Beyond Borders: English, Catalan, and the Commercial Linguistic Landscape of Lleida-Latifah Anderson and Abril Moncasi

                                                      








Beyond Borders: English, Catalan, and the Commercial Linguistic Landscape of Lleida


                           


                            

   Latifah Anderson and Abril Moncasi









Grau en Estudis Anglesos


Subject: English Language in Context


Professor:Maria Sabaté Dalmau













 1. INTRODUCTION

Walking through Lleida’s Centre Històric, we found  a multilingual commercial sign that exemplifies the interaction between globalization and local linguistic identity. The sign belongs to a mobile phone store that specializes in sales and repairs. It strategically incorporates English and Catalan, reflecting how businesses navigate linguistic choices to attract both local and international customers. The dominance of English aligns with commercial multilingualism trends, while Catalan ensures cultural and legal compliance.

The sign is a printed shopfront sign, placed above the store’s entrance, making it highly visible to pedestrians. This positioning maximizes exposure and enhances its communicative function. The activity domain of the business falls within the commerce (technology and telecommunications) sector, as it focuses on selling and repairing mobile phones, a highly competitive and globalized industry.

As a commercial sign, its primary function is to advertise products and services. However, it also has a symbolic function, as the choice of languages reflects sociolinguistic realities in Lleida. The main language on the sign is English, with the phrase “MOBILE SHOP & NETWORKS” displayed in bold capital letters.

The secondary language is Catalan, appearing in the phrase "VENDA I REPARACIÓ” (Sale and Repair). This inclusion serves two essential purposes. First, it complies with Catalonia’s linguistic policies, which encourage the visibility of Catalan in public signage. Second, it reinforces the store’s connection to the local community by ensuring accessibility for Catalan-speaking customers.

The alphabets used in the sign are the Latin alphabet, which is standard for both English and Catalan.

Fig 1. Barrios de la ciudad de Lérida

Source: https://www.gifex.com/fullsize2/2011-04-14-13453/Barrios_de_la_ciudad_de _Lerida.html


2. CONTEXTUALISATION

The sign is located in Plaça de la Sal, 7, 25007, within Lleida Centre Històric. This area is known for its mix of local businesses, tourist attractions, and residential zones, creating a dynamic linguistic environment where Catalan, Spanish, and English frequently appear in public signage.

The Centre Històric has a highly diverse population. According to 2024 data from the Ajuntament de Lleida, 58.49% of its residents are immigrants, significantly higher than the city’s overall migrant population of 29.1%. The largest migrant community comes from Morocco (22.12%), followed by Senegal (9.00%), Colombia (7.96%), Algeria (7.86%), Romania (6.53%), and Mali (4.41%). These demographic patterns shape the linguistic landscape of the neighborhood, with businesses adapting signage to accommodate different language groups.

The Centre Històric presents contrasts between gentrified areas with new businesses and tourism-driven commerce and economically disadvantaged sections housing lower-income residents and small family-run establishments. Data from the Ajuntament de Lleida (2024) shows that 46.78% of the residents have only completed compulsory education, while 9.32% have no formal education. This limited access to higher education affects job opportunities, reinforcing economic disparities in the area.

To better understand the sign’s geographic context, we include images:


Fig.2  Neighborhood map. Centre històric.

SOURCE: Google. (2025). Búsqueda de Google Maps,Centre Històric Lleida [Google Maps].

ttps://www.google.es/maps/search/centre+historic+lleida/@41.6165363,0.6227138,651m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!5m1!1e4?hl=es&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMyMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D


Fig 3 Estrategias de desarrollo integrado local.            

Source:https://www.paeria.cat/ca/ajuntament/projectes-estrategics/estrategia-de-desenvolupament-integrat-local-edil/estrategia-de-desenvolupament-integrat-local-edil/edil-lleida-2025.pdf 

3. METHODOLOGY

This study is based on three fieldwork visits conducted in February and March 2025, aimed at analyzing linguistic choices in the commercial signage of Centre Històric, Lleida. The objective was to understand how language is utilized in public spaces and how it reflects the area’s demographic and socioeconomic dynamics.

On 25th February 2025, we observed and documented the different languages used in the commercial signage throughout Centre Històric. This involved photographing signs and noting the presence and prominence of languages such as Catalan, Spanish, English, and others. In our next visits, we built on our initial observations by exploring different aspects of language use in Centre Històric. We first focused on the area's demographics, paying close attention to its diverse population, which included a significant number of migrants. Through ethnographic observation, we examined interactions within businesses, noting the languages spoken by both customers and staff and identifying the presence of various migrant communities.

In a later visit, we assessed how multilingual signage functioned in a lively, real-world setting. With the area bustling on a busy day, we observed how customers navigated the space, engaged with the signs, and how effectively multilingual signage facilitated communication and attracted a diverse clientele.

Catalonia enforces a strong language policy to promote and protect Catalan. The Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia designates Catalan as the region’s official language, and the Act on Linguistic Policy (Act 1/1998) requires its use in public administration, education, and commercial signage. Article 32 of the Act mandates that businesses serving the public must include Catalan in signage and customer service. In Lleida, local policies reinforce these regulations, ensuring Catalan remains visible in public spaces.

At the same time, businesses make their own strategic choices about language use, shaping a bottom-up language policy. In Centre Històric, many businesses adopt multilingual signage, incorporating Spanish and English alongside Catalan. This approach helps them connect with local Catalan speakers, accommodate Spanish-speaking residents and visitors, and attract international tourists who may be more familiar with English. For instance, a mobile phone store we observed primarily used English in its signage to project an international image while also including Catalan to maintain local relevance and comply with language regulations.

Centre Històric is a multilingual environment where signage appears in Catalan, Spanish, English, and occasionally Arabic or Chinese. This reflects the neighborhood’s diverse population, including long-term Catalan-speaking residents, Spanish speakers, and migrant communities from North Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. While Catalan is dominant in public and official signage, commercial signs vary depending on the target audience and business strategy. We also noticed frequent code-switching between staff and customers, highlighting the area’s dynamic linguistic interactions.

These language practices align with Lleida’s municipal regulations on public space use. The city's Ordinance on Civility and Coexistence guarantees the right to use public spaces freely while respecting legal norms and others’ rights. It also emphasizes order and compliance during public events, reinforcing the balance between official language policies and the practical, market-driven decisions businesses make about language use.

To illustrate this, we include:


Fig 5. Street Views of its surroundings

Source:Google Maps


Fig 6. Bottom up and Top down policies

Source:La Paeria BOP(2014)


4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

The linguistic landscape of Lleida's Centre Històric offers a clear picture of how globalization and local identity intersect in the city's commercial spaces. Walking through the area, the multilingual sign at the mobile phone store stands out as a prime example of how businesses navigate linguistic choices. It uses both English and Catalan, reflecting the complex balance between reaching a global audience and staying connected to the local community.

Profitable Value
Using English in the store’s signage is a strategic decision that enhances its modern and international image. As a language closely associated with global commerce and technological advancement, English helps position the business within a competitive market like mobile retail. Cenoz and Gorter (2006) note that businesses frequently adopt English for its broad international appeal, and in this case, "MOBILE SHOP & NETWORKS" signals to both locals and tourists that the store is part of a global network, making it more accessible to a diverse customer base.

Identity Value
Catalan is important for maintaining local identity. The phrase "VENDA I REPARACIÓ" (Sale and Repair) helps the store stay connected to the community, making Catalan speakers feel included. The use of Catalan shows a commitment to local culture and the need to follow language policies in Catalonia. As Ben-Rafael et al. (2006) point out, linguistic landscapes aren’t just about business—they also carry cultural and political meaning. 

Aesthetic Value
The sign has a simple and clean design that stands out. The bold lettering, black-and-white contrast, and green checkmark make it look professional and trustworthy. The layout is straightforward, and the symbols help get the message across without relying too much on text. The combination of text and visuals works together to clearly communicate what the store offers. 

Discussion
This example highlights how commercial signage in Lleida is shaped by both global and local factors. English is used due to its status as the international lingua franca, especially in technology, while Catalan reflects a commitment to local identity. This bilingual approach balances the need to attract a broad audience with respect for regional language policies. As Ben-Rafael et al. (2006) argue, public signs express power, culture, and identity, and in this case, the sign shows the tension between global business strategies and preserving local values.

The choice of language also highlights Lleida’s social and economic changes, driven by tourism, migration, and international business. In places like Centre Històric, using both English and Catalan helps businesses connect with diverse groups, showing how they adapt to a shifting demographic and economic landscape.


I
Fig 7.Mobile shops and networks.Venda i reparació.

Picture taken by authors (6th February 2025) 

5. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS 

This project has been really helpful in understanding the linguistic dynamics of Lleida and the growing presence of English in the city. It provided us with the opportunity to apply sociolinguistic theory to real-world situations and allowed us to realize just how deeply ingrained English is in our daily lives, something we hadn’t fully recognized before. The project also gave us a clearer view of the city's role in the global economy, helping us connect the local with the global in terms of language use.

Linguistic landscape projects like this one are especially useful for teaching students how to integrate key skills, such as TKA (Top-down Knowledge Acquisition) and TEP (Textual Engagement Processes) (Sabaté-Dalmau, 2022). These skills not only promote awareness of linguistic diversity but also encourage students to develop their own self-learning techniques to understand sociolinguistic concepts better. Through our research, we gained valuable insights into the social structures that influence the use of language in public spaces and how these structures relate to broader sociolinguistic theories.
Furthermore, this case study shows how businesses in Lleida, particularly in areas like Centre Històric, use multilingual signage as a way to engage with their diverse audiences. A good example is the mobile phone store that combines English and Catalan in its signage. This bilingual approach not only caters to the local population but also speaks to the global, tourist-oriented market. It demonstrates how language is a powerful tool for shaping both urban identity and business strategies. The balance between global and local languages in public spaces reflects the broader tension between maintaining cultural identity and participating in global commerce.


8. REFERENCES 

Sabaté-Dalmau, M. (2022). ‘Localizing English in town’: a linguistic landscape project for a Critical Linguistics Education on multilingualism. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(10), 3580–3596. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2022.2067978

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