Innovation in Language Learning
Exploring Linguistic Landscape of Cañón del Combeima
Valentina Llanos Giraldo, Universidad del Tolima (Colombia)
Oriana Restrepo Ramírez, Universidad del Tolima (Colombia)
Abstract
This research looks at how different languages are used and in public spaces throughout Cañón del Combeima, a region in Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia. It focuses on the ways languages appear together on signs in places like shops, government buildings, and informal spots, aiming to show what this reveals about the area's culture and sense of community. Using ideas from linguistic landscape theory and ethnolinguistic vitality, the study blends photos of signs with interviews from local people, business owners, and tourists to gain a fuller picture. Fieldwork was carried out in Cañon del Combeima, where researchers took note of signs written in several languages: Spanish, English, French, and some words from the indigenous Pijao language. The signs were then studied to see how often each language appeared, how visible they were, and what meanings they held in different public spaces. Preliminary findings suggest that English predominates in commercial and tourism-related settings, serving as a symbol of modernity and accessibility for visitors, while Spanish remains the dominant language in institutional contexts. Indigenous linguistic elements, although less visible, persist symbolically through toponyms and cultural references, highlighting the area’s historical heritage. This study contributes to the growing body of research on linguistic landscapes in underexplored Colombian regions by emphasizing how small-town multilingualism reveals processes of cultural negotiation, identity formation, and linguistic inequality. Ultimately, it aims to inform future policies that promote linguistic diversity and preserve indigenous heritage within Tolima’s sociolinguistic landscape.
Keywords: Linguistic landscape, multilingualism, Cañón del Combeima, cultural identity, Pijao language, sociolinguistics, Tolima
