Critical multilingual language awareness through linguistic landscapes
Korean college students’ study abroad experiences in Boston
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19217631 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hyun‐sook Kang (0000-0001-8340-3718, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, corresponding author), Deoksoon Kim (0000-0001-5069-757X, Boston College) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-19 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0143-4632 • E-ISSN: 1747-7557 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/01434632.2026.2678460 |
| OpenAlex | W7163812416 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
This study examined how a linguistic landscape task integrated into a short-term study abroad (STSA) program in Boston helped cultivate critical multilingual language awareness (CMLA) – the ability to notice and critique how multilingual language practices reflect and reproduce ideologies and power relations (De Costa and Van Gorp 2023) – among Korean college students. Twenty-one undergraduates participated in a three-week program that included coursework on language education, ideology, and technology in US schools, alongside explorations of Boston’s history and culture. As part of the coursework, students completed a linguistic landscape task. Prior to fieldwork, they were introduced to the task’s procedures and reflection questions. Students then photographed and categorised pictures of public signage observed during outdoor explorations of the city, completing the task weekly across the program. Students’ multimodal posts show how they noticed linguistic surroundings and how they sometimes interrogated ideologies embedded in multilingual and multimodal signage by uncovering hidden messages and by assessing respect, inclusivity, and social belonging. Findings suggest that linguistic landscapes can serve not only as a source of authentic input, but also as a pedagogical tool for fostering social awareness and critical language engagement. The study discusses implications for designing CMLA-oriented STSA programs
Cultural competence · Foreign language · Language acquisition · Language proficiency · Metalinguistics · Multilingualism · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Study abroad · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Multilingual Education and Policy · Second Language Learning and Teaching
Enhancing Language Learning in Study Abroad
Metrolingualism
Ethnography, Superdiversity and Linguistic Landscapes
Large-Scale Assessment of Student Attitudes after a Short-Term Study Abroad Program
The linguistic landscape as an additional source of input in second language acquisition
Using the linguistic landscape as a pedagogical resource
Increasing critical language awareness through translingual practices in academic writing
Translingual competence and study abroad
Doing multilingualism through transnational linguistic landscaping
What do students learn in virtual exchange? A qualitative content analysis of learning outcomes across multiple exchanges
Fostering critically compassionate global citizens
Engagement with language in study abroad
Centering critical multilingual language awareness in language teacher education
Translanguaging for critical multilingual language awareness
The pedagogical benefits of a linguistic landscape project in Japan
Chinese students’ engagement with linguistic landscapes during a summer school in Scotland
Engaging with linguistic landscaping in Vancouver’s Chinatown
The emergence of critical multilingual language awareness in teacher education
Linguistic landscape and heritage language literacy education
Wholeness as a developmental goal
Researching language-focused study abroad through an equity lens
Language Awareness in language learning and teaching
Developing multilingual awareness through engaging with the linguistic landscape
Critical language awareness in teacher education
The Role of Pedagogical Mentoring in Virtual Exchange
Critical Language Awareness in the United States
Linguistic Landscape and Ethnolinguistic Vitality
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |