Introduction
In this term paper I want to present a case study done by Diane Dagenais, Canièle Moore, Cécile Sabatier, Patricia Lamarre and Françoise Armand from 2005 – 2008 in Montreal and Vancouver. In doing so, I will give a background of Montreal, followed by a description of their research method. I will also offer criticism. At the end I will summarize the findings.
Montreal
Montreal is the second largest city of Canada and the largest city of Quebec. It was founded in 1642 and called 'Ville-Marie', meaning 'City of Mary' (cf. Manzagol 2001: 15).
According to Canada Statistics (2006 Census) the Montreal metropolitan area had a population of 3'588'520 and only 8.96 percent of it could not speak the official language of the city, namely French.
Most of the immigrants who arrive in Quebec settle in Montreal (cf. Manzagol 2001: 24). “The immigrants form 45 % of the population of Montreal-City”1 (Manzagol 2001: 25). Statistics show that the number of immigrants (to Quebec) who can speak neither English nor French in the years from 1996 to 2000 has quintupled in the years from 2001 to 20062.
Montreal is also a city of growing economy, especially in 'high tech' and pharmacy (cf. Manzagol 2001: 15-17). These facts, together with the good gross domestic product of Canada3, show that Montreal is an ever-growing, multicultural city.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Montreal
3. Linguistic Landscape and Language Awareness
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This term paper examines a longitudinal case study conducted by Dagenais et al. between 2005 and 2008 in Montreal and Vancouver, focusing on the linguistic landscape and language awareness among elementary school children. The work analyzes the research methodology, compares the linguistic environments of the two cities, and discusses how children perceive the multilingual reality of their urban surroundings.
- Analysis of the linguistic landscape in Montreal and Vancouver
- Evaluation of research methods in longitudinal language awareness studies
- Examination of student perception regarding urban multilingualism
- Critical comparison of data categorization and signage typology
- Discussion of communicative and informative functions of language in public spaces
Excerpt from the Book
Linguistic Landscape and Language Awareness
As already mentioned, in the second and third year researchers worked together with students and teachers to help them to gather their own set of data. The students in Montreal received a letter from the students in Vancouver. After discussing this letter, the students decided to answer the letter by drawing pictures of their favorite place in their neighborhood. In their drawings they represented places such as the school, the shopping-plaza, the park, the indoor sports centre and the local intercultural library. Non of these pictures showed the signs that were photographed by the researches. Instead these pictures showed places that were meaningful to the children. It was only through pointed questioning that the students talked about the different languages they heard in their neighborhood.
A weak after they drew the pictures, they took photographs of their neighborhoods which they had represented in their drawings. These photographs showed view signs of businesses. One picture showed “a sign in a shopping plaza that featured a reference to foreign languages with flags” (Dagenais 2009: 264). There was also a picture of Braille in an elevator. To elicit a discussion the pictures taken by the researches were also used. These students discussed about the different languages represented in the pictures and identified them. They even “brought up the language of animals and some debated the status of Jamaican English as a language” (Ibid. p. 263). They concluded – again, it was only after a pointed question – that Montreal is a multicultural and international city.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the scope of the term paper, introducing the longitudinal study by Dagenais et al. and the overall structure of the analysis.
2. Montreal: This section provides essential background information on Montreal, highlighting its demographic profile, linguistic diversity, and status as a multicultural, growing urban center.
3. Linguistic Landscape and Language Awareness: This core chapter examines the methodology and findings of the study, comparing signage data between Montreal and Vancouver and exploring the children's active engagement with their linguistic environment.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes the key insights, noting how children view urban multilingualism as banal while simultaneously demonstrating a nuanced understanding of language functions.
Keywords
Linguistic Landscape, Language Awareness, Multilingualism, Montreal, Vancouver, Longitudinal Study, Elementary School Students, Urban Studies, Pedagogical Practice, Signage, Language Diversity, Sociolinguistics, Public Space, Communication, Education
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
This paper focuses on analyzing a longitudinal study of how elementary school children in Montreal and Vancouver interact with and perceive the linguistic landscape of their respective cities.
What are the central thematic fields?
The central fields are urban multilingualism, language awareness in an educational context, and the methodology of analyzing linguistic landscapes.
What is the primary research goal?
The study aims to document how elementary school children experience and process the linguistic diversity present in their local communities and urban environments.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper evaluates an action-research project that utilized photographic evidence of urban signs and classroom discussions to elicit students' awareness of the languages surrounding them.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the demographic background of Montreal, the structural comparison of data sets from two cities, the children's participation in data gathering, and their reflections on the functions of language.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Linguistic Landscape, Language Awareness, Multilingualism, Urban Studies, and Sociolinguistics.
How do children in the study perceive linguistic diversity?
The findings suggest that children perceive the multilingual nature of their cities as a banal and normal part of everyday life, only reflecting upon it when prompted by specific teacher-led discussions.
Why is the comparison between Montreal and Vancouver data considered difficult?
Comparison is complicated because the researchers categorized signs differently in each city, specifically regarding the inclusion or exclusion of unilingual English signs.
- Quote paper
- Ronny Paeplow (Author), 2011, Linguistic Landscape and Language Awareness by Young Children, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/177440
