“A general definition of biliteracy is the ability to read
and write in two languages. A broader definition, however, includes more than
reading and writing; it includes the ability to construct and communicate
meaning in two languages across diverse social contexts and in socioculturally
appropriate ways.”
As I looked through the photo essay, I couldn’t help but notice
the visual tapestry of texts that surround us in our daily lives. As a commuter
I notice dual language signs on the subway cars, Spanish and English juxtaposed
together advertising insurance, doctors, lawyers—all of the essential services
that people in a society need. Spanish isn’t the only language that has a stake
in the city. Some of the languages that I’ve come across such as Arabic, Urdu,
Portuguese, Serbo-Croatian, are part of the diverse ethnicities that make up
Astoria, Queens. Often times I’ve looked up at signs and wondered what those
other languages are communicating, if there’s another meaning apart from the
obvious one-to-one functional relationship.
We live in a world that is increasingly surrounded by
advertisements that occupy our public spaces. These advertisements are being
communicated in an interesting combination of text and images creating
different ways of extrapolating meaning that is much more complex than simply
decoding text for a corresponding singular meaning. Signs that communicate
biliteracy are prominent in spaces that have a predominant population of
English and second language speakers.
The photo essay gave many great examples of the functions of
different signs. Some of the signs capture the creativity needed to fuse these
two languages together, creating something entirely new and hybrid. For
example, C-Señor is a pun on the word sí, translating to “yes, sir.” Giving the
store an extra qualitative description of customer service. It isn’t unusual
that the bulk of the signs in this photo essay are shown in environments that
are exposed to the public. The need for communication in an effective way
creates conditions that create biliteracy. Some of the signs are quite telling
in that regard. One sign reads “Se nesecita dos persona para lavar platos.” The
sign shows that the person who typed it either was a non-native speaker of
Spanish because it has spelling mistakes and the person didn’t pluralize
“persona” to personas. This shows that even a person who may never have had a need
to use Spanish is now obliged to use it. It shows that the labor force in
particular has a need to be fulfilled and language is the medium that
communicates that need. Biliteracy in this kind of environment is a definite
attribute in the eyes of a businessperson.
This shows that there will be an increasing need for
biliteracy and that in many ways it’s already here
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