Title : A Linguistic Landscape Study of Signage on Nimmanhemin Road, a Lanna Chiang Mai Chill-Out Street

Author(s) : Tiwahporn Thongtong

Pages : 72-87

Abstract in English : This study investigates how the linguistic
landscape both creates and reflects a
tourist space on language choices in
creating signs on Nimmanhemin Road in
Chiang Mai, Thailand. In addition, the
study explores what linguistic devices are
used in the creation of signs on
Nimmanhemin Road. Sign data are
collected from both sides of Nimanhaemin
Road. Every sign in front of stores was
photographed and analyzed in terms of
language choices and linguistic devices.
The study reveals that tourism in Chiang
Mai has influences on language choices in
sign creation. Monolingual, bilingual and
trilingual signs can be found on
Nimmanhemin Road, normally written in
Thai, English and / or Chinese. In terms of
linguistic strategies, transliteration, word
formation, lexical relations, speech acts
and politeness strategies are demonstrated
in my findings. The study has both
theoretical and practical contributions.
Theoretically, it challenges commonly held
notions of bilingual organization of
information and language prominence.
Practically, the study has pedagogical
applications and the study findings can be
used for English language instruction.