Our topic: “Voices of the Community: Exploring Our Linguistic Landscapes”
Seba (host):
Welcome back to another episode of Voices of the Community, where we dive into the
languages, signs, and visual cues that shape how we move through the world. I’m your host,
Seba, and today I’m joined by two amazing classmates, Emily and Cigal, to talk about our
linguistic landscapes—both the interactions we experienced this week and the multilingual signs
and practices we see in our neighborhoods and schools.
Hi, Emily and Cigal! Thanks for joining me.
Emily:
Hi Seba! Happy to be here.
Cigal:
Hi! Excited to talk about this.
Seba:
Let’s start with the basics. We each completed five interactions for our Mini Ethnographic
Project, and honestly, I learned so much about how I naturally move between languages.
For me, one of the highlights was video calling my sister—we mix French and English
constantly, using emojis and expressive gestures. For example, I said, “Franchement today j’étais
dead,” which just flowed naturally. Translanguaging is something I don’t think about; it just
happens depending on who I talk to.
linguistic landscape
Emily:
I love that. For me, the biggest contrast was texting my best friend versus speaking with a hiring
manager. With my friend, it’s emojis, inside jokes, our own shorthand. But in my job interview,
everything was formal. I sat up straight, used professional English, and made sure my vocabulary
sounded polished. It’s wild how we shift identities like that.

Seba:
Absolutely.
What about you, Cigal? What patterns did you see?
Cigal:
My week really showed me that context shapes everything. Like when I ran into a stranger at
Stop & Shop during a storm, we were yelling over the noise, speaking casually, reacting quickly.
But when emailing my professor, I switched into a completely different mode—formal tone,
clear grammar, full sentences. It’s like I step into a different linguistic version of myself
depending on who I'm speaking to.
Seba:
Now let’s expand past our interactions and talk about the bigger landscape—the visual and
multilingual environment around us.
I’ll start with campus. One thing that stands out in my school building is how many posters are in
English but paired with images or symbols that communicate across cultures. For example, the
blood-drive poster I saw was in formal written English, but the visuals—a big red drop of blood,
bold red and white colors—communicated the message universally. Then I translated that
information into casual texting: “hey u wanna pull up to this?” That shift from formal public
language to my own informal style is part of my linguistic landscape.
linguistic landscape
Emily:
That’s interesting because Google Maps was my big visual interaction. It gave both verbal and
visual directions. But beyond that, when I walk around my neighborhood, I see a lot of
businesses owned by immigrants—Spanish, Korean, and Indian grocery stores—and their signs
include multiple languages. Even if I don’t speak all of them, I still understand the symbols: food
pictures, sale signs, and cultural colors. They allow me to feel connected to communities I’m not
necessarily part of.
Seba:
I’ve noticed that too! The multilanguage storefronts almost speak their own hybrid language.

Emily:
Exactly. And I realized that even though I mostly use English in my personal interactions, I
constantly move through multilingual spaces. It secretly shapes how I think about language
diversity.
Seba:
Okay, let’s dig deeper into multilingual language practices—not just written signs, but how
people in our communities use language.
Cigal, what’s your experience like in your neighborhood?
Cigal:
In New Hyde Park, I see a lot of multilingual signage—especially Indian and South Asian
grocery stores, where signs are in English but the product labels are often in Hindi, Punjabi,
Urdu, and Tamil. Even though many conversations I overhear are in English, I also hear people
switching languages fluidly, especially families. It reminds me that even though my own
communication is mostly English, I’m surrounded by linguistic diversity every day.
And that Instagram ad I mentioned earlier—that’s also part of the landscape. It used strong
visuals and the “50% off” sign to hook me. No words needed beyond the essentials.
Seba:
I love that connection—ads as part of the linguistic landscape.
In my community, I hear so many languages: French, English, Wolof, Spanish, Arabic. At
school, students use slang, academic English, emoji-based communication, and hybrid texting
styles. Even the way people say “bruh” or “lowkey” is its own linguistic code. I realized my
landscape is not just multilingual—it's multi-modal.
linguistic landscape
Emily:
That’s so true. I noticed something similar with my classmates. When I was working on
homework with a peer, we used slang and shortcuts—it wasn’t formal English at all. But switch

to interacting with a hiring manager and suddenly I’m in job-interview mode, speaking
completely differently. That shift reflects the expectations of the setting.
Seba:
So let’s get personal for a moment.
How do these signs and practices connect to your identity?
Emily:
For me, I realized language is tied to comfort. With family and friends, I’m playful and
expressive. At school or at work, I switch into a more polished version of myself. But seeing
multilingual signs in my neighborhood makes me feel like my community is open and
diverse—it gives me a sense of belonging even though I don’t speak all those languages.
Cigal:
Same here. My identity shows up in how I shift between casual joking with my cousin and
formal professionalism with my professor. But my environment reminds me that language
doesn’t have to be one thing—meaning can be created in gestures, visuals, tone, even emojis.
Seba:
I relate to both of you. My translanguaging isn’t just a communication tool—it is my identity. It
represents my culture, my family, and the spaces where I feel most myself. Seeing multilingual
signs around campus and in my community makes me feel seen, like I’m part of a global space
instead of just a local one.
Seba:
Before we end, let’s each answer one last question:
What is one thing you now understand about linguistic landscapes that you didn’t realize
before?
Emily:
I used to think a linguistic landscape was only the languages I speak. Now I realize it includes
everything—signs, visuals, social media, body language, even apps.

Cigal:
I learned that even though I mostly use English, my environment is constantly exposing me to
other languages and communication styles.
Seba:
And I learned that multilingual and multimodal communication isn’t something separate from
daily life—it is daily life.
Seba (host):
Thank you so much to Emily and Cigal for joining today’s conversation. And thank you to
everyone listening to Voices of the Community: Exploring Our Linguistic Landscapes. Keep
paying attention—you never know how your environment is shaping the way you think and
communicate.
Emily:
Thanks Seba, this was great!
Cigal:
Such a good discussion!
Seba:
See you all next time.