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Language landscape of Korean restaurant signs in Berlin

  • The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea
  • Abbr : 사회언어학
  • 2025, 33(1), pp.23~52
  • Publisher : The Sociolinguistic Society Of Korea
  • Research Area : Humanities > Linguistics
  • Received : February 7, 2025
  • Accepted : February 28, 2025
  • Published : March 31, 2025

Cho Wonhyong 1

1Freie Univ. Berlin

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study examines the signs of 83 Korean restaurants operating in Berlin as of January 2025 and discusses the following from the perspective of the language landscape: First, in which characters are these signs written? Second, in what language is the term "Korean restaurant" stated? Third, in which language is the store name written? Fourth, do other design considerations exists? The result shows that those who operate Korean restaurants in Berlin tend to display signs primarily in Roman letters instead of highlighting Hangul, which is still considered an unfamiliar character to Germans to avoid creating an overly heterogeneous language landscape. But the result of more comprehensive examination shows that the Korean restaurants in Berlin tend to display their identity and characteristics as Koreans. These research results can be used as reference material to gauge the lifestyle of Korean immigrants in the present Germany, beyond a simple discussion of the language landscape.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.