LANGUAGE LANDSCAPE IN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF CHIANG MAI MUNICIPALITY: NIMMANHAEMIN AREA

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the patterns and functions of language use in the linguistic landscape of public signs in Nimmanhaemin, Chiang Mai Municipality, employing the theoretical framework of Linguistic Landscape. The research utilizes a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. For the quantitative component, the researcher conducted a field survey by photographing public signs within the study area, yielding a corpus of 731 signs, which served as both the population and sample for this research. The collected data were digitized and subsequently classified according to patterns of language use and analyzed for the functions of language on each type of sign. The number and percentage of each language pattern and function were calculated using descriptive statistics to illustrate the overall trends and characteristics of the linguistic landscape in the area. For the qualitative component, the researcher conducted an in-depth analysis of the textual content on each type of sign, taking into account relevant social and cultural contexts. The results indicate that, in terms of language patterns, bilingual signs accounted for the majority with 339 signs (46.83%), followed by monolingual signs with 281 signs (38.82%), and multilingual signs with 111 signs (14.35%). Regarding functional aspects, signs with an informative function were most prevalent, totaling 682 signs (93.29%), while those with symbolic functions amounted to 49 signs (6.71%). The findings of this study demonstrate that the languages used on signs play a significant role in reflecting social structure, policy, language power, and identity construction. Moreover, the results provide useful insights for language policy planning, local identity preservation, and serve as guidelines for sign design for communities and relevant agencies in the future.