This research project examined the process and tension of constructing a
Taiwanese identity, drawing on the theoretical framework of linguistic landscape
(LL) and soundscape studies. LL studies analyse languages on signs in the public
space to reveal the power dynamics of the people residing in the same spaces,
while soundscape studies focus on the sounds in a particular environment and
how they are perceived by individuals or groups in that sound space. This research
project investigated the perception and evaluation of the multilingual public audio
announcements on the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT), where
announcements are played in Mandarin Chinese, Holo, Hakka and English. The
first three languages are the major languages spoken in Taipei, Taiwan. Interviews
were conducted with people of diverse ethnic background (N = 100). Preliminary
results mirror the power dynamic/struggle of the three linguistic groups over the
past 60 years.
關聯:
Expanding the Linguistic Landscape: Linguistic Diversity, Multimodality and the Use of Space as a Semiotic Resource