Actors and language(s) in the linguistic landscape of a hospital: between privatization and agency

Abstract

In this work we present a case study about the role of languages in healthcare communication performed at a public hospital in Buenos Aires. The analysis of the intersection between actors and language(s) shows us a communication deregulated healthcare space, where the institutions are proposed as monolingual and leave most of the communication agenda under the sphere of the private sector or non-governmental organizations. In contrast, linguistic and cultural diversity of the people that actually attend the hospital often remains in the hands of individuals who assume the role of mediators between the State and the communities. We analyze the linguistic landscape of the hospital by direct observation, interviews to patients and a collection of multimodal texts available on the public space. By using an ethnographic perspective, we aim to study not only languages but specially the speakers and what they do when they use language(s). Moreover, our perspective of linguistic plurality is not only interested in linguistic diversity but also in the different social varieties, lects and styles observed at the hospital.