The Local Linguistic Landscape through Israeli Arab College Students Eyes

Adopting a sociolinguistic framework that highlights the political nature of language and its role as a marker of national identity in conflict zones, this book discusses the dystopian representation of Arabic as a minority language in the linguistic landscape in Israel through the eyes of indigenous Israeli Palestinian students. Using a participatory documentary photography research tool named PhotoVoice, minoritized college students from Northern Israel were invited to document and reflect on the signage in their area. Content analysis of students reflections revealed not only a problematic linguistic reality in which the presence of Arabic was limited and inaccurate, but also the ways the space was experienced by them as local inhabitants. The book chapters shed light on their profound cognitive and affective perceptions and aspirations as passers-by toward the (mis)representation of their native language in the country. The contribution of the book lies in demonstrating the potential of the innovative tool PhotoVoice in developing awareness to the explicit and implicit messages delivered through linguistic landscapes and encouraging action for achieving utopian, more inclusive linguistic realities where minority languages are appropriately represented.