Multilingualism in Foz do Iguaçu

Analysis of a border linguistic landscape in tourist scenarios

Abstract

This research aims to verify the languages present in the linguistic landscape in the tourist scenarios of Foz do Iguaçu and analyze the relationship between status, language policies, and the sociocultural space that each of these occupy. The theoretical foundation that is inserted in the studies of Applied Linguistics. It is transdisciplinary in nature and is in dialogue with language policies and is qualitative and exploratory. Located in the southern region of Brazil, in the extreme west of the state of Paraná and at the triple border (Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay), Foz do Iguaçu has become the second gateway for foreign tourists in the country and a scenario of concentration of national and international migrants, whose languages are reflected in its linguistic landscape. However, despite its rich linguistic/cultural diversity, there is neither a defined official language policy nor a complete and official mapping of the languages that coexist, positioning Portuguese as a hegemonic language and making certain languages/cultures invisible in public and private spaces. This situation reaffirms that the city cannot be considered a plurilingual scenario and there is little of that "harmonization" between ethnic groups that, for tourist purposes, is conveyed by the media.