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Article published In: Linguistic Landscape
Vol. 8:1 (2022) ► pp.85–113

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Degrees of authenticity

Emulation, hybridity, and place-making in Vietnamese landscapes

ORCiD logo with link | University of Manchester
Published online: 20 December 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ll.21004.ngu
Abstract
This paper presents a taxonomy of indexicalities attached to Linguistic Landscapes in the city of Manchester, UK, which utilise Vietnamese writing and imagery. The taxonomy contrasts the employment of Vietnamese as a foreign language by a British restaurant chain, as a heritage language by second-generation Vietnamese businesses, and as a first language by first-generation businesses. Through the incorporation of scale analysis, the paper aims to show that while all three types of landscapes index Vietnamese authenticity on the surface level of indexicality, on a higher level, a distinction can be drawn between place-making, identity work, and purely commercial indexicalities. That distinction is argued not to be identifiable in the visual resources of the landscapes themselves, but rather in the shared knowledge drawn on in their interpretation. The paper hopes to further contribute to the theoretical diversity of Linguistic Landscape by demonstrating the compatibility and benefits of scale analysis.
Abstrakt
Dieser Artikel präsentiert eine Taxonomie der Indexikalitäten, die mit den linguistischen Landschaften in der Stadt Manchester verbunden sind, welche vietnamesische Schrift und Bildsprache verwenden. Die Taxonomie kontrastiert den Gebrauch von Vietnamesisch als Fremdsprache durch eine britische Restaurantkette, als Herkunftssprache durch vietnamesische Geschäfte zweiter Generation und als Erstsprache durch Geschäfte erster Generation. Durch die Einbindung von Scale-Analyse beabsichtigt der Artikel zu zeigen, dass obwohl alle drei Landschaftstypen auf einer oberflächlichen Ebene der Indexikalität vietnamesische Authentizität indizieren, auf einer höheren Ebene Unterschiede zwischen Place-Making, Identitätsstiftung und rein kommerziellen Indexikalitäten erkennbar sind. Diese Unterscheidung ist nicht in den visuellen Ressourcen der Landschaft selbst feststellbar, sondern stattdessen im geteilten Wissen zu finden, das zu ihrer Interpretation dient. Der Artikel hofft zusätzlich zur theoretischen Vielfalt des Feldes Linguistic Landscape beizutragen, indem er die Kompatibilität und die Vorteile der Scale-Analyse demonstriert.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Methodology
  • 3.Emulated Vietnam
  • 4.British-Vietnamese hybridity
    • 4.1Viet shack
    • 4.2Nam MCR
    • 4.3Self-commodification and hybrid identities
  • 5.Diasporic place-making
    • 5.1The Vietnamese store
    • 5.2The barber shop
    • 5.3Pragmatism and place-making
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Note
  • References
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