Examining the functions and identities associated with English and Korean in South Korea: a linguistic landscape study

This study focuses on the linguistic landscape (LL) of Seoul, South Korea and, via the examination of bottom-up public signage in areas of different functions, the study aims to elucidate the functions of English and Korean in the society, and how they relate to the statuses and ideologies associate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAsian Englishes Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 59 - 79
Main Authors Tan, Shanna Xin-Wei, Tan, Ying-Ying
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 02.01.2015
Subjects
bilingualism
language contact
linguistic landscape
South Korea
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Summary:This study focuses on the linguistic landscape (LL) of Seoul, South Korea and, via the examination of bottom-up public signage in areas of different functions, the study aims to elucidate the functions of English and Korean in the society, and how they relate to the statuses and ideologies associated with the two languages. Special attention is paid to the distinction between information-giving and decorative signs, especially for signs containing English, as it will potentially reveal whether English plays a communicative or symbolic function in South Korea. By paying attention to sign content and the different establishment types in the sign coding method, this paper argues that the linguistic landscape of Seoul reflects the city's careful and calculated use of English and Korean to mark different identities. The findings suggest that both English and Korean in South Korea have symbolic and commercial value and the LL in South Korea has become increasingly commodified in nature.
ISSN:1348-8678
2331-2548
DOI:10.1080/13488678.2015.999406