LLEIDA ESPORTIU : AN INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE IN THE CITY WITH ENGLISH AS A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
Lleida Esportiu : An International Bridge in the City with English as a Global Language
March 25, 2025
LLEIDA ESPORTIU: An International Bridge in the City with English as a Global Language
BY ALBA PUJOL GARCIA & LAIA TORREMORELL AMAT
Globalization has become so important nowadays that when we see an advertisement, graffiti, poster, banner, etc., we do not pay attention to the language they are written in, nor do we question their meaning in society.
Our token for analysis is located at Camp d’Esports of Lleida, a well-known area among the local population. Our token is the Lleida Esportiu Official Store, whose name itself already indicates the variety of languages present. Our linguistic landscape (LL) is focused on commercial purposes, but we specifically choose this LL because we believe it clearly demonstrates the use of both global (English) and local (Catalan) languages to express identity. For this study, we will only focus on the exterior of the store and the language it conveys, but we highly recommend visiting it, as it is a space that honors the local population and the city’s sports team.
Our token is located on Av. del Doctor Fleming, under the name Lleida Esportiu Official Store. We chose this token because it represents the identity of the city while also encouraging outsiders to visit the space through the globalised use of English, making the store’s purpose more accessible to a wider audience. On the outside, we can observe the predominant use of Catalan as the local language, while English is also incorporated as a secondary language. The store’s name itself consists of two words in Catalan and two in English, highlighting the importance of English in today's globalised society. The only alphabet used is the Roman script. Lastly, we have identified that the support of our token could fall under the categories of; banner, storefront sign, and window display.
This brief analysis demonstrates how LL serves both local and global functions. The Lleida Esportiu Official Store reflects the city’s identity while also appealing to an international audience through the use of English.This reinforces the idea that language choices in commercial settings are strategic tools for communication and inclusion in a globalised world.
CONTEXTUALISATION
The token we decided to analyse is located in Av. del Doctor Fleming, S/N, 25006, in the neighbourhood “Camp d’Esports”, in Lleida. The location of the store is relevant since this neighbourhood is situated in the northwest of Lleida, an area of significance as it combines various residential buildings while also featuring a commercial zone that contributes to the city’s development.
On the one hand, the “Camp d'Esports” area is not a highly touristic zone, unlike Lleida’s city center or “Carrer Major”. While this neighbourhood does receive visitors from outside due to the Camp d’Esports Stadium and the events it hosts, it primarily consists of local urban residents rather than foreigners or tourists.
In terms of population, a study conducted by La Paeria (2023) indicates that 86% of the neighbourhood's inhabitants are Spanish residents, while the other 14% are foreign residents. Although it is not one of Lleida’s most migrant-populated areas, this percentage still reflects a notable international presence within the district.
The neighbourhood shows no signs of actual gentrification, as we believe it was originally built with careful planning, ensuring that significant development is not frequently required (unlike in older or more neglected areas of Lleida, where such transformations are more common).
Regarding age demographics, the neighbourhood is home to a diverse range of residents, as observed during our visits. We identified the presence of families and middle-aged individuals. However, we did not notice a significant number of students living in the area, indicating that Camp d’Esports is not a student-dominated neighbourhood, but rather a place for long-term residence.
Figure 2. Map of Lleida's neighborhoods (Gifex, n.d.).
On the other hand, the Camp d’Esports area is considered an upper-middle-class neighbourhood. According to the Segre newspaper (2025), along with the “Zona Alta”, it is among the wealthiest areas in the city, with the average gross income in the Zona Alta-Camp D’Esports-Fleming area being 38.771€.
The neighbourhood is characterised by high-value houses and buildings, indicating that it is home to a financially stable population. While rental properties do exist, they are not as dominant as in other areas inhabited by students. The residents of this area are primarily permanent inhabitants rather than transient or temporary ones. Given the characteristics of the neighbourhood, the impoverished population is minimal.
All of this makes Camp d’Esports a safe area in all aspects, but particularly in terms of economic and financial stability.
Figure 3. Street view map of its surroundings.
Source: Retrieved from Google Maps by the authors (09/03/2025).
METHODOLOGY
In order to analyze our linguistic landscape, three fieldwork visits were conducted. The first visit was on 26th February 2025 and it worked as an initial observation of the store’s signage. We took photos of both the store and its immediate surroundings in order to capture visible language use. The second visit was on 5th March 2025 and we were centered in the observation of the store’s surroundings as well as in any possible changes in the store’s signage. The third and last visit was on 18th March 2025. We carried out this visit to observe any potential changes in the linguistic landscape of both the store and its surroundings. As we had anticipated, given that it is the official store of the city's football club, we did not observe any changes.
The linguistic landscape of Lleida is shaped by governmental language policies, which state that all signages must be in Catalan, and outside the Catalan linguistic area, advertising should preferably be in both Catalan and the local language of the target territory or in Spanish. Despite the measures, Catalan, Spanish and English coexist in many spaces of Lleida, influenced by globalization, migration and market demand.
The Lleida FC store represents a bottom-up language policy where commercial decisions drive linguistic choices. As to say, the store's decision of doing the signage in English is because they want to evoke the feeling of being international. Furthermore, we can also see the Lleida F.C emblem in the store’s signage, which means that they not only wanted to seem as an international store but to evoke the feeling of proudness of the local team.
Figure 4. Lleida FC store surroundings.
Source: Photo taken by the authors (05/03/2025).
As it is shown in figure 3, the store is situated in the Lleida F.C Stadium in a commercial area where Catalan and Spanish are commonly heard. Surrounding businesses primarily use Catalan or Spanish in signage, with occasional English translations. The linguistic landscape in this area includes multilingual shop signs, advertisements, stickers, and public notices, reflecting the dynamic language interplay of Lleida.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Figure 5. Front view of Lleida FC Official Store
Source: Photo taken from the authors (05/03/2025)
The linguistic landscape of the Lleida FC Official Store reflects key values such as aesthetic, appeal, identity and productivity, aligning with broader sociolinguistic and semiotic frameworks (Catpaisatge, n.d.).
The store employs multimodality, combining text, images, and color to construct meaning. The predominant use of blue, associated with trust and strength, reinforces the club’s branding (Kress, 2010). Additionally, the incorporation of an emblematic image of Lleida—potentially referencing the Seu Vella—visually anchors the store to the city’s heritage. The presence of the Lleida FC crest further emphasizes historical identity, linking the club to the city’s past and reinforcing local pride. This aligns with the notion that visual and linguistic elements in signage contribute to place-making and community representation (Cenoz & Gorter, 2009).
From a commercial perspective, the store’s linguistic choices reflect market-driven globalization. The predominant use of English in signage and branding suggests an effort to position Lleida FC as an international club, indexing values of cosmopolitanism, leadership, and open-mindedness (Cenoz & Gorter, 2009, p. 57). This strategic use of English enhances the store’s commercial appeal, targeting not only local supporters but also a broader, potentially global audience.
Figure 6. Lleida FC store surroundings
Source: Photo taken by the authors (26/02/2025).
Despite being the official store of a local football club in Lleida, the dominance of English in its signage highlights the increasing role of global languages in market communication. The surrounding linguistic environment, as it is shown in figure 5, featuring Catalan, more English, and Spanish in other nearby-stores, reflects the multilingual reality of Lleida while also illustrating the shifting dynamics of language visibility in public spaces.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Through this project, we believe that working with our Linguistic Landscape has allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of sociolinguistics while fully engaging with it to analyse, from a very close perspective, how it is structured and how it influences other people. Likewise, we have learned more that we initially expected, such as understanding the role sociolinguistics plays in our daily lives, as well as working with it and becoming familiar with TKA (Technology of Knowledge Acquisition) by using Google Maps and Blogger.
Thanks to this project, we have discovered the city of Lleida as something beyond just a simple city. After becoming ethnographers and closely observing the city – especially the neighbourhood we focused on – we have realised that Lleida is a multilingual city with an incredible multicultural diversity.
We believe that people take for granted the presence of English, as well as other languages, in our daily lives without truly reflecting on what that means for different individuals. However, through this project, we have come to understand that multilingualism and cultural diversity play a much more significant role in our lives than we previously thought. This realisation also enriches us as individuals and helps us see the world from different perspectives.
In conclusion, analysing our Linguistic Landscape has made us aware of the crucial role that sociolinguistics plays in our lives. Moreover, we have been able to observe firsthand that a city’s linguistic landscape, while representing its identity, also embraces other languages, highlighting its cultural diversity.
REFERENCES AND WEB SOURCES
Ajuntament de Lleida. (n.d.). Ordenança municipal de civisme i convivència de la ciutat de Lleida. Lleida Participa.
Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2009). Language economy and linguistic landscape. In E. Shohamy & D. Gorter (Eds.), Linguistic landscape: Expanding the scenery (pp. 55-69). Routledge.
Ferrari, J. (2023, 18 noviembre). Ciutat Jardí, de Lleida, es col·loca com el segon barri amb més renda d’Espanya. ON ECONOMIA. https://www.elnacional.cat/oneconomia/ca/economia/ciutat-jardi-lleida-segon-barri-mes-renda-espanya_1124759_102.html
Gifex (n.d.) Barrios de Ciudad de Lleida. Retrieved from https://www.gifex.com/Europa/Espana/Cataluna/Lerida/Lerida/Politicos.html
Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge.
Observatory of the Landscape of Catalonia. (n.d.). Landscape glossary. Catpaisatge. https://www.catpaisatge.net/en/landscape-resources/landscape-glossary
Paeria.Cat. (s. f.). Dada oberta. https://aplicacionsweb.paeria.es/eOpenDataPublicWeb/faces/ca/cataleg/territori/demografia/estrangers-per-barris-i-paisos-2023/detalls
Ramos, J., & Ramos, J. (2024, 2 octubre). Este es el barrio más rico de Lleida: cuenta con una renta de más de 100.000 euros. www.20minutos.es - Últimas Noticias. https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5638748/0/cual-es-barrio-mas-rico-lleida/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Teixidó, J. (2025, 4 febrero). Desigualdades en la renta en Lleida: Análisis de los datos de renta bruta y disponible por zonas. Segre. https://www.segre.com/es/economia/250204/desigualdades-en-la-renta-en-lleida-analisis-de-los-datos-de-renta-bruta-y-disponible-por-zonas-1_713687.html#:~:text=Esto%20indica%20que%20los%20habitantes,zona%20con%20mejores%20condiciones%20econ%C3%B3micas.
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