Multilingual Practices and Multiple Contestations in the Linguistic Landscape of Selected Towns in Oromia: A geosemiotic perspective

Abstract

This study analyzed a linguistic landscape, which is a relatively recent development in sociolinguistic research committed to the investigation of the visual manifestations of the relationships observed between language or semiosis and society in the public space. There has been less attention on the semiotic interpretations in the public environments despite the ubiquitous nature of such signs in Ethiopia. This study intends to fill this gap through Semiotic Landscape research. By means of mixed methods, qualitative and quantitative, it aims to discover the contestations in the Linguistic Landscape (LL, henceforth) of selected urban environments in Oromia. The study employed a theoretical concept of geosemiotics from social semiotics as an analytical tool. Visual data consisting of 1275 photographs of signs were collected from the main streets of Adama, Jimma and Sebeta towns from different domains of sign using bodies. Besides, data were collected through in-depth interviews with major LL actors, selected based on purposive sampling technique. The analysis demonstrated that some top-down and most of bottom-up signs showed varieties of multilingual practices, contestations, identity constructions and other related social concerns. The absence of a clear policy on language use on signs at both federal and regional levels has resulted in contestations.