The Visible Use of English Signage at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport: Linguistic Landscape Perspectives
Maemuna Muhayyang – Sukardi Weda – Geminastiti Sakkir – Serliah Nur – Syamsiarna Nappu
DOI: 10.18355/XL.2025.18.02.14
Abstract
The use of language in public spaces is the focus of linguistic landscape which also examines the use of signage as a textual information source. In light of this, this study attempts to describe how the three types of signs at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport: operational, facility, and warning, are employed in English forms and what language patterns are used. This study employs an explanatory sequential design is a defining feature of the mixed-methods approach. This study used the heterogeneous sampling technique called the purposive sample technique to divide the airport's English signage into three aforementioned different groups collected through photographic using IPhone 13 and Samsung A54 camera shot. Regarding statistics, the information was in a proportion of the words, phrases, and sentences in monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual language patterns utilized. Using a theory created by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014) comprising data presentation, data condensation, and conclusion drawing/verification was a descriptive analysis of the collected statistical data conducted. According to the linguistic landscape perspective, the findings show that English words, phrases, and sentences on the airport’s signage are used in monolingual (English only), bilingual (Indonesian-English or English-Indonesian), and multilingual (Indonesian-English-Mandarin) patterns. Operational signage incorporates English alongside Indonesian and Mandarin, with words and phrases appearing more frequently than full sentences. Facility signage predominantly uses English exclusively across words, phrases, and sentences. For warning signage, English dominates in words and sentences, while phrases show a balance between English and Indonesian. The study also identifies two main errors with the English used in operational and facility signage, namely (1) the improper use of English grammar, and (2) inconsistency in language usage across signage. Based these findings, it considers the appearance of some errors in the airport’s English signage to provide source of written information needs to be fixed in order to conform to the proper usage of the English language and to the rules that the Indonesian government has issued.
Key words: linguistic landscape, signage, language forms, language patterns
Pages: 191-213
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