Cabras, G. (2023). Tibetan in the linguistic landscape of Xining (Qinghai Province, Amdo Tibet, Northwest China): a minority language in the context of a monolingual language policy and in a non-autonomous area. International Journal of Multilingualism, 1–25. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14790718.2023.2232393
This article, published in 2023 before the start of the project, constitutes a preliminary study on the linguistic landscape of Amdo. It focuses on the emergence of Tibetan language in Xining, a non-autonomous area, in which the use of minority languages is not regulated. The paper analyses the language choices, content, and visual elements of the signs and discusses the different uses of Tibetan signs in Xining. Commercial opportunities seem to be a driving force behind the use of Tibetan given the prestige of branding particular products as Tibetan and the exotic Tibetan atmosphere. Business owners seem to take advantage of commercial trends and the symbolic role of the Tibetan language and script as representative of the dominant discourse of Tibetan exoticism and spirituality. Moreover, the article explores the use of the Tibetan language in public space in light of the current language policies and language ideologies in China, particularly in the Amdo region.
Blog post on Language on the Move: Tibetan in China’s rapid urbanization https://www.languageonthemove.com/tibetan-in-chinas-rapid-urbanization/