JEAN REINTEGRADO-CELINO (UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS, MANILA)

SCHOOLSCAPE AS A BASIS FOR LANGUAGE-IN EDUCATION POLICY FORMULATION: THE CASE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS : LANGUAGE PLANNING AND LANGUAGE POLICY

It has been recently posited that schoolscape grounds language policy formulation. This study, therefore, attempted to characterize the schoolscape of the oldest university in the Philippines and in Asia, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) by examining the (1) functional categories of signs, sign categorizations, language (s) or varieties used, sign space, logo carrier, sign timing, and language units; (2) the language ideologies projected in and by UST schoolscape with respect to language preference, language minoritization, and language otherization, linguistic beliefs, and linguistic identity and (3) currently implemented language-in-education policies of the university. In doing so, quantitative and qualitative methodologies, which include a genre-based analysis, a quantitative-distributive approach, guided tour interviews, structured interviews, and documentary and policy analyses, were employed. Findings indicate that the English language dominates the university's schoolscape. Also, it was found that the majority of the signs are top-down and serve informational and required functions. Moreover, the interview responses of the various school stakeholders convey significant insights into the intersection of their language ideologies and the language ideologies projected in and by the UST schoolscape. Finally, this study espouses how the examination of the schoolscape may ground the formulation of UST’s language-in-education policy.

Jean I. Reintegrado-Celino is an assistant professor in the Department of English of the Faculty of Arts and Letters of the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Manila, Philippines. Her research interests include linguistic landscape, second language teaching and learning, forensic linguistics, and Philippine English. Presently, she is a candidate for a Doctor of Philosophy, major in English Language Studies at the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School (USTGS).