Expanding the Linguistic Landscape: Linguistic Diversity, Multimodality and the Use of Space As a Semiotic Resource

This book provides a forum for theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions to research on language(s), multimodality and public space, which will advance new ways of understanding the sociocultural, ideological and historical role of communication practices and experienced lives in a globalised world. Linguistic Landscape is viewed as a metaphor and expanded to include a wide variety of discursive modalities: imagery, non-verbal communication, silence, tactile and aural communication, graffiti, smell, etc. The chapters in this book cover a range of geographical locations, and capture the history, motives, uses, causes, ideologies, communication practices and conflicts of diverse forms of languages as they may be observed in public spaces of the physical environment. The book is anchored in a variety of theories, methodologies and frameworks, from economics, politics and sociology to linguistics and applied linguistics, literacy and education, cultural geography and human rights.

Martin Pütz is Professor of English Linguistics at University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany. His research interests include applied cognitive linguistics, linguistic landscapes and multilingualism in Africa.

Neele Mundt is Lecturer in English Linguistics at University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany. Her research interests include multilingualism, language attitudes and identity, and language and education in Cameroon.