Great cities gather people from all over the world. In these dynamic centers, diverse cultures and languages mix and mingle. We hope that such contact avoids devolving into conflict and, instead, grows into an ethic of cosmopolitan openness. What are some concrete and material strategies that people use to navigate and negotiate linguistic differences in cosmopolitan cities like Shanghai, especially in public spaces? Studies of linguistic landscapes investigate some ways that written language found in street signs, shopfronts, and advertisements negotiate these differences.
Enkhjin’s paper is an ambitious study of an area in Shanghai’s Minhang District that’s commonly known as Koreatown. Her research reveals how Korean immigrants and Chinese residents are negotiating linguistic differences in public spaces. She clearly defined her data set, thoroughly collected her evidence, and insightfully analyzed the signs. Enkhjin confirmed her hypothesis that the presence of Korean speakers in the area would affect the presentation of visible languages within the space. More importantly, she discovered specific strategies people use to negotiate linguistic and cultural differences in this Shanghai neighborhood. Enkhjin’s study is original research, and it contributes new knowledge to discussions of public spaces and sociolinguistics.
—Mark Brantner, Clinical Associate Professor in the Writing Program