Locking in Language: How Touristification Transforms English Linguistic Landscapes

Locking in Language: How Touristification Transforms English Linguistic Landscapes

By Riham Chao & Hoda El Laghdas

1. INTRODUCTION

The Linguistic Landscape we have chosen is “Goods Guard” , a lockers business for tourists located in the Centre Històric neighbourhood, specifically in Carrer del Carme, 68. It is a commercial domain used to advertise the business targeting tourists who may come to Lleida and need lockers to keep their luggage and personal properties safe. 

It consists of a multilingual sign as there are three languages used: Catalan being the main one (“El plaer de sentir-se lliure!”), and English (“Book Online”) and Spanish (“ Elige el tamaño de tu taquilla”). It is monoglossic as there is only one alphabet used, the Roman. 

Figure 1. “Goods Guard Lockers” Picture taken by the author on February  3rd, 2025.

2. CONTEXTUALISATION 

Goods Guard Lockers, located at Carrer del Carme, 61, Baixos, 25007 Lleida, is situated in the Centre Històric (Historic Center) neighborhood of Lleida. This area is characterized by its diverse population, including a significant presence of migrant communities. As of 2023, 5,773 residents in this area were of foreign origin (Ajuntament de Lleida, 2023). According to Sabaté-Dalmau (2022), linguistic landscapes (LL) like this provide insight into the languages of public signage, advertisements, and commercial shop signs that shape a given territory.

Figure 2. Map of the area where the LL is located and its surroundings. Retrieved from Google Maps by the authors (27/3/25).

The Centre Històric presents a mixed socioeconomic profile, with some parts undergoing gentrification while others remain economically challenged. The average income in this neighborhood is lower than the city average, and many residents live in transit housing. This aligns with the idea that LL tokens, such as the name "Goods Guard Lockers," can be analyzed for their semiotic language and representations of power dynamics within a community (Sabaté-Dalmau, 2022).

Strategically positioned near the train station, Goods Guard Lockers caters well to tourists visiting Lleida. This location reflects the vibrant demographic mix and diverse socio-cultural influences of the area. Lleida as a whole embraces cultural diversity, with migrants comprising 21.49% of its population (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya, n.d.). Such language contact and cultural globalization are key elements in understanding linguistic landscapes (Sabaté-Dalmau, 2022).

The district thrives within Lleida's globalized commercial landscape. The city's tourism sector has seen significant growth, with visitor numbers exceeding 200,000 annually in 2022 (La Paeria, 2020). These visitors are drawn to the city's historical treasures and dynamic local offerings, contributing to Lleida's cosmopolitan appeal. 

Figure 3. Map of the neighbourhoods of Lleida. Source: Sabaté, M.  https://Sociolinguistics/ProjectLocalisingEnglishinLleida.pdf

 

3. METHODOLOGY

This study employs ethnographic observation techniques to investigate multilingualism within Lleida’s urban commercial landscape. The case study followed a qualitative analysis integrating fieldnotes, visual documentations and socioeconomic data from the city hall to conduct our analysis of the Linguistic Landscape.

The initial phase involved token identification through repeated ethnographic walks along a high-traffic route near Lleida’s train station. A locker business, “Goods Guard Lockers,” was selected for its strategic location and frequent visibility to diverse populations (locals, commuters, tourists). The site’s accessibility enabled temporal observations across varying hours and days, capturing dynamic linguistic interactions. To ensure methodological rigor, three structured fieldwork visits were conducted: The first one on February 3rd of 2025, when the group members took pictures, Figure 1, and collected basic information. The second visit took place on February 27th, consisted of Contextual analysis of the token’s surroundings, Figure 4, including neighbouring businesses and pedestrian flow. Finally, the last visit was on March 10th, with the verification of initial findings and observation of potential linguistic changes or user interactions.

We first have to take into consideration the top-down language policies, according to the Article 32 of Law 1/1998, of 7th January “Llei de política lingüística: La senyalització i els cartells d’informació general de caràcter fix i els documents d’oferta de serveis per a les persones usuàries i consumidores dels establiments oberts al públic han d’ésser redactats, almenys, en català [...]”, of language policies by Generalitat de Catalunya, in section 3 it is mentioned that “The signage and posters of general information of a fixed nature and the documents offering services for users and consumers of establishments open to the public must be written, at least, in Catalan” (Translated from Catalan). The policies in Lleida defined by the Article 14 “La retolació publica de tota mena s’ha de redactar normalment en català”, from the regulations proposed by Paeria in 1997, state that the signs of any kind should be written in Catalan as a main language (Sabaté, 2024). Keeping these two laws in mind, our case study token does not follow the top-down language policies established by the government of Lleida and the Generalitat, as its multilingual, with its main languages being Catalan and English.

Figure 4. LLs surrounding the token taken on February 27th. Source: Riham’s phone.

Our token is a bottom-up commercial sign of a text that could be understood primarily by denotative meaning, as it provides the literal information about the locker service. The use of Catalan, English and Spanish serves the practical purpose of communicating the service's availability to a diverse audience, including locals and international visitors.

The immediate vicinity of our primary token, "Goods Guard Lockers," exhibits a rich multilingual environment, reflecting the area's diverse demographic composition. the most prominent example being a bakery, Figure 5, named “Pastisseria del meu Pais” which directly translates to “Bakery from my country”. This business uses two alphabets, Roman (Catalan), and Arabic alphabet (Moroccan dialect, non-standard Arabic) with “حلويات بلادي”(transliterated as "Halawiyat biladi"), which directly translates to “My country’s sweets”. This multilingual approach in commercial signage aligns with our earlier contextual analysis, which identified this area as a popular commercial district with a significant immigrant population. The presence of Catalan alongside Moroccan Arabic demonstrates the linguistic diversity of the neighbourhood and the businesses' adaptation to serve various linguistic communities.

Figure 5. LLs surrounding the token taken on February 27th. Source: Riham’s phone.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 

The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia (2024) identifies six key values that linguistic landscapes can embody: aesthetic, historical, identity-related, productive, social, and spiritual. In this particular case study, Figure 1, the two most relevant values would be: 

• Productive value, the multilingual sign of “Goods Guards Lockers” demonstrates how languages serve as a source to attract diverse customers, contributing to economic activity in the area. 

• Aesthetic value: multimodality, the usage of different semiotic modes, including  vibrant colours (red), the different fonts used, specifically the font used in “lockers” and the images of women on the sides of the window display , work all together to create a meaning and attract attention.

The linguistic landscape of "Goods Guard Lockers" is a reflection of the impact of globalization and English hegemony as a symbol of power and cosmopolitanism. Despite Catalan being the official language of Lleida, alongside Spanish as the state language, English is present as a tactical choice to engage a multicultural audience, particularly tourists and foreigners. Its presence highlights the growing role of English in business and urban centers as a tool to unlock markets in a globalized economy.

At the same time, the fact that Catalan appears in the signage brings attention to its role of preserving local identity within a multilingual environment. Catalan, as a minoritized language, continues to exist, demonstrating its cultural validity and resistance to displacement. The coexistence of Catalan, Spanish, and English in this case represents Lleida's rich linguistic diversity, where languages are in contact and adapt in a globalized and multicultural environment.

5. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS 

By carrying out this project, we raised awareness about multilingual surroundings and the use of English for tourism purposes in our everyday routines. The observation of the LLs helped us to apply theoretical concepts of sociolinguistics to practical uses, making us act as knowledge generators within the discipline of sociolinguistics. In general traits, we found the project very interesting and didactic since it is out of the class and a group project. 

Moreover raise our consciousness of how prevalent English is in our daily lives and how it has taken its roots in Lleida. We have always taken the same route to university and yet it was until we took part of this project that we actually realised the prevalence of english in our surroundings and found out about the lockers)

6. REFERENCES

Ajuntament de Lleida. (2023). Estrangers per barris i països 2023 [Foreigners by neighborhood and country 2023]. Aplicacions Web. https://aplicacionsweb.paeria.es/eOpenDataPublicWeb/faces/ca/cataleg/territori/demografia/estrangers-per-barris-i-paisos-2023/detalls

Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya. (n.d.). Population statistics of Lleida. Retrieved from https://www.idescat.cat/

La Paeria. (2020). Lleida tourism report. Retrieved from https://www.paeria.es/

Llei 1/1998, de 7 de gener, de 19 de juliol,  de política lingüística. Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya núm. 2553, Capitol V, Article 32. https://llengua.gencat.cat/web/.content/documents/legislacio/llei_de_politica_linguistica/arxius/lleipl98.pdf

Sabaté-Dalmau, M. (2022). Localizing English in town: A linguistic landscape project for a Critical Linguistics Education on multilingualism.

Sabaté, M. (2024). Collective project: Localising English in Lleida. [Project instructions]. Universitat de Lleida. https://cv.udl.cat/access/content/group/101266-2324/Part%20A%20Sociolinguistics/Project%20Localising%20English%20in%20Lleida/Project%20Information_Assessment_Steps_Outcome.pdf

The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. (2024). Glossary. The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia. https://www.catpaisatge.net/en/landscape-resources/landscape-glossary