https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t Do you see signs of multilingualism were you live? Please share it with us! en-us 2016-08-21 12:11:09 UTC 2025-11-22 08:20:10 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Condos.png tomspits https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/119044669 Love Fryslân!]]> 2016-08-21 12:28:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/119044669 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/129719294 In Canada, we speak French and English. All provincial signs and publications must be published in both languages and students are required to learn French until highschool. As we become home to more and more new immigrants we also see many signs in additional languages although it's not mandatory. ]]> 2016-10-11 08:38:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/129719294 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130474821 Near the town where I live (Garmerwolde in the Netherlands) there is this very tiny sign which points to two towns: Thesinge (Dutch, in Saxon 'Taisen') and Garmerwolde (in Saxon 'Gaarmwol'). This is not an official sign but an unofficial sticker, and the interesting part is that the Saxon variants are printed in a big font, while the Dutch counterparts are in a very small font (and hardly intelligible in my picture)]]> 2016-10-13 15:11:13 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130474821 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130615075 Bilingual road signs in Wales.  The language order depends on the region or authority. In Cardiff it is English first and Welsh second on signs from the Council. ]]> 2016-10-13 22:14:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130615075 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130880971 Public bodies in Wales are required to have a policy for implementation of bilingualism. Private companies are not legally compelled to do so but many do so (on business grounds) ]]> 2016-10-14 21:04:49 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130880971 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130881615 Bin provided by Cardiff Council/Cyngor  Caerdydd.
All communication with the UK government, the Welsh Government or public authorities acting in Wales MUST offer communication in Welsh or English. (Often bilingual documents are produced but sometimes you select the language you wish to use). Strange thatWelsh is the only official language in Wales by law. English has no legal status as an official language, it being only de facto an official language of the UK but not one de jure. Until the 1950s the official use of Welsh was forbidden by law.]]> 2016-10-14 21:11:56 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130881615 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130921025 2016-10-15 15:26:52 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/130921025 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/131009965 2016-10-16 23:45:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/131009965 masterlinguist78 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/132222318 These bins in Bath, England, are in several languages.]]> 2016-10-20 20:37:12 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/132222318 masterlinguist78 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/132223028 Another bin in Bath...]]> 2016-10-20 20:40:32 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/132223028 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/166441618 The U.S. has no official language, but English has historically been used as a de facto official language. After English, Spanish is by far the most commonly used language, and in the U.S. "bilingual" is often understood to mean "English and Spanish".]]> 2017-04-15 20:08:16 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/166441618 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/166442023 After Chinese, English is the most commonly seen language in China. It is used for the benefit of foreigners, who are expected to understand English if not Chinese, and also in advertising as an easy way to lend businesses (and therefore their customers) a cosmopolitan cachet. Despite the high status of English in China, the translation industry is not very well developed, and the majority of translation is done by people whose native language is Chinese and who are not professional translators, but whose English is perceived to be better than their coworkers. This sign is advising shoppers to be wary of hitting their heads against the nearby escalator.]]> 2017-04-15 20:22:50 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/166442023 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/245843544 It is commonplace to see bilingual signage across Southern California.  This example is from a local car dealership in an area which has a majority Chinese population.  Note the signs in English and Chinese have different messages for different audiences:  One reads "Hiring Chinese/English speakers" while the other reads "(We have) professional Chinese speaking salespeople at your service."

]]> 2018-03-25 16:09:36 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/245843544 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/245845650 Many businesses go by different names in different languages.  Here is a local real estate office.  "Century 21" is directly translated into Chinese but "Inverness" is not.  ]]> 2018-03-25 16:25:37 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/245845650 catfantastic https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/249111902 The languages spoken here are primarily English and French, but it is Ojibwe territory, and after years of suppression there is an effort to bring back the language. It was -20 with windchill this morning so I didn't get out (and there aren't that many trilingual signs here in town anyway) but I managed to cobble together examples of all three here at home (with a little braille thrown in, on the bookmarks).  M'nidoo Minissing is one spelling of the Ojibwe name of the island just to the south of us, which in English is called Manitoulin Island.]]> 2018-04-06 05:05:31 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/249111902 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/306188797 Advertising panel 
by Kouassi N'nancocquot Chrystelle

This is a sign from home that advertises cookies. This advertisement was made for the Muslim fast in my country.  


]]> 2018-11-20 03:43:00 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/306188797 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/949681569 Cornish language having a resurgence in south west England. Most road signs are bilingual, also adverts on the buses etc. It’s a beautiful tongue. This sign has the Cornish chough, the miner and the fisher. ]]> 2020-11-22 13:24:48 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/949681569 ignasibc https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/1379486457 Four languages in one sign. In Val d'Aran (Catalonia) people speak Aranese (the local variety of the Occitan language), but there are also people speaking Catalan and Spanish. These three languages are official and often they appear in public signs together with French, the language of neighbours and tourists. In the photo, a warning about mushroom picking. ]]> 2021-04-03 13:43:12 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/1379486457 https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/2163348772 Hi. I'm from Brazil, and here we have bilingual signs to welcome and guide tourists. In the photo above, the two languages are Portuguese (local language) and English (for tourists).]]> 2022-04-28 21:14:31 UTC https://padlet.com/tomspits/fx6m144kbi7t/wish/2163348772