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Chapter 12. Linguistic Landscape in Otavalo

Kichwa, Spanish or English?
  • Cristian Puma Ninacuri and Daniela Narváez
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Linguistic Landscape in the Spanish-speaking World
This chapter is in the book Linguistic Landscape in the Spanish-speaking World

Abstract

This article examines the Linguistic Landscape of Otavalo (Ecuador) where besides Spanish, Kichwa and English are present. This city is known for its cultural diversity and its handmade crafts market which offers a setting for the investigation of issues related with the sociolinguistics of globalization (Blommaert, 2010; Coupland & Coupland, 2014) and processes of language commodification (Heller, Jaworski, & Thurlow, 2014). Through quantitative and qualitative data our results show that Kichwa is seen as an identity and cultural marker as well as a commodity, while English is indexed to modernity and international orientation. Therefore, it is shown that social meanings attributed to languages are dynamic indexes which can be mobilized according to the social actors.

Abstract

This article examines the Linguistic Landscape of Otavalo (Ecuador) where besides Spanish, Kichwa and English are present. This city is known for its cultural diversity and its handmade crafts market which offers a setting for the investigation of issues related with the sociolinguistics of globalization (Blommaert, 2010; Coupland & Coupland, 2014) and processes of language commodification (Heller, Jaworski, & Thurlow, 2014). Through quantitative and qualitative data our results show that Kichwa is seen as an identity and cultural marker as well as a commodity, while English is indexed to modernity and international orientation. Therefore, it is shown that social meanings attributed to languages are dynamic indexes which can be mobilized according to the social actors.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. List of contributors ix
  5. Introduction 1
  6. Part I. Linguistic landscape and people’s identities
  7. Chapter 1. Language use and identity negotiation in the linguistic landscape of Chipilo, Mexico 19
  8. Chapter 2. A changing landscape of voseo in Medellín? 45
  9. Chapter 3. Ethnolinguistic vitality and linguistic landscape 73
  10. Chapter 4. Ideologies in the linguistic landscape 105
  11. Part II. Contesting the linguistic landscape of public space
  12. Chapter 5. Urban discourse and civil resistance against gender-based violence in Madrid 135
  13. Chapter 6. Armed conflict and resistance in indigenous Colombia 159
  14. Chapter 7. The Escondido swap meet 183
  15. Chapter 8. The linguistic landscape of the Raval 215
  16. Chapter 9. Reframing the question of correlation between the local linguistic population and urban signage 239
  17. Part III. Language commodification in the linguistic landscape
  18. Chapter 10. Languages to buy and sell 269
  19. Chapter 11. An analysis of how business owners use Valencian and Spanish in the linguistic landscape 293
  20. Chapter 12. Linguistic Landscape in Otavalo 313
  21. Chapter 13. Donde su visión se hace realidad 341
  22. Chapter 14. The act of naming in the Hispanic linguistic landscape of Milan 365
  23. Index 393
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.35.12pum

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. List of contributors ix
  5. Introduction 1
  6. Part I. Linguistic landscape and people’s identities
  7. Chapter 1. Language use and identity negotiation in the linguistic landscape of Chipilo, Mexico 19
  8. Chapter 2. A changing landscape of voseo in Medellín? 45
  9. Chapter 3. Ethnolinguistic vitality and linguistic landscape 73
  10. Chapter 4. Ideologies in the linguistic landscape 105
  11. Part II. Contesting the linguistic landscape of public space
  12. Chapter 5. Urban discourse and civil resistance against gender-based violence in Madrid 135
  13. Chapter 6. Armed conflict and resistance in indigenous Colombia 159
  14. Chapter 7. The Escondido swap meet 183
  15. Chapter 8. The linguistic landscape of the Raval 215
  16. Chapter 9. Reframing the question of correlation between the local linguistic population and urban signage 239
  17. Part III. Language commodification in the linguistic landscape
  18. Chapter 10. Languages to buy and sell 269
  19. Chapter 11. An analysis of how business owners use Valencian and Spanish in the linguistic landscape 293
  20. Chapter 12. Linguistic Landscape in Otavalo 313
  21. Chapter 13. Donde su visión se hace realidad 341
  22. Chapter 14. The act of naming in the Hispanic linguistic landscape of Milan 365
  23. Index 393
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