Astoria

Linguistic LandscapeAstoria, Queens

Sarah ViolaLCD 205

Cenoz&Gorter’s Linguistic Landscape

• Studied bilingual communities in Spain and Netherlands

• Analyzed each establishment on a main block in each area

• (Each establishment as a unit of analysis)• Compared use of the majority and minority languages• Counted and photographed each text• Observed characteristics of multilingual signs• Concluded that majority language was used more in

both countries

Astoria, Queens

• Steinway St. between 25 & 28 Ave.• Generally Egyptian/ Middle Eastern area since

1970s• Known to some as “Little Cairo”• Mostly bilingual area: English and Arabic• Increasing Latino population in surrounding

areas since 1990s• English as “official” language

Research Questions

• Which languages are used on storefront signs in Astoria?

• What are the functions of each language?• What are the characteristics of the text on

multilingual signs?

Method

• Observed all signs and window text on each establishment

• Counted and photographed each storefront• Each storefront as a unit of analysis (not entire

establishment)• Distinguished between monolingual and

multilingual signs• Identified all languages used on signs

Factors Considered for Each Unit of Analysis

• Number of languages• Languages used• Translation?• Transliteration?• Neither?• Relative size of font

Data: Monolingual SignsMonolingual signs

55

English only 53

Arabic only (English alphabet)

2

Spanish only 0

Data: Multilingual SignsMultilingual signs 27

English and Arabic 24

English and Spanish 2

English, Arabic, and Spanish

1

Data: Translation and TransliterationTranslated 11

Transliterated 7

Foreign language says something different than English

10

Data: Relative Font Size

Same font size 5

English larger 13

Arabic larger 7

Spanish larger 2

Findings

• English the dominant language overall: more frequent in monolingual and multilingual signs; more prominent font size

• Non-translated Arabic texts appeal to the Arab community, i.e. designation of a restaurant as “Halal” using Arabic script

• Use of English transliteration makes Arabic more accessible to non-speakers or tourists

Findings, Cont.

• Two out of the three signs with Spanish text: Spanish in larger font (Other with equal size)

• Spanish having an increased influence in the area

• Spanish texts used to appeal to the increasing population

Conclusion

• Generally, the multilingual atmosphere in Astoria is created to appeal to various groups of people

• Although English is dominant, other languages help to welcome others to the area and create a foreign atmosphere