EXPLORING INDIGENOUS CULTURE THROUGH THE LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE IN PAKISTAN A SOCIOLINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2022(VII-III).02      10.31703/gsr.2022(VII-III).02      Published : Sep 2022
Authored by : Summaya Afzal , Tazanfal Tehseem , Rabia Faiz

02 Pages : 10-22

    Abstract

    Signs are the center of a city’s identity that is more than just intermediaries, rather they are also a vital component of that identity; both physically and culturally. This research examines semiotic citizenship’s role in developing the language landscape and determines whether or not the language landscape contributes to constructing socio-political identities. The purpose of this research is a comprehensive multimodal survey of multilingual signs and advertisements seen in public places, also known as the linguistic landscape as signs created by individuals of any area indicate their direct connection with the city and ownership. The data collected for this research includes 825 photographic samples from roadside restaurants, advertisements, hospitals, various shops, and other sources in the cities, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The theoretical framework used for this research is Linguistic Landscape Theory from the perspective of Landry–Bourhis (1997). The findings highlight that Urdu and English, language and sometimes Punjabi is preferred on street signs. Furthermore, Urdu was the language of choice in the Tourist Destination and its more modest surroundings, whereas English was in the business districts. In general, language and signs are used to describe the linguistic landscape in Pakistan.

    Key Words

    Sign, Landscape, Survey, Intermediaries, Socio-Political, Multilingual

    Introduction

    Language plays a vital role in building social construction and societal norms such as Friedkin (2013) states that “the literature on social cohesion has become increasingly disorganized with the increase of multiple researchers in that field.( Friedkin, 2013, p.25)” He further suggests that social cohesion is primarily a question of how individuals interact with other groups to overcome this “theoretical disorganization.” Through our interactions with others in life as individualists, societal members, or institutions, we are constantly constructing and negotiating our identities. Furthermore, Waqar et al. (2020) suggest that human relationship necessitates communication, which is accomplished through language with the emergence of the connection between identity, language, and social cohesion. 

    Every society has its own speciesism of language, as Harris et al. (2008) state that the noun "woh," is used solely for the third person in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu which does not distinguish between gender and humanness. In contrast to English, when a language assigns a gender to a non-living object, all non-living things are assigned a gender and the idea is known as grammatical gender, which is directly connected with semiotics and signs. However, this does not suggest that everyone who speaks Urdu, Hindi, or Punjabi respects everyone in the same manner or equally; the way a language is conveyed does not represent how individuals feel about other people. Further, Riaz (2021) states that humans and non-humans are divided into two categories in English language by using the third-person singular pronoun for humans and non-humans.


    Socio-political Background of Pakistan

    Using the linguistic landscape, a sociolinguistic phenomenon is also an excellent idea to promote language and culture. From commercial billboards and traffic signs to public service announcements and the written walls of schools, universities, hospitals, museums, and even airports, the linguistic landscape penetrates daily life. The nation's elite has long dominated Pakistani politics. The three significant actors were the military, the feudal classes who held the land, and the industrialist classes who owned the companies. There have been times when representatives from each community ruled Pakistan, as well as times when they fought for or against each other even though their pleas for assistance were acknowledged verbally; more needed to be done to promote their cause, as each institution remained insulated from the realities of the struggles of the urban professional and middle classes and the rural poor.

    In the past decade, there have been three significant developments that have contributed to this rapid upheaval. Personal electronic media's rise is the most influential and crucial factor. In the 1990s, most Pakistanis were either illiterate or disinterested in reading newspapers, making it difficult for them to obtain information that was not state-sponsored or, at best, propagandistic. The BBC's radio and television coverage of significant events in Pakistan was excellent. However, much like other worldwide news channels, it must devote less attention to mundane matters if it wishes to succeed. Thus, governments can influence the terms of current political debates. Not that they were carefree, but their problems were from rival elites, not commoners.

    Anyone with even a passing interest in South Asia can attest to the reality that this perception of Pakistan has changed considerably. Pakistan today has hundreds of news outlets, many of which have significant political and ideological biases. Some are particularly peculiar to a particular place or race. Few of them have a national influence. This fad began at the beginning of this decade and has recently ended due to market saturation. True, few of these publications will win awards for gentle understatement or subdued prescience. Nonetheless, the media has given voice to numerous hitherto unknown individuals. It has become a historical force due to its ability to mold and gratify a large audience. It contains antigovernment attitude, prejudice, gore, humor, and investigative reporting. The alternative may be desirable, but its debut is lauded since it is the first to give disadvantaged populations a voice.

    This modification results in two outcomes. First, the urban middle class did what urban middle classes did: they purchased televisions and computers, granting them access to the expansion of private media in ways no one could have anticipated. Second, it pulled down the wall that separated Pakistani politics from the masses, allowing people to protest the government about issues such as high flour prices, insufficient energy, and discriminatory law enforcement. Seymour Lipset authored one of the significant works in Political Science on democracy, its connection to urbanized middle classes, and how the goals and beliefs of the latter almost always led them to support the former fifty years ago. There was solid evidence to back Lipset's conclusions.

    Domestic nationalism and pathological suspicion of foreign powers, such as the United States and India, have increased in response to Pakistan's turn to populist politics. No longer does the military establishment monopolize absurd conspiracy theories and reflexive defensiveness. There is little doubt that the United States has become increasingly conservative and xenophobic during the past decade. The majority of these viewpoints are completely absurd, such as the notion that Israel, India, and the United States are plotting to destroy Pakistan and redraw its boundaries and that terrorist acts are being prepared in Pakistan. Nonetheless, there are strong winds based on reasoning and evidence that fuel this anger, such as the discoveries that Blackwater was working there and the United States increasingly lenient stance toward action in Balochistan.

    This research focuses on the issues of bilingual and multi-lingual languages and has a valuable noteworthiness that will open another paradigm to contemplate the disparity of language in culture, religion, business and socio-political scenario because the culture and ethnicity are presented through the sign boards in every city.


    Research Objectives

    The aims of the study are: 

    ? to explore the purpose of signage and to examine the dominance of a language

    ? to explore to what extent linguistic landscape reflects and shapes ideologies in a specified urban space


    Research Questions

    a. Which language is preferred in the street signs; Urdu, English, or Punjabi?

    b. How semiotic citizenship plays a role in linguistic landscape? 

    Literature Review

    Language acts as a communication tool containing a set of sounds, grammar, and words. In this regard, the research is done on the Semi-genic system in globalization and linguistics by Hasan (2004), which foregrounds the significance of language and semantic variations. Hasan’s work substantiates the demand to see language variation in World Englishes more than in structural terms.  Furthermore, Gulzar et al. (2021) highlight that language is the only system of sounds used by human beings in different variations. Besides this, another system of sounds (e.g., thunder, music, buzzing) also establishes meaning for us. Language plays a variety of roles in reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Language in writing has a different meaning than reading as our writing system includes a visual system to comprehend the meaning. We use our visual system to make meaning through sign language, color, and size of anything we see. Dunayer (2001) refers that linguistic rights focus on the human and civil rights of individuals and groups, so they can choose their preferred language or languages of communication in the private or public sphere. 

    Furthermore, about language communication, Rehman (2004) analyzes that human interaction requires communication that is favored by language. Hence, due to this, the connection between identity, language, and social cohesion emerges. Haider (2009) looked at a study that traced the relationship between Indian nationalism and literary and linguistic histories, he highlighted that the usage of a linguistic tool differs depending on the child’s parentage. Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, however, it is rapidly becoming extinct, overtaken by the English language in current times. Furthermore, Shohamy (2009) showed that the “phonetic scene provides a crystal of dialects that are inserted in networks and arranged in the humanistic, social, and POA. It has a more global approach to deal with LL that has been formed, resulting in an expansion of the inquiry sites” (Shohamy, 2009, p. 2). In Barni–Bagna’s (2015) research, quantitative overviews and sign tallying were early approaches that showed a complicated relationship between language and area between individuals. He highlights that creating a persona through web-based media pages is not an unusual occurrence, rather, it is defined by the inter-subjectivity of the two dependents on online relationships that are referred to as the “aggregate construction of oneself.”

    However, language limitation varies from area to area because the language serves as a sound system that is contributed in both languages; English and Urdu. Cooper (1989) coined “linguistic Imperialism” to describe this phenomenon as a foundation for social imperialism, which is concerned with the transmission of the norms and behaviors of model social systems, enshrined in the language. Galtung (1980) states that the process of the transference of social culture and values is centralized by the West because language shift plays an important role in constructing lingual and social cohesion. Nahir (1988) stated that language shift (LS) aims at the shifting of the speaker’s usage of language from one another. According to Weber (1968), the state’s elite class is responsible for setting linguistic discourse structure in society because it is self-contained and positions itself as a mediator between opposing interest groups.

    The distribution of the two languages in Pakistan’s business signage is marked by a high degree of visual consistency, and communicative and symbolic complementarity results in balanced written bilingualism. Cummins (2020) highlights the motivations of the relevant signs handling the linguistic choices should provide us with a better picture of the role of private signboard managers as covert language planners. To this, a full account of the emergence of the English language in South Asia in Kachru’s (1997) book, as he categorizes the “World Englishes” in three phases. The arrival of missionaries in India in the 17th century established various schools around the country. In the early stages of the development of SAE [South Asian English], it should be noted that the teachers’ methods of instruction and language backgrounds had a considerable impact on the language. Cameron (1996) suggests that gender and identity can be influenced by how we perceive and act in the world around us, as language plays a vital role. He further states that we are born with a biologically determined gender, but not with a race or ethnicity. As an additional point of emphasis, Harrison (2008) emphasizes the intensity of the loss caused by language extinction; "when languages die, an immense edifice of human knowledge are painstakingly constructed over millennia by innumerable minds, are disintegrating, and eventually fading into oblivion" (Harrison, 2008, p. 3). 

    Schneider (2007) says that, however, biologists construct taxonomies based on the genealogical or structural characteristics of animals and plants, these taxonomies frequently do not include any information about the interrelationships of interdependencies between living forms, or other natural environments that coexist in the same geographic area. This information contributes to the popular misconception that when a species of life goes extinct,it impacts not only that species but also every other species in the system, especially those species with interrelationships. Herzfeld (2013) says that only a few of these were/are performed in settled areas; many more were practiced by nomadic and distant populations in pre-colonial South Asia, which outnumbered settled civilizations by a factor of many to one. Not every one of these techniques has been identified or has a name associated with it and Europeans named numerous tribes, such as the Kalasha of Pakistan’s highlands, who were previously unknown. Zeshan (2000) is of the view that many indigenous populations were also converted to one of the region's major religions (with Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity being dominant). Despite the time, the Kalasha people are still subjected to religious conversion pressure.

    Research Methodology

    This research was quantitative as data was collected

    by using samples which were roadside images, the flex of restaurants, and many more.  Around 825 pictures were selected from which 15 were taken as a sample to explain the research questions for the current study. The researcher has collected data from local businesses and signboards on the roadside from streets of different cities of Pakistan; such as Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, etc. A total of 825 pictures were selected for this research where 107 images (13 percent) were from advertisements and 330 (40 percent) images were of bill boards/ sign boards, 83 (10 percent) images were of the wall advertisements and remaining 305 images (37 percent) were from restaurants which were mostly in bilingual method. Each photo sample was treated differently to differentiate between the signs’ genres and the representation of the specific businesses. 

    Theoretical Framework

    The theoretical framework used for this research is Linguistic Landscape Theory from the perspective of Landry–Bourhis (1997). According to him, the skills required for signboards implies a particular level of literacy to represent the linguistic landscape accurately as the absence of signs in a specific language implies that the language does not have a writing system. The second anticipated reader condition is concerned with the sign’s communication intention as of a dominant group’s language, the minority group’s language, and a foreign language that is incorporated into the sign’s construction.

    It is a sociological framework that deals with the investigation of linguistic diversity as Landry–Bourhis (1997) states that constructing alternative hypotheses in linguistic landscape studies is possible by using three principles. These are the following;

    1. Making a good first impression

    2. Reasonable justifications should be provided

    3. Power and authority relationships.

    According to the first principle that by the presentation of self; individuals attain their objectives by expressing their identities daily. Performers, for example, compete with one another to attract the attention of a passing pedestrian through the use of various forms of communication. Individuality, special status, and language domination are ways through which businessman expresses themselves in a specific location. On the one hand, the good impression principle concerns the notion through which retailers strive to influence the audience with enticing indicators employed on signboards. Secondly, how the retailers express themselves and assert their identities and personalities on the signboards. This action can be seen as one devoted to one particular group of people in the general public. For example, in the case of halal signboards, the word attracts clients while simultaneously conveying loyalty to a certain cause. And lastly, a major theme in the concept of power relationships is that people exert control over others by enforcing their pattern of behavior. In those indications, the dominant group’s language is being practiced rather than the language of subordinate groups. 

    As a result of simulating an unlimited number of Linguistic Landscape language learning opportunities, the virtual etymological scene will develop a virtual phonetic information or semantic asset, which can be utilized as a language asset and informative discussion for language selection. Thus, resulting in an unlimited number of potential outcomes of unknown dialect contribution for anyone who is studying any language. It is important to consider the dependability of this study because it is based on self-revealed information rather than a coordinated perception in this investigation.

    Discussion and Analysis

    When conducted properly, linguistic landscape research offers the fieldworker as a user-friendly toolkit for finding the most relevant elements of sociolinguistic regimes in a given region, regardless of whether the location is monolingual or multilingual. Four separate patterns emerge from the combination of photographs of billboards/signboards, wall adverts, and roadside posters, which can be seen below. Advertising often uses figurative language to sway people into making a purchase. Advertising tries to reach consumers using mediums they are already frequent and familiar with. That's why language and marketing can't be separated. Advertisers use various languages to communicate with potential buyers, provide them with product information, and sway their purchasing decisions. Therefore, the language used in ads ought to educate, persuade, entertain, and entice. The commercial's speech should grab and keep the attention of viewers. Commercials delivered in the target audience's native tongue are more likely to be remembered long after the audience has decided whether to make a purchase. This research is using advertisements like business advertisements. A total of 825 pictures were selected for this research where 107 images (13 percent) were from advertisements and 330 (40 percent) images were of bill boards/ sign boards, 83 (10 percent) images were of the wall advertisements and remaining 305 images (37 percent) were from restaurants which were mostly in bilingual method.


     

    Table 1. Respondents and research tools

    Research Instruments

    Respondents Number

    Total Photographs

    825

    Sample

    15

     


    From the data, a maximum number of examples are produced in a manner that is not Roman and could be referred to as an English transcription in Urdu. The signs embody the commercial enterprise that is proprietors/carrier companies who use English lexical elements to provide an explanation for the character of the product/provider they deliver, but the textual content is written in Urdu script. Urdu is written in Arabic/Persian, moreover, there are other factors that demonstrate the hybridization of language mixing, in which Arabic and English are combined with each other in an advertisement placed on a billboard or a wall. 

    English in non-Roman script

    Figure 1: District Complex

    This figure shows that the script is written in Roman or Arabic/Persian as English is written within the non-Roman Urdu alphabet. Two instances are shown in Figure 1, first, the non-Roman script name of a government office is transliterated into Urdu in the picture at the left. The office is in a sub-city region of Chakwal this is ordinarily administered by using the Pakistan Government.  Its English translation is as follows:   ?? ?????   ?????? [District Complex] Chakwal. In Pakistan, one of the maximum common locations for classified ads is on the partitions. This seemingly unconventional kind of advertising is a not unusual incidence in Pakistan’s linguistic panorama.

    Figure 2: Namkeen Dera
    Figure two depicts a non-Roman Urdu model of a public eating place in the heart of the town, Sahiwal. The writing reads [Namkeen Dera, Family Restaurant] in English. Figure two shows a wall commercial with English written in a non-Roman script which is also known as Flex board in the area. In addition to commercial advertisements, citizens can use wall advertisements to publicize and protect their businesses. Flex board advertisements are common in Pakistan. The name of a public restaurant is advertised in Figure 2 as   ???? ????? [Namkeen Dera], with the subheading ????????? ????? [Family Restaurant] in English.  Importantly, the restaurant promotes an English brand, rather than depending on the ancient Roman script for advertisement. The most significant reason to write English in another language is so that as many passers-by should attract and read and understand the text because a large percentage of uneducated individuals still view English as a foreign language.      
    This Figure additionally exhibit the same idea as Roti Shoti is another restaurant in which there's variety of food, Pakistani Food, Chinese Food, Continental Food, Bar. BQ and Shanwari Food. This photograph depicts the semiotic relation of local language to draw the citizens. In addition, this method may also be motivated by economic factors, as the more verbal information that can be obtained by Urduizing the English language, the greater the potential to gain information about customers. Translated into other words, English language localization takes place to ensure that the message or content is suitable to the viewer's sociocultural environment and socio-academic context.
    Figure 4: Hussain Kidney Hospital (English version)
    The same functionality is seen in Figure 3 employing English in a non-Roman Urdu script. This is a private Hospital’s brand name. ?????? ???? ???? [Hussain Kidney Hospital] is the English translation. Once again, an English Hospital is advertised in a script written in the local tongue.
    The same functionality is seen in Figure 3 employing English in a non-Roman Urdu script. This is a private Hospital’s brand name. ?????? ???? ???? [Hussain Kidney Hospital] is the English translation. Once again, an English Hospital is advertised in a script written in the local tongue.
    There were 12 (13%) samples with neither Roman nor Latin scripts, but the English script in its authentic Roman script and its transliterated version of the non-Roman Urdu script. Advertising places both the transliterated English and the original model simultaneously, as demonstrated in Figure 3. There are signs and billboards in Pakistan which display English text rather than Urdu scripts, therefore displaying a bi-lingual script instead of a bi-lingual sign.
    Figure 5: [Bilingual advertisement of a restaurant]
    The lone exception is the word ??? [mast], which is a native term. Furthermore, the opposite text depicts the English version of the advertisement. This figure demonstrates the usage of the multilingual script, [COME IN FOR A ??? OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE] that is written in English and Urdu. Figure 3 shows a local restaurant in Lahore demonstrating the heading of the in Lahore and the image exhibits a multilingual script like the previous two, with the exception of the use of the Urdu phrase ??? [mast] which means “joyful”.

    Code-mixing – non-Roman English and Urdu
    Among the samples taken, fourteen percent had mixed codes. Advertisers showcase their products/services by using both English and Urdu language and scripts on their signboards.
    Figure 6: Multi-lingual text
    Figure 4 depicts an identical kind of linguistic mingling as this technique differs from the previous category of images because both English and Urdu words are alternately employed to tell readers about the estimate of the products/services to buy. It is well worth noting that, except for agency names, the label of the outlet is written in the non-Roman Urdu script, each in Urdu and English phrases.
    Figure 7: Code-mixing – English and Urdu, CHAI CLOCK Restaurant
    Similarly, this image is a superb instance of the identical approach as all the Urdu phrases are surrounded, although they’re written in English script. The English phrases might preside as follows in English: [CHAI CLOCK]. CHAI has various other English words, in addition, the signboard advertises a ?Cafe, which offers Chai and other meal items for its clients. It is crucial to be aware that at the same time as a number of the explanatory sentences in this sample are syntactically Urdu, they may be full of English lexical factors. We may say that maximum of the number one merchandise/offerings’ lexical items is borrowed from Urdu, however, they’re translated into English. Furthermore, the above picture suggests equal language mixing as the previous image.
    Figure 8: [Code-mixing – English and Urdu, Baghban [??????]]
    Baghban [??????], is written on the signboard that contains 6 letters on the signboard that are in Urdu, a need for the proper call of the commercial enterprise. Urdu syntactically, as evidenced with the aid of Baghban [??????], the miles filled with English lexical words which include NURSERY & BOTANICAL SERVICES. Figure 6 shows examples of combined codes being utilized in wall chalking/portray commercials Baghban [??????], a Pakistani personal enterprise that provides nursery and botanical offerings in Pakistan, as created in the photo. The employer’s logo call is written in large letters in Urdu, while its public message is written in English and non-Roman English editions. The encircling time period – Baghban [??????] – are non-Roman English phrases. The commercial uses English phrases for greater technical and clinical terminologies, whereas Urdu phrases are used to describe the carrier call.

    Symbolism: English as a brand Signifier
    English terms are more attractive to a big number of rich and educated people than Urdu or other present languages. As an end result, a massive percentage of commercial enterprise proprietors choose alluring and extravagant names. One owner of a popular pastry shop explained that he chose an English name since his target audience was commonly the rich and intelligent, because, according to him, the wealthy and intelligent were inclined to advance and be content with the role of eating pastry. English, once in a while appeared as a symbol of greatness because of the presence of ample evidence from the social aristocracy, and the most affluent middle classes and children and adolescents of the brightest neighborhoods aspire to emulate whatever the elites do.
    Figure 9: 7th Avenue
    It can be seen in this picture that a large proportion of the samples are written in a script other than Roman or Arabic/Persian. Because Urdu is a non-Roman script, English is written within it, as may be seen in the accompanying examples. The following is the Urdu translation of this phrase: [7th Avenue] and it is present in Islamabad at every street and roadside.
    Figure 10: Matka Biryani
    In English, the signboard reads [Matka Biryani] on the wall that is in Pakistan is one of the most often used areas for classified advertisements. This seemingly outlandish kind of advertising is not uncommon in Pakistan’s linguistic landscape, despite its seeming unconventionality. In the area, it is also referred to as a flex board as an alternative to commercial advertisements, citizens can utilize wall advertisements to publicize and protect their businesses addition to commercial advertisements. The phenomenon of Flex “advertising,” or flex board advertisements is popular in Pakistan. The name of a private restaurant is advertised in Figure 8 [Matka Biryani] which shows a significant distinction in promotion of the English brand rather than relying on advertisements in old Roman script. When writing English in another language, the most important consideration is to ensure that the greatest number of passersby can read and understand the text. This is important because a substantial majority of illiterate folk still consider English to be a foreign language.
    Figure 11: New Campus (Kashmir) Under Pass
    This picture demonstrates the semiotic relationship between the local language and the ability to attract citizens. Moreover, economic considerations may have influenced the development of this technology. The bigger the amount of verbal information, that can be gathered by using the English language in Urdu, the greater the possibility of gaining attention of citizens. This picture is from an underpass of Lahore which shows an English script written in Urdu. To put it another way, English language localization is done to guarantee that the message or content is appropriate for the viewer’s sociocultural environment as well as his or her socio-academic setting.
    Figure 12: Zero Point
    This wording is especially notable for the fact that it is written in the native tongue and English as well, making it the best example of a local advertisement that is utilized to attract clients. The signboard mentions [ZERO POINT] written in Urdu as well as English. The fact that the native population can easily understand the Urdu language may also be a contributing factor to the use of this technique of advertisement in this country.
    Figure 13: Biryani and Boti
    The name [Biryani & Boti] is written in English on the wall in large letters. In Pakistan, one of the most often used business is the business of food, the abovementioned picture demonstrates the combination of Urdu written in English in order to attract the customers and to tell the foreigners about Pakistani cuisine.
    Figure 14: Al-Aleem State
    Additionally, Al-Aleem State serves a variety of services including property sale and purchase and other rental stuff. The relationship between the local language and the potential to attract citizens is demonstrated in this image. Aside from this, it is possible that economic reasons impacted the creation of this technology, as a greater amount of verbal information that can be acquired by leveraging the English language means a greater chance of getting information from customers. Another way to say it is that English language localization is done to ensure that the message or material is appropriate for the viewer's socio-cultural surroundings as well as their socio-academic setting.
    Figure 15: Chit Chat
    You are able to have a traditional breakfast from Pakistan if you go to Chit Chat Cafe in Karachi, which is a young and popular cafe that is also a restaurant that specializes in serving Pakistani food. The word “chat” is used in Urdu is essentially an English loanword that has been adopted into that language. Because this is the location where everyone congregates, there is a constant flow of conversation between those who are present. People like it for a number of different reasons, one of which is that it serves traditional food; another reason people like it is that it serves traditional food. It offers a one-of-a-kind ambiance that cannot be duplicated at any other restaurant and cannot be compared to the ambiance of any other establishment in any way, shape, or form. To put it more clearly, the taste of the cuisine is just incomparable to anything else in the universe. A person who is enthusiastic about food is ready to forego virtually anything in order to savor a mouthwatering dish that they have made. The item itself is of really exceptional quality, which helps to justify the purchase by explaining why the price tag is so unreasonably high in the first place because it justifies the purchase. The staff is peppy and kind, and they are always ready to offer customers directions and accommodate customers in any way that is practically possible. The Chit Chat is a neighborhood eatery that maintains a consistent level of acceptable quality across the entirety of the establishment in terms of how the interior is furnished.
    Figure 16: Dera Dari
    It is possible to write English using the letters of the Urdu script that are not based on the Roman alphabet. These distinct possibilities illustrate them as in the example on the left, the name of an official organization that uses a script other than Roman is transliterated into Urdu. The original name is written in a different script because the office is situated in the sub-city region of Rawalpindi which the Pakistani government is generally responsible for governing, and it has the name of that territory. The expression “Rawalpindi” is the name of the administrative district, and this is the literal translation of what the term means. A sign reads “Dera Dari, Family Restaurant” in English as it depicts an example of an advertisement tacked up on a wall and written in a script other than Roman. In Pakistan, advertisements for things for sale in the classifieds are frequently posted on the partitions, making this one of the country’s most common types of advertising locations. This advertising tactic is used rather frequently in Pakistan, even though it could appear peculiar to someone unfamiliar with Pakistan’s linguistic environment.
    Figure 17: Biryani Dreams
    This picture shows a local Urdu advertisement for BIRYANI DREAMS, which is another typical method of luring customers in this country. This advertisement illustrates the most generally spoken language in a certain location, such as Lahore. BIRYANI DREAMS is a restaurant in the Pakistani city of Lahore serves variety of dishes. The term BIRYANI is derived from the original language, whereas the word DREAMS is derived from English. In this advertisement, the lexical borrowing of different languages is presented.
    Collectively, the images of signboards/billboards, wall advertisements, and roadside posts monitor four important patterns. The trend depicted in Figure 1, shows the greatest number of samples that are generated in a manner defined as English written in a script other than Roman. It is also possible to refer to this as an English transcription of the Urdu number is of 69 percent. This demonstrates that enterprise owners/carrier corporations employ English lexical elements to describe the nature of the product/service they supply. The textual content is still written in the Urdu script as well as in Arabic/Persian. In addition, many elements have demonstrated the hybridization of language mixing because they are combining Arabic and English in advertisements posted on billboards and walls as 14 percent of the total samples contain such indicators. English and Urdu transliteration appeared on 13 percent of billboards and signboards. Only four percent of the final group of 15 samples exhibit the best English. As a result, English is the dominant language, followed by Urdu to a lesser extent. Socio-linguistically, it is crucial to highlight that all the samples were written in one or more local languages, except for a small amount of Pashto in two establishments.  
    The Quetta region, which is bilingual and multicultural, features a tiny number of clans, ethnic meetings, and semantic groupings, all of which are indistinguishable from one another. The Pashtoons, Balochs, Brahvis, Hazaras, and Punjabis are only a few of the key ethnic groups in the region as all across the city, photos are being shot. This is a preliminary inquiry based on what they have said so far and image determination was accomplished by employing a non-standard example measure to determine the photographs. Islamabad is the metropolis of the globalization of English in the Pakistan etymological scene city as there were no irregularities when it came to testing because the meeting approach was well-organized and left room for discussion. The questions centered on the many different reasons for using a certain language on billboards and the necessity and advantage of utilizing English and another non-Roman language in addition to the Roman language.  As of Landry–Bourhis (1997) principles, they are initially written in Urdu and various regional languages, and word-for-word excerpts from the sessions have been recorded for the first time in English. In the encounters, the analysts adhered to all fundamental examination morals and guidelines, such as seeking respondents’ consent before meeting with them and maintaining the secrecy of their personal information and personality traits. In addition to the many meals available, the sign indicates that they provide chai. Even though this sample is written in Urdu, it might contain some English lexical components. Urdu is the foundation for the vast majority of the world's most profitable goods and services. On the other hand, they are composed in the English language This commercial does an excellent job of showcasing what a local advertisement should look like in its basic form. The effectiveness of this marketing strategy can be attributed to the fact that native Urdu speakers have a solid understanding of it.

    Conclusion

    Individual citizens may also post personal advertisements on the walls, in addition to the commercial advertisements that are already there in Pakistan, advertising with flex boards is widespread street marketing. The restaurant’s menu is not written in the Roman alphabet but in English because of the common belief that the English language is unusual, there is a pressing need for the English language to be translated into other languages. This particular establishment is a dining establishment as this serves the purpose of highlighting the semiotic possibilities that are there in the original language. Financial considerations are probably the driving force behind this tactic as through the translation process, the message or content is modified so that it is appropriate for the sociocultural and academic setting of the observer. In Pakistan, the English script transcribes the Roman or Urdu original instead of using Urdu writing, as can be seen in bilingual signs. This is because Pakistan is a multilingual country and placards containing advertisements for various goods and services are typically written in both English and Urdu. It does not matter which word you choose to use to describe the products or services because there is a larger appeal in text deviation in Pakistan. The soft cloth has inscriptions in Urdu and English; the words are virtually word-for-word advertisements for the restaurant. In a manner very similar to the last example the entirety of the Urdu language is included, even though the document is written in English. In the English language, [CHAI] is an abbreviation.

    Using one’s command of the English language is a proxy for one’s position in society which is an essential component of Pakistan’s social and economic stratification, and is analogous to that of the present in the United States. There is a wealth of symbolic meaning in the English language as we are aware that the symbolic components of the English language contribute to the process of establishing the marketability and fashion potential of the language. In most instances, the phrase “energy domain names” is written in English because the importance of brand recognition cannot be overstated in a global economy that is increasingly relying on the English language. The English language is widely spoken across the globe and in Pakistani culture, both the past and the present coexist. People are more comfortable communicating with one another using English terminology as opposed to Urdu or any of the other contemporary languages. A number of business owners give their companies names that are memorable and catchy as one successful bakery owner made the conscious decision to give his business an English name to attract a more affluent and cultured customer. The English language can convey magnificence in its various forms. Evidence suggests that children and teenagers from privileged backgrounds seek to be members of elite groups, and this aspiration is not limited to the social aristocracy. These communities have a high level of life together with an air of refinement and a forward-thinking mentality. They are also immensely proud of their English heritage. 

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Cite this article

    APA : Afzal, S., Tehseem, T., & Faiz, R. (2022). Exploring Indigenous Culture Through the Linguistic Landscape in Pakistan: A Sociolinguistic Perspective. Global Sociological Review, VII(III), 10-22. https://doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2022(VII-III).02
    CHICAGO : Afzal, Summaya, Tazanfal Tehseem, and Rabia Faiz. 2022. "Exploring Indigenous Culture Through the Linguistic Landscape in Pakistan: A Sociolinguistic Perspective." Global Sociological Review, VII (III): 10-22 doi: 10.31703/gsr.2022(VII-III).02
    HARVARD : AFZAL, S., TEHSEEM, T. & FAIZ, R. 2022. Exploring Indigenous Culture Through the Linguistic Landscape in Pakistan: A Sociolinguistic Perspective. Global Sociological Review, VII, 10-22.
    MHRA : Afzal, Summaya, Tazanfal Tehseem, and Rabia Faiz. 2022. "Exploring Indigenous Culture Through the Linguistic Landscape in Pakistan: A Sociolinguistic Perspective." Global Sociological Review, VII: 10-22
    MLA : Afzal, Summaya, Tazanfal Tehseem, and Rabia Faiz. "Exploring Indigenous Culture Through the Linguistic Landscape in Pakistan: A Sociolinguistic Perspective." Global Sociological Review, VII.III (2022): 10-22 Print.
    OXFORD : Afzal, Summaya, Tehseem, Tazanfal, and Faiz, Rabia (2022), "Exploring Indigenous Culture Through the Linguistic Landscape in Pakistan: A Sociolinguistic Perspective", Global Sociological Review, VII (III), 10-22
    TURABIAN : Afzal, Summaya, Tazanfal Tehseem, and Rabia Faiz. "Exploring Indigenous Culture Through the Linguistic Landscape in Pakistan: A Sociolinguistic Perspective." Global Sociological Review VII, no. III (2022): 10-22. https://doi.org/10.31703/gsr.2022(VII-III).02