Linguistic Landscape

February 3, 2021 0 By ABBY LYNNES

Section 1

I chose to write about Luther College High School for my linguistic landscape. The reason why I have chosen Luther College High School is because I have been working there as an RA in the dorms for the past two years; taking care of mostly international students. Luther has been open since 1913, which means it has been around for 108 years. “Our school population is approximately 420 students, with 13% of them from international locations such as Nigeria, Vietnam, India, Israel, USA, Philippines, Ukraine and China to name a few! We have an on-campus dormitory with space for 50 boys and 50 girls” (Who We Are, 2020). Luther has built a very diverse community and is very welcoming to all. Having the grade 9-12 students share their own culture and language allows everyone to benefit from it. By encouraging students to use their own language, it allows others to appreciate their language and learn a new collection of words. It is important that the students don’t lose their own language, but to build on it and expand their knowledge. Common challenges international students struggle with are cultural shock and language barrier. They find it extremely helpful to communicate to a friend or teacher in their own language when they do not understand in English. 

Within Canada’s history, Indigenous Peoples struggled to have a voice. There was a lack of Indigenous rights including having access to their own land. It was land that was always theirs but was constantly being taken away from the government. Regina is located on treaty 4 land and within the traditional territory of the Metis. Acknowledging our history and the land that we are on is important in order to move forward together. 

Luther College High School is surrounded by the Royal Convenience Store, Mr. Sub, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Royal Convenience Store sells coffee, food, soft drinks, and tobacco products. Mr. Sub has been around since 1968 and is owned by Canadians. Mr. Sub is the biggest owned sub franchise in the country. Mr. Sub is not only across Canada but internationally as well. Canadian Mounted Police enforces the federal laws, which also allows employees to have diverse work available across Canada. To work for Canadian Mounted Police you have to “be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status in Canada. Individuals with permanent resident status must have resided (been physically present) in Canada for 3 (1,095 days) out of the last 5 years as a permanent resident” (RCMP, 2020). You do not need to be bilingual to work at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but you do need to be proficient in English and/or French. Legally, you cannot work there until you are 19 years old, but you can start the basic training at the age of 18. 

Work Cited

Luther College. (2020). Who We Are. Luther College High School. Retrieved from: 

https://www.luthercollege.edu/high-school/about-luther/who-we-are/

Royal Canadian Mounted Police. (2020). Qualifications and standards to become an RCMP officer. RCMP. Retrieved from:

https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/qualifications-and-requirements

Section 2

ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE SIGN

SIDE OF THE ROYAL CONVENCIENCE STORE BUILDING

LUTHER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL

LUTHER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL WALL

LUHER COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL BULLETIN BOARD

Royal Canadian Mounted Police sign has it in French and English.

Royal Convenience Store has it in English.

Luther College High School sign is in English.

Luther College High School wall has over 30 country signs.

Luther College High School bulletin board is celebrating Chinese New Year.

Section 3

Becoming aware of my surroundings has been very educational for me. My environment is very diverse and multiple languages are being spoken around me. If you look at the first photo, it shows the sign in English and French. I would say for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that French is just as important as English. The side of the Royal Convenience Store only had English written on the food descriptions, but I noticed their food inside would have more than just English. For example, their noodles would have Chinese as the dominant language. Luther College High School has many posters and bulletin boards that not only have English, French, or Chinese, but they make the time to celebrate other traditions and holidays for our international students. 

When I am at Luther I hear various languages around me; English, Chinese, Spanish, and French. These photos do not represent my linguistic identity but they are very important to me since I take care of many students that come from different backgrounds. Showing appreciation towards the students culture and language makes them feel welcomed and valued to the school. Oftentimes when the students sign out to go somewhere, they are going to places that make them feel like they are at home again. This could be the Great Asian Market or a Chinese restaurant. When stores have more than just English written on there it not only makes it easier for people who are new to the country, but it also allows English speakers to become aware of how diverse our country actually is.