Harnessing the Power of Languages: Enhancing TESOL Classrooms Through Multilingual Linguistic Landscape

This chapter explores Linguistic Landscape (LL) as a catalyst of empowerment in TESOL classrooms. LL, defined as the display of language in the public space, serves important informational and symbolic functions as a representation of relative power and status of linguistic communities inhabiting the same territory (Landry & Bourhis, 1997; Shohamy, 2006). LL may function as a means to broaden our understanding of a range of glocal matters including nationalism, multiculturalism, and religious traditions (Roudometof, 2016). In the TESOL classroom, LL-based pedagogies can contribute to the empowerment of immigrant and heritage language learners by integrating their representation into the learning environment, while simultaneously advocating and fostering their complete linguistic repertoire (Raza et al., 2023). The chapter features three activities that explore English language learning beyond the walls and curricula of the traditional classroom. These units showcase how Israeli teachers employ the principles and methods of LL to engage students of various linguistic and ethno-religious backgrounds. Israel embodies a society of remarkable ethnic and linguistic diversity (Meir et al., 2021) which culminates in multilingual classrooms. The materials developed concentrate on acknowledging and honoring local cultures and differences all the while incorporating the visual representation of multilingualism. Despite their focus on the LL of Israel, these units provide a model for ELT professionals to utilize their social and pedagogical agency to create materials that embody the identity work of learners and are tailored to fit and expand on local cultural and linguistic contexts.