MULTILINGUALISM IN LLEIDA: A STUDY OF "A LA TURCA GRILL HOUSE"
UNIVERSITAT DE LLEIDA
Estudis Anglesos
Professor: Maria Sabaté Dalmau
Subject: English Language in Context
INTRODUCTION
Even though Lleida is not as frequently visited as cities like Barcelona, it boasts a rich linguistic landscape making the city much more unique than it is. However, we decided to focus ourselves in one specific linguistic landscape of the city, which is the restaurant called “A la Turca Grill House”. The token image represents a commercial sign, in which by its name we can deduce its purpose –serving Turkish/Spanish cuisine–, while showing its linguistic choices.
The sign employs a primary language, English, through the words “Grill House” and “restaurant-cafeteria”, which indicates the type of establishment and its services. Additionally Spanish is present in “A la Turca”, creating a bilingual blend for both local and international costumers. Following up, the use of the Latin Alphabet reflects the coexistence of English, Spanish and Catalan, reinforcing the city’s multilingual nature.
Beyond the language, the sign employs multimodal elements to empower its communication. The iconic flames symbolize grilling, reinforcing the restaurant identity. Although, talking about the colours, they are used with several purposes, making the sign more eye-catching and memorable. By interplaying between texts, imagery and colors the tool exemplified the business strategic use of multimodality, to capture the attention, attract the audience, and try to sale as much as possible.
CONTEXTUALIZATION
Our research is focused in the area of the restaurant “A la Turca Grill House“ located at Carrer de la Dra. Castells, 36, 25001 Lleida, in the Cappont district, seen on Figure 2. The neighbourhood ethnography fieldwork demonstrated through several observations, it can show us that the area is characterised with a diverse demographic profile, due to mixed long-term residents and a significant student population, enabling them the proximity to get to university. Nevertheless, according to the local newspaper of Lleida, (El Segre, 2022), the area has experienced aspects such as gentrification, making a poor area more upmarket, attracting more valuable residents. Also it is said that other areas such as, ”el Camp d’Esports” present the same situation as Cappont.
Additionally, if we talk about the socioeconomic status of Cappont it shows a refined picture. As we can see in Figure 2 and Figure 3 Cappont is a refined area next to educational buildings, green spaces, and franchises such as Burger King. However, apart from being a wealth and transit part of LLeida, seen in Picture 3, Cappont also presents an impoverished part dividing the area in two, the impoverished and the upper-class. The impoverished area located in the street called Avinguda de les Garrigues, shows the distinction perfectly, shown in Figure 4.
Moving up, having analysed, searched and found the statistics from immigrants in Lleida, thanks to (Idescat, 2024), we can see from Figure 5 that Cappont presents a prominent diversity of people at 16,50% from the total of the District, 16.727. For instance, the huge diversity comes from several continents and countries such as the ones shown on Figure 6, showing the ethnographic diversity of Cappont and the upper and impoverished classes.
METHODOLOGY
In this section we will talk about the methodology we use to proceed our research in a Linguistic Landscape in Lleida, in this case we choose the restaurant “A la Turca Grill House”. Before getting a further view into it we divide our study in three different fieldwork visits. The first one consisted of taking a first look into the local area, where we acknowledged and identified the languages used, the signage, and its visibility. The second visit consisted of interactions with the staff and the customers to know for sure which were the languages used in the business. Finally, the third visit was done to analyze the neighbourhood of the restaurant, noticing the languages present.
Moving on, if we talk about the top-down language policies in Catalonia, it follows a strict regulation which promotes the use of Catalan in public and commercial spaces, as it is said in the Catalan Language Normalization Law (1983). However, if we focalised ourselves at a municipal level, Lleida’s council have announced and pronounced themselves about these policies ensuring that Catalan must be encouraged into local business because of being our primary language in the territory. However, multilingualism also must be present due to the city’s diversity (Ajuntament de Lleida, 2024). Nonetheless, A la Turca Grill House follows bottom-up language policies, because the choice of the language is chosen by the owner rather than the established officially. The sign in the restaurant is mostly formed by English words, giving us the hypothesis that it is used to attract international customers into it beyond the local ones. Although Spanish is also present in the sign, but not as the primary one.
Finally if we talk about the linguistic context the restaurant shows a huge diversity. During our visit, Catalan, Spanish and Arabic were the most heard languages, showing the neighbourhood multiculturalism. The linguistic landscapes of the surrounding buildings also presents a variety between Catalan, Spanish and English signage along with some establishments of Arabic and Chinese native speakers. For instance, this multiculturalism shows the coexistence between the official language policies set by la Generalitat and Lleida’s council, and multilingual practices within the community.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Our linguistic landscape consists of the sign displayed outside the restaurant A la Turca Grill House, placed above the entrance. This token functions as a commercial advertisement, generating both economic and social value. Economically, it led us to drive cash generation and a market position, thanks to the use of English that helps the building into production and consumption (Cenoz & Gorter, 2009:57). The word “GRILL” exemplifies fetishized English (“use of English words or phrases in branding, advertising, or everyday language”- Sabate Dalmau, 2025) gives a transparent and easily understood meaning to both English and non-English speakers, facilitating its appeal and boosting sales. Additionally, English serves as a tool of cosmopolitanism (“people are entitled to equal respect and consideration” - Britannia, 1998), leadership, making the brand more attractive in terms of international markets. Socially, the token carries cultural signage, giving an image of modernity, internationalism… With the use of English the brand addresses a global customer, strengthening the advertisement effectiveness, merging both economic and social values for a greater commercial success. The strategic use of English and Spanish in the signage serves the clear purpose of expanding the restaurant’s appeal to a broader, multilingual audience, enhancing its productivity and visibility within the neighborhood of Cappont. By integrating two globally relevant languages, especially English. The multilingual nature of the signage reflects the inclusive and intercultural ethos of the business. Furthermore, the presence of English and Spanish on the token works to foster connection and accessibility among people of different backgrounds.
In the context of language dynamics and their social roles in Lleida, especially in Cappont, the presence of this linguistic landscape illustrates ongoing socio-cultural and economic transformations. The use of English in commercial signage exemplifies how English has become a key player in urban linguistic landscapes, particularly in contexts shaped by migration, mobility, and education. Businesses increasingly incorporate English, alongside Spanish, to meet the demands of a changing audience. This practice positions English as a practical tool for commerce, and as a symbol of internationalism and openness. At the same time, it reveals how commercial language choices intersect with questions of identity, and community.
From a socio-cultural perspective, the sign symbolizes the hybrid and fluid identities present in the neighborhood. It aims to accommodate individuals from different linguistic backgrounds, showing an awareness of the area's diverse population. Catalan is promoted through public policy, its limited presence in this bottom-up token suggests that economic considerations may take precedence over linguistic norms, especially when addressing a transient or international clientele.
From a financial perspective, the multilingual design of the sign represents a calculated approach to commerce. English serves as a tool for expanding reach beyond the immediate community, appealing to those who may not speak Catalan or Spanish. This reflects a broader trend in which language use becomes part of market strategy, especially in areas experiencing gentrification and urban development, as is the case in parts of Cappont. The termine aesthetic value can be portrayed in this case, as defined by the official page of landscapes in Catalonia (Cat Paisatge), as the “...landscape's capacity to transmit a certain feeling of beauty, depending on the significance and cultural appreciation that it has acquired throughout history, also the intrinsic value of the colours, diversity, form, proportions, ....
In the wider context of globalization, the token embodies the process of Englishisation, where English becomes increasingly dominant in non-Anglophone settings. This global linguistic shift is particularly visible in commercial spaces, where English is used to signal modernity, accessibility, and international relevance. Englishisation, while offering new communicative and economic opportunities, also brings about concerns related to the marginalization of local or minority languages. In this case, while the use of English is evident and purposeful, it does not completely erase other linguistic presences; Spanish remains significant, and in spoken interactions, Catalan and Arabic are frequently heard, maintaining a sense of local linguistic diversity.
We believe that the processes of Englishisation are complex and somewhat controversial. On one hand, the spread of English facilitates communication in multilingual contexts, supports economic development, and creates access to global networks. On the other hand, its widespread use may contribute to cultural homogenization and reduce the visibility of less dominant languages. In the case of A la Turca Grill House, English appears as an inclusive tool rather than a force of exclusion.
Ultimately, the presence of English on the restaurant's sign reflects how Lleida’s economy and society are adapting to the realities of globalization. The token exemplifies how local businesses are responding to linguistic and demographic shifts by embracing multilingualism as a resource. This commercial use of English, alongside Spanish, aims to create an inviting atmosphere for international students, tourists, and migrants, showcasing how linguistic accessibility is now key to economic and social success in contemporary urban life.
5. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Engaging with Linguistic Landscape (LL) analysis outside the classroom has been an eye–opening experience. This study is not only focused in understanding the key concepts of sociolinguistic concepts- identity, language power- but it also made us realize how language’s in Lleida’s public spaces reflect economic and social aspects. In our case, examining “A la Turca Grill House”, reflects concepts of Englishisation, multilingualism among others.
In our opinion and as we have observed, in the restaurant, English functions as a lingua franca, which facilitates the communication between the locals and foreign visitors. Above with it, we have sought how language policies operate at a bottom-up, top-down level. This contrast between the both policies, made us question how language shapes inclusivity in public spaces.
Beyond the theoretical insights what we thought that made this project meaningful is applying sociolinguistic concepts in real life. While we observe, analyse and reflect our language use in Lleida it feels different from just learning in class. It transformed us from passive students into active knowledge generators, making us appreciate our research. Using TAK (Technology of knowledge acquisition) map, and the TEP (Technology of empowerment and participation) blog was also a great tool to document and share our thoughts.
In conclusion the study highlights the transformative nature of linguistic landscapes and the importance of engaging with language policies. As Lleida continues evolving, so will the linguistic landscape. This reminds us about identity, power, and cultural expression. So, our role as language users and as future linguists, at the end, shows us that there should be a balance between a multilingual inclusive environment, where all languages and their speakers are visible and valued.
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