famous tourist tourist destinations with visitors from destination within Chiang Mai is often various countries. called a ‘chill-out street’. It has been selected for this study because of it is It can be noticed that signage on location at the center of the city and Nimmanhemin Road is written in many because of the transformation it has languages and displays a creativity not undergone in the past generation. found in more traditional Thai Originally one of the very first areas of neighborhoods. Therefore, this study Chiang Mai set aside specifically for investigates both the choice of language(s) residential use, in the past, the Nimman and the linguistic devices used in the area was nothing more than a signage on Nimmanhemin Road to create neighborhood of houses, old apartment the tourist space it has become. Specific complexes and noodle shops. Because of research questions are: its proximity to Chiang Mai University (CMU), medical centers, Chiang Mai 1. To what extent does the linguistic International Airport, the Convention Hall landscape both create and reflect of CMU, and the CMU Art & Cultures Nimmanhaemmin Road as a Center, it became home to a number of tourist space? university teachers, doctors and 2. What specific linguistic strategies government officers who moved there are used to create signs on some 40 to 50 years ago. Its location in the Nimmanhemin road? town’s center with links to many main roads such as Superhighway Road, Chiang 3. Analytical frame and Methodology Mai - Lampang Road, Huaykaew Road, Suthep Road, and Irrigation Canal Road, This study is a mixed method study. The has brought many entrepreneurs and their quantitative study involves the businesses which have transformed the classification of signs collected according Nimmanhemin area into a popular to the types of businesses represented
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