The Barrio: Commercial Multilingualism in Lleida

The Barrio: Commercial Multilingualism in Lleida,

by Gómez and Turean

Introduction

In this project we aim to study the linguistic diversity in Lleida (bilingual Catalonia, in South-Eastern Europe) by selecting and analyzing linguistic landscapes (LLs) found throughout the city. To accomplish this, we scoured the streets in search of tokens which showcased various local and global languages in contact, but with a focus on English as an emerging  global language.

The text typology of our LL is a tattoo parlor; we found it in Alcalde Costa street and its name is ‘The Barrio’.

Figure 1. Photo of the Linguistic Landscape. Taken by the authors (3rd of March 2023)

Figure 2. Close up photo of the Linguistic Landscape. Taken by the authors (3rd of March 2023)

Via analyzing Figures 1 and 2, we can determine that the most used language is English, making it the main language—followed by Spanish, which is the background language (note that the full construction includes this non-standard multilingualism, inside single sentences or constructions; ("medusa wear"). The English is informal throughout ("street English"). It relies on sound writing as well, transmitting orality ("da hood", "soldierz"). As such, only a single alphabet is used: the Latin one.  Both the activity domain and the type of sign are related to commerce: the LL is situated in a street alongside shops and a couple of bars. Overall, the aim of the token is to advertise a service.

Contextualization

We hereby proceed to provide the contextual information needed for the analysis.   

1- The address: Carrer Alcalde Costa, 22, 25002 Lleida. The neighborhood is Institut-Templers.

2- The neighborhood’s demographic profile: In 2016, it had a total demography of 6,787 people (La Paeria, 2016) of national majority, although a not-so-insignificant amount (19%) of immigrant population—albeit a higher percentage than the percentage of foreigners in Catalonia as a whole. (La Paeria, 2012)

3- The neighborhood’s socio economic profile: it is one of Lleida's neighborhood's with the lowest commercial appeal, indicating a lower economic status. (Jordi, 2014)

Figure 3. Lleida's neighborhoods. Source: GIFEX.

Methodology

We visited the parlor in question once, on the third of March of the year 2023, to photograph it and examine more closely its LL. We could observe that Catalan was the predominant language in its surroundings, although, as Figure 4 demonstrates, a majority of businesses employed English in their storefronts. In Catalonia, and Lleida in particular, all public posters and storefronts of official aptitude must be written in Catalan. Outside of such, a simultaneous use of Catalan and the place’s language is encouraged, either that, or Spanish. The establishment in question follows neither of these guidelines, instead opting for a middle ground between Spanish and English. Inside, the treatment is primarily in Spanish, although they understand Catalan as it is mandatory to offer service in the local languages as well. (Gencat, 1998)

Figure 4. Surroundings of the Linguistic Landscape. Taken by the authors (3rd of March 2023)

Results and discussion

According to the eight linguistic types established by the European Linguistic Landscape Observatory (http://www.catpaisatge.net/eng/glossari.php), we have found the following ones:

Aesthetic

The style and appearance of the shop is carefully thought of. The usage of red as the storefront's background color catches the passerby's attention, as it is typically linked to passion and strong emotions. The font of the signs is reminiscent of Gothic writing, garnering it a sophisticated, if unorthodox, alternative atmosphere—the typeface deeply transgressive in its approach.

By contrast, the intrasentential (as it occurs within the same sentence) code-switching present in ‘the barrio’ and ‘medusa wear’, as well as the use of non-standard English understood as slang (‘soldierz’ and ‘da hood’, with sound writing), present in communities of a lower social standing, (Jaks 2020) are engineered to present an image closer to the average lay citizen. Taken together, they convey that the tattoo parlor offers quality service while keeping its working class roots in mind.

Productive

The LL provides an economic profit. This factor is enhanced by the use of commercial multilingualism to make the shop appear more globalized and modern (Eldelman & Gorter 2010: 97), as English is often used to “communicate [...] quality credibility” (Martin 2010: 83). We can observe this throughout the entire LL: “the Barrio”, “medusa wear”, “the original shop in tha hood”, “urban soldierz crew”, among others. There is a clear intent to promote the parlor as a place which keeps up with the times, and thus remain competitive in the English-dominated commercial market, specially in the field of tattoo services. Using English as an attention gatherer carries the assumption of “English being oriented to the future” (Edelman & Gorter 2010: 97). One notable thing about its use is that its intent is understandable by any speaker, independently of their level of English ("wear", for example, has been incorporated into the Catalan vocabulary as a loanword...).

Identity

The usage of Spanish in “Barrio”, and “medusa” (with truncation, "me" "dusa") gives glimpses of the nationality and first language of the owners (Spanish), but its usage of non-standard informal and transgressive English, internationalized, cosmopolitan: “da hood”, and “urban soldierz crew” indicates an attempt at a perceived modernisation of their everyday vocabulary, due to English's high prevalence amongst younger generations (Posteguillo 2002). The connections with the local identity can be seen with the naming of the emplacement as "The Barrio". Thereby, the business presents itself as catering for, and as being part of, a working class, youthful neighborhood.

Conclusion

After carrying out this project we have observed that Lleida is far from impervious to Englishisation. While as English Studies students we were partly aware of the presence of English in social contexts, we were surprised by how deep-rooted it truly is. Our LL in particular included a higher proportion of English than it did of local languages, putting it at the forefront, almost relegating the local languages as an afterthought (to the detriment of the minority language in Catalonia; Catalan). The higher social value of English compared to other languages results in it being used in conjunction with the later, when they exist in the same context.

As for the process itself, we feel that encouraging students to become generators of knowledge allows for a far more personal approach to learning. It fosters critical thought (via the interpretation of results and the drawing of conclusions) and makes them feel like an active part of the learning process, rather than a bystander.

Sources 

Jordi, M. (March, 2014). Eixos.cat analitza l’oferta comercial de Lleida  https://blog.eixos.cat/?m=201405 

Edelman, L., & D. Gorter. (2010) Linguistic landscapes and the market. In: H. Kelly-Holmes & G. Mautner (eds.), Language and the Market (96-108). London: Palgrave.    

Gencat. (January 7th, 1998). Llei 1/1998, de 7 de gener, de política lingüística. Generalitat de Catalunya. https://llengua.gencat.cat/ca/serveis/informacio_i_difusio/publicacions_en_linia/classific_temes/temes_opuscles_divulgatius/llei-1-1998/

Gifex. (February 14th, 2011). Barrios de la ciudad de Lérida. https://www.gifex.com/fullsize2/2011-04-14-13453/Barrios_de_la_ciudad_de_Lerida.html 

Jaks, Q. (2020). What's Good in Da Hood? Hoodology in Organizations (Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University). https://www.proquest.com/openview/d2a40f76835f7f86121a5ac418be76af/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y 

La Paeria. (July 3rd, 2012). Butlletí econòmic. http://paeria.cat/butlletieconomic/2012/03-juliol/06-poblacio.pdf 

La Paeria. (2016). Index. https://www.paeria.cat/doc/2016/index.asp   

Linguistic Landscape Observatory. (2023). Glossari. Olot. http://www.catpaisatge.net/eng/glossari.php 

 

Posteguillo, S. (2002). La influencia del inglés de Internet en la lengua española. Revista de investigación lingüística, Vol 5, nº 2 (2002).