The Use of English on Linguistic Landscape in Tulungagung: The Initial Evidence of Language Battle in Public Space

Abstrak

The widespread use of English is depicted in the Linguistic
Landscape (LL) in Tulungagung competes the Indonesian
language (the national language) and Javanese language (the
local language). The present study is aimed (1) to view the
position of English language among the existing languages, (2) to
investigate what motive that urges a signage owner in acquiring
English, and (3) to explain the role performed by English in
society. A descriptive qualitative method in research is carried out
to explain the phenomenon. Data were collected from an
observation of languages appear on signage and an interview to
the signage owner. This study is set up in Tulungagung Regency
that characterized as the Central Business District (CBD). From
the total 460 photographed signages observed and the interviews
done, it is shown that English in society is not more dominant than
the Indonesian language in use as explained by Landry & Bourhis
(1997) but as the interviews done with the signage owner, it
narrates that English carries some characterization proposed by
Piller (2001) that urge a party to acquire English and it also plays
significant roles in society, specifically in business field as stated
by Lee (2019). Thus, it challenges the use of local language, the
Javanese language, since English appears within its excellence.