Linguistic landscape is a field of study in sociolinguistics that focuses on the symbolic meaning of various types of linguistic signage in public spaces. Real-world linguistic landscapes reflect and shape the power and status of communities through the interaction of language and space. There are two ways to understand linguistic landscape. The easiest way is language in a public space. Academically, linguistic landscape can reflect road signs, billboards, street names, place names, store signs, and government buildings. The linguistic landscape of the place is composed of these collections. Through the analysis of public space signs, linguistic landscape research decodes the relationship between language and space, reflecting the different linguistic phenomena such as language conflict, language contact, language maintenance, language change, and language dynamics that exist in the real world, and revealing the explicit or implicit linguistic dominance, power relations and social status behind language use and choice. With the increasing of universities in this country, the population of college students is booming, especially after the year 2000, the private universities are also sprouting out. Due to the different nature between public and private universities, the life and performance of students on various campuses are equally distinct. The author pays more attention to the linguistic landscape which is a reflection of its mission and specialty. The author collects photos employing photography, classifying and analyzing by quantitative and qualitative methods, then exploring the states and features of students’ study circles and life circles on campus by using Grice’s “Cooperation Principle”. It is found that Wuchang Shouyi University as a comprehensive university, not only attaches high importance to the academic development of students but also to their all-around development which can provide rich and colorful after-school life for the students, then enhance their practical ability.
Cite this paper
Cao, H. , Liu, Y. and Chen, H. (2022). Mapping the Linguistic Landscape in a Chinese University. Open Access Library Journal, 9, e9585. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1109585.
Landry, R. and Bourhis, R.Y. (1997) Linguistic Landscape and Ethnolinguistic Vitality: An Empirical Study. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 16, 23-49.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X970161002
Zhang, Y.C. (2020) Research on the Linguistic Landscape of University Campus. Literature Education, No. 10, 132-133.
https://doi.org/10.16692/j.cnki.wxjys.2020.10.058
Mu, Y.G., Yang, X., Li, H.Y. and Jiang, L.J. (2018) Research on the Role of Linguistic Landscape in Teaching in Chinese as a Foreign Language—Mainly Targeting Korean Students as the Main Subject. Modern Chinese, No. 8, 170-177.
https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?filename=YWLY201808034&dbcode=CJFN&dbname=CJFN2018&v=YJ1DSnnuNoTMsxJlycvXHXG8RKb9UztbkFfU_DKqUdLoAfYT2N6gkGuXShIsf2xN
Liu, C. and Wang, Y.J. (2021)) Exploration of Code Use and Arrangement of Linguistic Landscape in Universities—Taking Shungeng Campus of Shan Dong University of Finance and Economics for Example. Modern Communication, No. 20, 102-104. https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CJFQ&dbname=CJFDLAST2021&filename=XKJJ202120034&uniplatform=NZKPT&language=gb
Wang, X.C. and Gao, Y. (2021) Research on the Linguistic Landscape of University in China: Taking Dalian Maritime University for an Example. Modern Linguistics, 9, 578-589. https://doi.org/10.12677/ML.2021.93080
Jiang, S. and Ma, C.Y. (2018) Research on the Linguistic Landscape of University Campus from the Perspective of Adaptation Theory. Ability and Wisdom, No. 9, 13.
https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?FileName=CAIZ201809011&DbName=CJFQ2018
Ma, B.Y. (2020) A Brief Analysis of the Language and Cultural Connotation of Road Names in Yunnan Universities. Culture Journal, No. 7, 174-176.
https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CJFD&dbname=CJFDLAST2020&filename=WHXU202007047&uniplatform=NZKPT&language=CHS
Zhang, A.H. and Sun, J.X. (2021) The Study on the Change of Yangshuo’s Linguistic Landscape: A Sociolinguistic Perspective. Tourism Tribune, 36, 39-48.
https://doi.org/10.19765/j.cnki.1002-5006.2021.10.008
Feng, J.Y. (2020) Research on the Linguistic Landscape of Maritime Culture—Taking Nantong as an Example. Vocational Technology, 19, 104-108.
https://doi.org/10.19552/j.cnki.issn1672-0601.2020.10.020
Gong, X.H. and Li, A.J. (2020) A Study on Language Landscape of Qingdao’s Marine Culture in the New Era. Journal of Yancheng Institute of Technology (Social Science Edition), 33, 84-87.
https://doi.org/10.16018/j.cnki.cn32-1499/c.202003017
Backhaus, P. (2010) Multilingualism in Japanese Public Space—Reading the Signs. Japanese Studies, 30, 359-372. https://doi.org/10.1080/10371397.2010.518598
Rapeane-Mathonsi, M., Adekunle, T. O. and Mheta, G. (2019) Even We Are Important: Sexuality and the Degenderisation of People with Disabilities in the Linguistic Landscapes of Two South African Universities in the Western Cape Province. African Journal of Disability, 8, a568.
https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v8i0.568
Moriarty, M. (2014) Contesting Language Ideologies in the Linguistic Landscape of an Irish Tourist Town. International Journal of Bilingualism, 18, 464-477.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006913484209
Willans, F., Gure, J. and Koro, S. (2020) Signs of Multilingualism in the Urban Linguistic Landscapes of Fiji and Vanuatu: Reflections of National Identity. Social Identities, 26, 475-498. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504630.2020.1772742
Curtin, M.L. (2015) Creativity in Polyscriptal Typographies in the Linguistic Landscape of Taipei. Social Semiotics, 25, 236-243.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2015.1010315
Im, J.H. (2020) The Discursive Construction of East Asian Identities in an Era of Globalization and Internationalization: The Linguistic Landscape of East Asian Departments at a US University. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 15, 80-103.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17447143.2020.1738441
Gorter, D. (2006) Introduction: The Study of the Linguistic Landscape as a New Approach to Multilingualism. International Journal of Multilingualism, 3, 1-6.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14790710608668382
Li, Y.Y. (2018) “Street Corner Society” on Qualitative Research Methods and Quantitative Research Methods. Journal of Hulunbeier College, 26, 92-95.
https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CJFQ&dbname=CJFDLAST2018&filename=FLBR201802023&uniplatform=NZKPT&language=gb
Zhang, Y. (2016) A Brief Analysis of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods in Social Research Methods. Journal of Weifang Engineering Vocational College, 29, 88-90.
https://kns.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CJFQ&dbname=CJFDLAST2016&filename=WFJY201603024&uniplatform=NZKPT&language=gb
