Ahmed Shehada
ELL 100
10-24-18
Linguistic Landscape
Language is displayed all around us in all types of way. Some of the most known ways would be through signs such as shop windows, commercials, posters, official notes, and traffic signs. There are also other forms of signs but people tend to not pay attention to the linguistic landscapes around them. One of the ways linguistic landscape could be used is for the general description and analysis of a certain situation. It can be in many different languages in geographical areas. In some cases, sings would have two different languages but have the same meaning. Linguistic landscape is not only through signs, but in speech and writing as well. Language does not only assume it’s in the present, but also brings the language from the history and the past of the language.
I used a sign that is in the train station that gives directions to which train are available. The sign only includes one language which is called monolingual. The sign is looked to be as authorized because it gives directions for transportation. The sign seems to be organized because it is strictly giving information about what is available in the train station and where the train’s destinations are. This sign is found at 59th street in Manhattan. The sign is Top-down because it contains official information and is shown to be given public announcements to the people who want to use the train station for transportation.
The sign can be used by different kind of people. It can be used for people whose first time taking the train and not sure which where to go so they can use the sign for directions. Others would see the sign but wouldn’t really pay attention to it because they already know the ways of transportation in that area. Even though a person knows that they are in the right train station, they would still have to read it to make sure that they are in the right place. For me, I would know what train station I am in but I would make sure to read the sign before entering to make sure the train I need for transportation is available.
q1- what information can i add to my body paragraph?
q2- should i explain the sign more?
I really liked your introduction. I liked how you started off talking about language and not just going straight into talking about your sign. As far as talking about your sign, I think it’s good enough. I don’t know if this helps but maybe talk about where the sign was located like was it indicating the trains are found down here or was it a sign you saw when waiting for the train? Also, I don’t think you really had a conclusion so don’t forget to write one in your final draft!
Your introduction was great and I like how you gave a background on language before going into your linguistic landscape. I think you can expand a little further though on the sign, maybe add the colors, the train numbers, and where they go. I think overall your essay is good.
Ahmed, I agree with Alisia and Manisha, you have provided an excelent introduction and the description of your sign is very detailed. Now, you need to delve into your analysis – check my comments and make sure you connect your sign to the different layers of meaning. Then, as a conclusion you can relate and connect the sign to its specific location – 59th street.