The Linguistic Landscape of Two Hispanic Neighborhoods in Washington D.C

Abstract

The linguistic landscape (LL) of two neighborhoods in Washington D.C. is analyzed under the theoretical framework developed by Spolsky (2004) in order to investigate how the Hispanic populations living in these areas use English and Spanish in the public space. Spolsky’s model has three components: language beliefs, language practices, and language management. The LL of these neighborhoods is analyzed through the language practices component in close relationship to language beliefs and language management. Three types of linguistic objects (English-only, Spanish-only, and bilingual signs), both public and private, are analyzed to gain a deeper insight into these communities’ use of these languages in the U.S. capital.