BARBERIA LOS HERMANOS: MULTILINGUALISM AND THE INCORPORATION OF MIGRANT LANGUAGES IN LLEIDA
BARBERIA LOS HERMANOS:
MULTILINGUALISM AND THE INCORPORATION OF MIGRANT LANGUAGES IN LLEIDA
by Carla Garcia and Ariana Díaz
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, the world has become increasingly globalized, where cities and urban spaces reflect linguistic diversity through advertisements, commercial displays, and signage, shaping Linguistic Landscapes (LL) of specific areas (Landry & Bourhis, 1997). Sociolinguistics, the study of the relationship between language and society, examines how languages vary depending on age, gender, location, ethnicity and social class (Holmes, 2008). Consequently, LL provides insights into cultural identity, language prestige or social interactions.
Moreover, Sabaté-Dalmau (2022) emphasises the use of LL as pedagogical tools to explore and analyse multilingualism and Englishisation in urban spaces, which demonstrates how global languages such as English are integrated and adapted to local settings and contexts. Particularly, in this project, it can be seen how multilingualism manifests in Lleida’s public spaces, for instance, through commercial signs.
The chosen Linguistic Landscape token is a banner and a window display from a hair salon / barber shop, which is located in the neighbourhood of Instituts - Templers (5) in Lleida. As it is an establishment that provides a service (hairstyling, haircuts), its main purpose is to generate money and advertise the business. For this reason, the LL falls into the commercial category, or, in other words, it is a commercial sign. The banner is written in Spanish (or Catalan, since ‘barberia’ has no accent and we also have ‘hola’ which can be both), Arabic and English, thus, it contains two alphabets: the Roman and the Halifat; this is why it is considered polyglossic (see Figure 4). Lastly, it is bottom-up, since the owners are the ones who named their shop.
The main languages that can be seen in “Barberia Los Hermanos” and “حلّاق” are Spanish (or Catalan) and Arabic, the former presented in an intersentential manner and the latter, inter-sentential as well. Although the English words “Barber shop” appear in the center of the banner, they are not written with the same letter size, and, as a result, may not be considered a main language, but a secondary one.
Our primary objectives in the elaboration of this language landscaping project are to become aware, as multilingual and multicultural individuals, of the roles and social meanings of English as a global language and multilingualism in the city of Lleida, and also to learn how to use and manage qualitative tools to explain multilingual and sociolinguistic phenomena. Therefore, this study seeks to explore how Englishization is becoming more prominent in Lleida and how it is incorporated into both culture and citizens.
CONTEXTUALISATION
Our token is located in the city of Lleida, in Instituts - Templers’s neighbourhood, at number 13th of Carrer de la Unió (Union Street). More precisely, it is situated near a Mercadona parking and a B&B hotel, as well as the shop Quibus Colors and the restaurant Espai Insòlit (see Figure 2). Across from the barber shop, is the shop La Fäbrica and the restaurant Raïsa Kebab (see Figure 3). Additionally, to its right, there is the Perfumoteca (see Figure 5).
Figure 1. Barberia Los Hermanos Location.
Source: Google Maps (10th of March, 2025)
Figure 2. Surroundings (1)
Source: Photo taken by the authors of the blog (20th March, 2025)
Figure 3. Surroundings (2)
Figure 4. Our linguistic landscape: “Barberia Los Hermanos”
Source: Photo taken by the authors of the blog (5th March, 2025).
Figure 5. Surroundings (3)
Source: Photo taken by the authors of the blog (20th March, 2025).
As it can be seen in Figure 7 below, Instituts - Templers 5 is a neighbourhood of Lleida. In the year 2012, the local population of this urban sector, that is Spanish and Catalan, was 81%, while the rest, 19%, comprised the immigrant population (see Figure 8).
As of 2024, this district has a total population of 13.175 inhabitants, out of which 2.401 residents are of foreign origin, representing 18.22% of Instituts - Templers population (see Figure 9). The inhabitants of this sector are a mix of middle-class and working-class. For instance, as seen in La Paeria (2023), the largest foreign communities in the neighbourhood are the Moroccan community with 239 individuals (60.67% men and 39.33% women) and the Romanian community with 225 people (46.67% men and 53.33% women).
According to Jordi (2014), the zone of Instituts - Templers has one of the lowest commercial appeals and occupation of establishments, and, consequently, seems to indicate a lower socioeconomic status. Nevertheless, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the street incorporates establishments, some of them including English in their signs, alongside the use of Catalan and Spanish. Consequently, this indicates that the district is trying to appeal to foreign population, while also preserving the local culture and identity.
Figure 7. Lleida’s neighbourhoods.
Source: GIFEX https://gifex.com/fullsize2/2011-04-14-13453/Barrios_de_la_ciudad_de_Lerida.html
Figure 8. Population Percentages in Lleida’s neighbourhoods.
Source: Maria Sabaté, Annex 1.
Figure 9. Local and foreign population in Lleida’s districts.
Source: https://www.idescat.cat/poblacioestrangera/?b=10&geo=mun:251207
METHODOLOGY
For our project, we have used ethnographic observation methods in order to collect the data needed and in this way understand how language and society are very much related.
The first time we visited the place was on February 26th, 2025, at 09:48 am (see Figure 10), but it was closed. Our decision to choose this particular establishment was deliberate, as we were interested in looking for a linguistic landscape of a multicultural enterprise. For instance, “Barberia Los Hermanos”, which is located at number 13 of Carrer de la Unió, presents a unique blend of languages in its signage, combining Spanish (or Catalan), Arabic, and English. This reflects the linguistic diversity and the different cultural background of its clients and owners.
Figure 10. Our linguistic landscape: Barberia Los Hermanos.
Source: Photo taken by the authors of the blog (26th February, 2025).
Furthermore, to collect more data, we returned to the location on March 5th, 2025, at 17:23 pm. The banners and signs remained the same as on our first visit, however, it was open, and we could see a window display (see Figure 4, and Figure 12).
Our third and last visit took place on March 20th, 2025, at 15:05 pm, where we took pictures of the surroundings, in particular, the commercial establishments near our linguistic token. With regard to the appearance of the barber shop, it was exactly the same as the previous time we had visited. This consistency suggests that the establishment maintains the same linguistic and cultural identity.
Figure 11. Our linguistic landscape: Barberia Los Hermanos
Source: Taken by the authors of the blog (20th of March, 2025)
As for the Linguistic Landscape of “Barberia Los Hermanos”, it is an example of a bottom-up approach, where language use is shaped by individuals rather than imposed by government policies. In this case, the barbershop owners have chosen to display a mix of Spanish (which could also be Catalan), Arabic, and English, which reflects a multilingual environment. Besides, these bottom-up choices emerge based on the needs and demographics of the neighborhood, unlike top-down regulations that set official language requirements for public signage.
Moreover, Lleida’s linguistic policies take a top-down approach and local authorities set these rules to promote and protect Catalan in public spaces. For instance, municipal regulations state that all public signage should be written primarily in Catalan (Article 14). In addition, Article 17.2 suggests that outside Catalonia’s linguistic domain, advertising should be bilingual (Catalan and the local language of the target audience) or in Spanish. These rules ensure that Catalan remains the dominant public language.
Additionally, the city also regulates where and how advertisements or posters can be placed. According to municipal policies, putting up posters, ads, or any kind of publicity without explicit permission from the Ajuntament de Lleida is not allowed. This helps maintain order in the city’s linguistic landscape while also supporting Catalan’s role in public communication. However, despite these regulations, businesses still have the freedom to shape their own linguistic environment. This is evident in places like Barberia Los Hermanos, where languages such as Spanish (or Catalan), Arabic, and English reflect the needs and diversity of the community rather than government policies.
Besides, our chosen establishment uses Arabic alongside Spanish and English, which suggests the fact that it wants to accommodate diverse and multilingual clients. This reflects the cultural and linguistic diversity of Carrer de la Unió, where multiple languages coexist. In addition, the shop’s name and signage wants to appeal not only to Spanish-speaking locals, but also Arabic and English speakers alike, emphasizing inclusivity and accessibility.
For this reason, the owners of “Barberia Los Hermanos” value the diversity of their clientele. Although we did not interview the staff, our observations indicate that the barbershop uses multilingual signage to attract other customers with different linguistic backgrounds. By choosing a Spanish name, blending it with Arabic and English, the shop demonstrates their intention to connect with various linguistic communities in the area: targeting both local and foreign clients.
Finally, our research follows an ethnographic approach, emphasizing the visual information from our visits. The fact that there has not been any changes between our visits points out the idea that the barbershop’s linguistic choices are international and stable. However, while interviews with the owners or the staff could offer deeper insights, our analysis highlights “Barberia Los Hermanos” as a strong example of how linguistic diversity is represented in a multicultural neighborhood.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
According to the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia from the European Linguistic Landscape Observatory (2023), there are six values that can be assigned to linguistic landscapes. We identified four main values in our LL: productive, identity, social, and aesthetic.
First and foremost, the banner and window display have a productive value, since one of its purposes is to generate benefits and provide a service, that is, generally, a haircut. We can see in Figure 12 that they show the services they offer and the prices of each one. This value in particular is one of the most relevant in the LL. The English language has widely spread around the world and ingrained itself in the economic and commercial realm. As Cenoz and Gorter (2009) indicate, English is perceived as a symbol of modernity, success, fun, sophistication or international orientation. In our linguistic token, English is associated with success, modernity, and international orientation. Hence, the decision to incorporate English in their banner and window display.
Figure 12. Close-up of our linguistic landscape’s window display.
Source: Taken by the authors of the blog (20th of March, 2025)
As for the identity value, this shop reflects the cultural diversity of the local community. The combination of Spanish (or Catalan), Arabic, and English shows the different linguistic and ethnic groups coexisting in the area. The use of Arabic demonstrates a connection to the identity of the barbershop owners, reflecting a North African or Middle Eastern background. In contrast, the Spanish (or Catalan) name makes it more accessible for the broader local population, aside from being stipulated by the law.
Moreover, this enterprise shows characteristics of the social value, which can be related to how a particular place is used by individuals or groups who value it as a meaningful space for their community (Glossari De Paisatge | Observatori Del Paisatge, n.d.). This establishment holds social value because it provides a meeting space for immigrants and locals alike. Lastly, the mix of Spanish (or Catalan), Arabic, and English serves as a cultural bridge for people from different backgrounds.
As for the last value, this barber shop displays an aesthetic value, where the landscape’s beauty comes from its cultural significance and history, as well as the inherent harmony of its colours, diversity, shapes, proportions, scale, texture and overall composition (Glossari De Paisatge | Observatori Del Paisatge, n.d.). For instance, this enterprise reflects this through its multimodal design, where language and visual elements work together. The red, white, and blue stripes bring to mind the classic barbershop pole, a symbol that has a long history, while the mix of Spanish (or Catalan), Arabic, and English reflects the shop’s cultural diversity. This blend of striped colours (red, white, and blue), typography, and scripts, reinforces both the shop’s multicultural identity and its connection to global and local barbering traditions.
Furthermore, this barbershop is a great example of multimodality in communication, where language is just one part of how meaning is delivered. The red, blue, and white colours, along with the scissors icon, make it recognizable as a barbershop for its aesthetic. Historically, these colours were linked to emergency services, but nowadays, they universally represent this type of establishment.
Regarding multilingual signage, with Spanish (or Catalan), Arabic, and English, it reflects globalization and cultural diversity. This could also be an example of language fetishism, where languages are used more for their symbolic appeal than for practical communication (Kelly-Holmes, 2014). In this case, it is seen in the English phrase “Barber Shop”, which is used to evoke modernity, prestige and to add a symbolic value.
Besides, there may also be an attempt at ethnolinguistic affiliation with locals by incorporating Catalan (or Spanish), but we are not sure. If this language was present, it would show an effort to connect with the local community beyond just national and foreign languages.
Overall, this barbershop is more than a place for haircuts, it is a space where language, symbols, and culture come together, promoting connections among different groups.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
All in all, this project has provided us with a deeper understanding of sociolinguistics and sociolinguistic phenomena, such as Englishization processes in Lleida’s local context. We believe that engaging in sociolinguistics outside of the classroom has enabled us to put the theory done in class into practice through the analysis of our linguistic landscape. This is why the project has managed to make us generators of knowledge by using innovative pedagogical tools.
Furthermore, conducting fieldwork first-hand contributed to a deeper appreciation of the languages that are in interplay throughout the city, for instance, Catalan, Spanish, Arabic, and English, highlighting the linguistic diversity in public spaces of Lleida.
To complete this project, after having selected our desired linguistic landscape, we used two different pedagogical tools: the interactive map (TKA) where we uploaded our LL token and the blog (TEP). These tools allowed us to develop Technology of Knowledge Acquisition (TKA) and Technology of Empowerment and Participation (TEP) skills, which are beneficial to generate and transmit knowledge (Sabaté-Dalmau, 2022).
While the experience was engaging and enriching, we also faced some challenges. For instance, using the map was frustrating at first because we could not add our linguistic landscape or change the icon for the location. Moreover, finding information on the neighbourhood Institut - Templers was an arduous task initially, as it had little information and very few resources. However, in spite of these limitations, we could develop our blog entry with little difficulty.
In short, this project has increased our awareness on the contact between languages in our local context and the Englishisation process of Lleida city, while also allowing us to experience sociolinguistics outside of the classroom.
REFERENCES AND WEBSOURCES
Ajuntament de Lleida. (n.d.). Seguretat Ciutadana. https://www.lleidaparticipa.cat/public/197/docs/6c2e2ab8cee8ef11cc82f1e8621d78b5.pdf
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.
Gifex (n.d.) Barrios de Ciudad de Lleida. Retrieved from https://gifex.com/fullsize2/2011-04-14-13453/Barrios_de_la_ciudad_de_Lerida.html
Glossari de paisatge | Observatori del Paisatge. (n.d.). https://www.catpaisatge.net/en/landscape-resources/landscape-glossary
Holmes, J. (2008). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. London: Longman.
Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya (IDESCAT). (2024). Població estrangera. Retrieved from https://www.idescat.cat/poblacioestrangera/?b=10&geo=mun:251207
Jordi, M. Eixos.cat analitza l’oferta comercial de Lleida. https://blog.eixos.cat/?p=206
N. a. (2023). The Landscape Observatory: Glossary. https://www.catpaisatge.net/en/landscape-resources/landscape-glossary
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La Paeria. (2023). Estrangers per barris i països. Any 2023. https://aplicacionsweb.paeria.es/eOpenDataPublicWeb/faces/ca/cataleg/territori/demografia/estrangers-per-barris-i-paisos-2023/detalls
Landry, R., & Bourhis, R. Y. (1997). Linguistic landscape and ethnolinguistic vitality: An empirical study. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 16(1), 23-49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X970161002
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, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2022.2067978
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