Linguistic Landscape and Language Learning

Together with its contributions in fields such as sociolinguistics, language policy, and social semiotics, linguistic landscape has become a compelling arena of interest for language learning as well. The diverse and contested nature of languages as displayed and experienced in public space lends itself to study as far more than authentic L2 input. Accordingly, in out‐of‐class settings of all kinds, educators and researchers are exploring pedagogical applications that bridge diverse traditions of language study and literacy education, treating public texts and textual practices as opportunities for learners to develop language awareness, intercultural competence, civic participation, and social critique. After reviewing some of the disciplinary origins and interconnections between linguistic landscape and L2 learning research, this entry introduces several recent studies of language and literacy learning in the linguistic landscape. It then identifies a number of potential areas for future dialogue and reciprocal growth between linguistic landscape and “schoolscape” research methods, on the one hand, and L2 teaching design, on the other.