Investigating intentionality of linguistic landscapes from the multilingual commercial signs

Abstract

This article examines multilingual commercial signs of 329 businesses from 3 representative department stores and malls in the major commercial districts of N China’s Shanghai. By using photographs and interviews as the data sources, the article focuses on the intentionality conveyed by the commercial linguistic landscapes in terms of the intentional attitude and the intentional content. Based on data gained in this empirical research in March of 2016, it is found that there are three main categories of shop signs: monolingual (70.58%), bilingual (23.13%) and multilingual (6.29%). Results indicate that the signs in foreign languages is overabundant and that the monolingual tendency with English as a dominant language takes a proportion of 70%, while Chinese (25%) to a lower degree sees its status as a supplement for overall commercial Linguistic landscapes. It can also be concluded that most customers hold positive attitudes towards the bilingual and multilingual shop signs. They consider using foreign languages in shop signs more attractive and stylish and deem it more acceptable as it reflects a kind of internationalization. However, critical comments are evident as some respondents hold that the widespread utilization of foreign languages on shop signs heavily hinders the creation of harmonious domestic shopping environment, resulting in much inconvenience and discomfort. The research aims to provide suggestions on the planning of foreign languages use in public spaces and to promote the construction of spiritual civilization in commercial linguistic landscapes.