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oapen-20.500.12657-557972022-06-02T03:14:11Z Chapter 8 Linguistic inclusion and exclusion on Abu Dhabi coronavirus signage Hopkyns, Sarah van den Hoven, Melanie Analysis, anthropology, Arab, culture, change, discourse, exclusions, gender, identity, ideology, inclusion, literature, media, linguistic, language, monolingual, narratives, semiotic, translanguaging bic Book Industry Communication::C Language::CJ Language teaching & learning (other than ELT) bic Book Industry Communication::C Language::CF linguistics::CFB Sociolinguistics The linguistic ecology of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is characterized by diversity. While effective communication in multilingual contexts is important during ordinary times, it becomes especially vital during a crisis such as the Coronavirus pandemic. This chapter explores linguistic inclusion and exclusion on Abu Dhabi Coronavirus safety signage. An ethnographic approach to linguistic landscaping is taken through the analysis of languages and semiotic resources used on signage in community and leisure spaces. Findings revealed a prevalence of monolingual and bilingual signage which favoured the nation’s official language, Arabic, and the nation’s de facto lingua franca, English. Whereas examples of effective trilingual signage were found, these were the exception rather than the norm. The chapter argues that greater linguistic inclusion of languages other than English and Arabic is needed to reflect Abu Dhabi’s multilingual ecology and ensure safety messages are more accessible. Raising awareness of linguistic diversity in society as well as implementing translation drives are suggested as ways to promote greater inclusion of third languages on signage during the pandemic period and beyond, as well as supporting a greater sense of belonging for linguistic minorities. 2022-06-01T09:08:37Z 2022-06-01T09:08:37Z 2022 chapter 9780367711733 9780367711719 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/55797 eng application/pdf Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International 9781003149637_10.4324_9781003149637-8.pdf Taylor & Francis Linguistic Identities in the Arab Gulf States Routledge 10.4324/9781003149637-12 10.4324/9781003149637-12 7b3c7b10-5b1e-40b3-860e-c6dd5197f0bb 5e029294-94d2-41cb-b1ca-fbb72372a6ad 31f63df8-00d8-42e1-a5e6-55859afdf6a2 9780367711733 9780367711719 Routledge 22 Zayed University ZU open access
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The linguistic ecology of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is characterized by diversity. While effective communication in multilingual contexts is important during ordinary times, it becomes especially vital during a crisis such as the Coronavirus pandemic. This chapter explores linguistic inclusion and exclusion on Abu Dhabi Coronavirus safety signage. An ethnographic approach to linguistic landscaping is taken through the analysis of languages and semiotic resources used on signage in community and leisure spaces. Findings revealed a prevalence of monolingual and bilingual signage which favoured the nation’s official language, Arabic, and the nation’s de facto lingua franca, English. Whereas examples of effective trilingual signage were found, these were the exception rather than the norm. The chapter argues that greater linguistic inclusion of languages other than English and Arabic is needed to reflect Abu Dhabi’s multilingual ecology and ensure safety messages are more accessible. Raising awareness of linguistic diversity in society as well as implementing translation drives are suggested as ways to promote greater inclusion of third languages on signage during the pandemic period and beyond, as well as supporting a greater sense of belonging for linguistic minorities.
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