The Linguistic Landscape in the Ecclesial Setting
- Antonio Medina-Rivera
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the linguistic landscape in the Catholic Church of the United States. The presence of signs and posters in the public space of churches serves to showcase the vitality of language within this institution. For the methodology, 25 websites from 25 Catholic dioceses in the United States were selected. Additionally, websites and signs/posters inside and outside of churches were examined. The results show that the Hispanic community in the United States seeks to mark its cultural identity and presence in the ecclesial environment, as it constitutes 40% of the total Catholic population in the country. This presence is evidenced by the existence or absence of signs and websites that show the importance of Spanish within these public spaces. In conclusion, there is a certain disparity regarding the value given to Spanish even in communities where Spanish and the Hispanic community have a significant or majority presence.
Keywords
linguistic landscape, Catholic church, language attitudes, Spanish in the United States
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