Image 1. Token - Association sign. Picture taken by the authors (10/02/2026).
INTRODUCTION
From the late 20th century to this day, there has been an increasing process of globalization around the world which has contributed to the spread of the English language. Therefore, as Piller (2003: 175) states, “English has become a general symbol of modernity, progress and globalization.” In line with this, Cenoz and Gorter (2009) argue that the use of different languages on signs reflects status, and note that "all around the world, signs which are multilingual tend to include English as one of the languages" (Cenoz & Gorter, 2009: 57), a phenomenon that is directly linked to globalization. Commercial signs in urban centers tend to use the English language to attract more customers, thereby using it to signal prestige and a globalized identity.
Our token under analysis can be found in a small art shop in Lleida called Som d’art. This shop is affiliated with an association named Slow Shop Lleida, which primarily promotes local commerce. On its website (Slow Shop Lleida, 2026), the association states that they aim to promote economic sustainability, community ties, and cooperation between businesses as well.
The token under analysis can be found as two signs hanging on the shop as a commercial type of sign, according to Mooney and Evans’ categorisation (2015:92) which indicates the activity domain; in this case is commerce. On the outside of the art shop, we can read the first sign in Catalan, which is the main language used, as it tells the name of the shop. A second sign can be found hanging in English, being the secondary language, which indicates the name of the association. Finally, the alphabet at play in both languages is the Roman one, so it is a monoglossic linguistic landscape.
CONTEXTUALIZATION
Image 2. Token - Shop sign. Picture taken by authors (19/02/2026).
The token we decided to analyze is located at Avinguda Prat de la Riba, 75, neighbourhood “Princep de Viana - Clot”, in Lleida. The shop occupies a strategic position on one of the city’s main thoroughfares, a key axis that connects the city center with the residential areas.
This wide, tree-lined avenue is characterized by medium to high density residential buildings, many constructed during the urban expansion of the mid-20th century. Urban planning data from the Ajuntament de Lleida indicates that the area has a stable, aging population base, alongside a significant number of established middle-class families. The residents, however, present a significant percentage of immigrants, as shown each year by the IDESCAT, this last year (2025) in the fourth district there is a total of 22% migrant population (IDESCA, 2026). Although this percentage is fairly large, the district is still one of the most homogenous residential areas of the city. Furthermore, the avenue functions as a major transport route with several bus lines, creating a diverse flow of potential customers with varying ages and consumer habits.
The shop on which we focus is not an isolated entity but part of a larger significant movement. In 2016, Slow Shop Lleida was created as a nonprofit association formed by small local shops and services, it was born with the mission to promote proximity commerce, the humanization of neighborhoods, and the economic sustainability of Lleida. It currently consists of 22 members, and this collective identity is crucial for understanding the signage, as the “Slow Shop” name displayed in the window represents not just a single store, but a philosophy and a network (Slow Shop Lleida,2026).
Figure 1. Map of Lleida’s neighborhoods (Gifex, n.d.).
The association’s location on Avinguda Prat de la Riba places it within a distinct micro-context that differs from the franchise dominated Eix Comercial. Slow Shop’s immediate neighbours consist primarily of service oriented business. Establishments such as Dr. Lamberto Clínica Dental, Aural Centres Auditius Professionals, and various other clinics dominate the immediate vicinity, alongside Suela Ràpid, a traditional shoe repair shop. This concentration of professional services creates a commercial atmosphere defined by necessity, health, and maintenance rather than leisure or impulse buying.
This placement is therefore strategically coherent, the Slow Shop positions itself within a zone of everyday, but introduces a complementary concept that caters to aspirational and lifestyle-based consumption. The target consumer for the Slow Shop association is thus broad but discerning, it includes the local middle-class residents visiting nearby clinics, who may be drawn to a unique gift or a quality item for their home while running errands, as well as university students and younger professionals from the broader area who are specifically aligned with the shop’s sustainable and local ethos. The average price point for a ceramic mug or a piece of artisanal jewellery in one of its member shops is around 15-40€, this price, significantly higher than mass-produced equivalents, clearly denotes that the targeted consumer is the middle and upper-middle class population who possess the economic and cultural capital to value and invest in sustainability, local craftsmanship, and design.
METHODOLOGY
For this project, we used ethnographic participant observation together with official demographic and urban planning data provided by the Ajuntament de Lleida. We first selected our linguistic token and carried out an initial visual and contextual analysis in order to formulate hypotheses.
In order to complement our observations, we also visited the shop and requested information directly from the staff, which allowed us to better understand the intentions behind the brand and its affiliation with a local commercial association.
We were able to visit the shop on three different occasions. During the first two visits, we observed the token from the outside, paying attention to its placement, visibility, and relationship with the surrounding semiotic landscape. The first visit on the 10th of February 2026 at 13 p.m., we took a photo of our linguistic token, being the Slow Shop Lleida association sign as we found it necessary for our analysis. The next visit was on the 19th of February, also at 13 p.m., and this is when we took another picture of the main shop sign.
At last, on the third and last visit, which was on the third of March at 13 p.m., as seen in Image 3, we entered the shop and asked for information about its affiliation and objectives. This allowed us to gather first-hand data and clarify certain assumptions about the meaning and function of the signage. However, as our visits were concentrated within a short time frame, we could not analyze possible changes or variability over time.
Image 3. Products being sold inside the shop 1. Picture taken by authors (03/03/2026)
The only shopkeeper we encountered talked to us in Catalan, and she was kind enough to show us a bit around and told us about the different designers they work with around the world.
From a top-down perspective, the signage follows local language policies because Catalan is clearly visible, in line with the rules promoted by the Ajuntament de Lleida. At the same time, it also reflects bottom-up practices, since it was created by private citizens to communicate commercial and ideological messages.
The “Slow Shop” label works as both a marketing tool and a statement of values such as sustainability, local identity, and community cooperation. The word “Slow” also connects the shop to global movements that promote responsible consumption and sustainable living, while its link to the local association strengthens a sense of place. Overall, the signage not only promotes the business but also helps build a shared neighbourhood identity and highlights its connection to local commerce rather than large chains.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Concerning values, we followed the European Linguistic Landscape observatory list. It can be discussed that our token has multiple values, starting with productive values. As mentioned before, the sign’s main purpose is commercial as it advertises the shop and its products. This branding invites us to enter and buy, as the sign uses clear typography to ensure the name is readable from the street. By associating with the Slow Shop network, the sign also signals a local shopping experience. This attracts customers who seek unique, handmade goods can be seen in Image 3 and 4, directly supporting the shop's economic function as it. Another value would be the aesthetic one because of its visual composition, as we can see different colours within the sign that gives it a special meaning and visual attraction. The sign’s design creates a visual identity that makes the shop recognizable and memorable. At last, our token could be attributed to a spiritual value because it fosters a sense of community and personal meaning. The name “Som d'art” translates to “We are art” in Catalan. It declares a collective identity for artists and art lovers. The sign links this identity to the Slow Shop association, which promotes slow, local shopping. This signals a space that values creativity, personal expression, and craftsmanship over mass production. For the customers, it creates an experience, because they are not just buying a product, they are participating in a local community defined by shared values.
Image 4. Products being sold in the shop 2. Picture taken by the authors (03/03/2025).
Concerning the social meanings attributed to the token, the sign operates at the intersection of local identity and global linguistic flows, reflecting broader transformations within the city of Lleida. The name “Som d’Art” is a deliberate choice that roots the shop in the autochthonous language and culture of the territory. This linguistic decision carries significant weight in a context where Catalan, despite being the co-official language, often competes for visibility with Spanish in the commercial sphere, hence, by choosing Catalan, the sign reinforces the minority languages presence in the public space, positioning it as a language of modernity, creativity, and local commerce.
Furthermore, the shop’s affiliation with the Slow Shop association adds another layer of social meaning. The English term “Slow” functions as a borrowed concept that is linked to global movements of sustainability and ethical consumption. As a result, we have that this Englishisation process in Lleida’s linguistic landscape is not merely decorative, it signals the city’s participation in transnational cultural flows and its adaptation to the values of mobile communities, including tourists. It can also be seen in image 3, where we have a pamphlet of the shop written in Catalan, Spanish and English. Here, the English is subordinated to a Catalan core, enriching the local language without displacing it.
In terms of our positioning, we argue that this token does not participate in the silencing or exclusion of minority languages. On the contrary, it actively empowers Catalan by placing it at the forefront of a modern, aspirational commercial identity. The sign avoids the hegemonic pull of Spanish or English as default commercial languages, and it neither marginalizes Spanish speakers nor excludes tourists. Thus, the token exemplifies a balanced negotiation between the local and the global, where a language is reinforced not through isolation but through confident engagement with transnational discourses.
Through this assignment, we discovered that Linguistic Landscapes are valuable and pedagogical tools for understanding sociolinguistics. By actively participating in the project and concluding our own observation, we were able to understand much better how the practice of sociolinguistic research works. Also working with Blogger helped us to acquire new abilities, as it is a technological tool we may need to present more analysis and projects.
Furthermore, this project enabled us to observe Lleida from a new sociolinguistic perspective. Our token, located at the shop Som d’art on Avinguda Prat de la Riba, revealed how language choices reflect both local identity and global influences.
Catalan takes the lead position as it reinforces local versus global identity and responds to language policies, while the English phrase “Slow Shop” is indicative of globalization processes and the prestige attached to English in commerce.
Furthermore, the signs transcend their commercial message. Through its connection to the Slow Shop Lleida association, which promotes local commerce and responsible consumption, it also propagates ideas of sustainability, creativity and community cooperation.
To sum up, this project made us acknowledge all the dynamics around visual languages and how even something as simple as a shop sign can be rooted in social, cultural or economic dynamics; thus reflecting the forces around that space.gold text In addition to graphics being formal elements of design patterns.
This blog entry provides an analysis of the "Som d'art" shop in Lleida, exploring how its linguistic duality navigates between local identity and global influence. The authors demonstrate how the Catalan shop name, Som d'art ("We are art"), roots the business in the local language, while the English "Slow Shop" association sign connects it to transnational movements of sustainability and ethical consumption.
ReplyDeleteWhat caught my attention and I found particularly interesting in this blog is the argument that this represents a balanced negotiation rather than a simple case of English linguistic imperialism. The authors show that the English term "Slow" is not a threat to Catalan but is instead subordinated to it, enriching the local language by associating it with modernity and global prestige. Through this blog, I realized that Englishization does not merely operate as a replacement process, but as a resource that can empower minority languages like Catalan when they are strategically used.
From my perspective, the analysis could have been further reinforced by exploring the potential tension between the "Slow" philosophy of localism and the shop's collaboration with designers from around the world, as mentioned by the shopkeeper. However, the entry captures how a single storefront can reflect the complex interconnection of global flows and local empowerment.
To conclude, this is a compelling blog post that demonstrates how small businesses in Lleida use linguistic landscapes to create a dual identity that is both authentically local and aspirationally global.
This blog post explores the “som d’art” store in Lleida and describes how the logo mixes global influences with the local identity. My classmates explain how the english sign “Slow Shop” links the business to worldwide trends associated with sustainability and responsible consumption, while catalan shop name “Som d’art (“We are art”) emphasizes the significance of the local language and culture.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the use of English does not always represent a danger to Catalan language is what most intrigued me. In fact, the web page points out the argument that English may complement the local language and even strengthen it by making the store look more modernized and international. This showed me that local identities are sometimes boosted by Englishization in linguistic contexts.
This point of view shows how the use of language can express values and beliefs, which is helpful for our own project.How the customer perceives the sign and its languages are a topic that could be improved.