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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychology of Language
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1423672

Unveiling Dynamics of Language Visibility and Vitality in Café Menus Near Labrang Monastery

Provisionally accepted
Min He Min He Shengnan Chen Shengnan Chen *
  • Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study explores the dynamics of linguistic landscapes (LL) in the commercial tourist district near Labrang Monastery by analyzing the use of Tibetan, Mandarin, and English on café menus. Traditionally, LL research has focused on language visibility as an indicator of vitality, overlooking contextual complexities. We challenge this approach by considering geocultural contexts, instigators' language proficiency, and intended audience.Our findings underscore the nuanced interplay of these factors in shaping language representation and vitality. By advocating for a holistic LL research approach, integrating qualitative insights with quantitative data, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of LL dynamics. Beyond mere visibility, languages on café menus serve as symbolic markers of ethnic identity and reflect the functions they assume within the speech community, offering insights into language vitality across different usage contexts. This research enriches scholarly discourse on LL, particularly within the Chinese context, by emphasizing the multifaceted nature of language presence and its vitality.

    Keywords: Multimodal Language Presence and Vitality: Linguistic Landscapes of Four Shops near Labrang Monastery Linguistic Landscape, visibility, presene, language vitality Multimodal Language Presence and Vitality: Linguistic Landscapes of Four Shops near Labrang Monastery multimodality, linguistic landscapes, language vitality, Linguistic ideology, identity construction

    Received: 26 Apr 2024; Accepted: 20 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 He and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Shengnan Chen, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.