TITLE:
Mapping the Linguistic Landscape of the Cultural Heritage Sites and Tourist Spots in Bangladesh
AUTHORS:
Juan Dong, Min Peng, Md. Gias Uddin
KEYWORDS:
Linguistic Landscape (LL), Bangladesh, Cultural Heritage Sites, Tourist Spots, Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.8 No.10,
October
29,
2020
ABSTRACT: Language choices in colonized societies are shaped by a combination of local,
national, and global forces as well as
historical, political, religious and economic factors. This is particularly true in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar. Adopting
an ethnography, this study attempts to investigate the intersection of language
practices and ideologies by examining the language use and language choices
displayed in cultural heritage sites and tourism scenic spots both in
public and private multilingual signs. Data are collected through linguistic
signs represented at the two places and individual interviews with local
people. Findings indicate that multidimensionality marks the linguistic
landscape in Bangladesh. The sociopolitical dimension signifies the officially
laid-down monolingual Bangla-oriented policies, which accentuate compulsory use
of the national language Bangla standing for Bangladeshi nationalism and
identity. English as a post-colonial reproducer of linguistic hegemony is
presented in various aspects in Bangladesh. The economic dimension is
manifested in the prominent use of Chinese as a newly emerging foreign language
and the employment of Arabic, which is a symbol of Bangladeshi main religion
Islam. The study provides a new context for understanding Bangladesh’s
multilingual practices and its language planning and management in the context
of globalization.