Linguistic Landscape on Food and Beverage Signboards in Binjai City

Abstract

The study of Linguistic Landscape (LL) examines how people, whether monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual, utilize language in public settings. The food & beverage scene in Binjai City, North Sumatra, is renowned for its diverse and vibrant flavors that reflect the city's rich cultural heritage. This research provides valuable insights into the evolving linguistic landscape of a rapidly growing city influenced by globalization and local traditions. The purpose of this study was to find the language characteristics of the linguistic landscape of food & beverage sigboards in Binjai City ; to investigate the realization of linguistic items of food & bevarage signboards in Binjai City, and to understand the importance of language choice in the linguistic landscape of food & bevarage signboards in Binjai City. This research method is qualitative by applying the data collection of food and beverage signboard. The model applied in data analysis is interactive which observed the picture then captured the pictures on languages displayed function, classified and described the realitation, and explain the reasons why English is used in the linguistic landscape on food and beverage signboards in Binjai City. The result showed that the researcher found 45 total signboard with 2 language characteristics: Monolingual and Bilingual. It was found that English is more dominant than Indonesian language. The overwhelming majority of food and beverage establishments in Binjai City use monolingual signboards in Indonesian, accounting for 68,89% of the total. A smaller portion of businesses, 31,11 %, utilize bilingual signboards, specifically combining Indonesian and English. The study found that the realization of the linguistic landscape is shaped by both local identity and the influence of global trends. The reason of the owner use of English on signboards is not merely decorative; it serves to signal modernity and sophistication, drawing in customers who associate English with global appeal and higher quality.