Language politics in respect of linguistic landscape

Abstract

Language politics regulates the use, the status and the prestige of language in a country. In multilingual or multiethnic societies the status of minority language is determined by the authorities. Whether a minority language receives functions and rights in a community is not only reflected in the laws or the scope of use of language, for instance media, schools, legislation, but it is also present in the linguistic landscape of a given place, that is whether minority languages appear in public signage, for instance, settlement names or informative signs. The language politics is reflected in linguistic landscape, however, it is not only the minority language display on public signage that is a manifestation of language politics, but any foreign language signage, which, for instance serves to promote tourism. In the present paper I demonstrate the manifestation of local language policy in the linguistic landscape of Hódmezővásárhely by examining the foreign language appearance in public signage in order to see whether they represent any minority presence or they serve to promote tourism in the town.