Constructing Banglatown: Linguistic landscapes in London’s East End

This paper explores the linguistic landscape of the East London ward of Spitalfields and Banglatown, with particular emphasis on the visual prevalence of the linguistic and symbolic repertoire of Bangla. It suggests that Banglatown as a social product is constructed not only by its people, but by its semiotic and linguistic landscape and the interaction within it. A qualitative analysis of a sample of signs identifies several interrelated frames, which construct Banglatown as a distinct symbolic entity, whereby multiple layers of linguistic and discourse practices create a space that is as much for the Bangladeshi community as it is about it.