Testing the waters: a nationwide survey of signage language policies in Australia
Date
2025
Authors
Cai, H.
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Journal article
Citation
Current Issues in Language Planning, 2025; 1-24
Statement of Responsibility
Hong Cai
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Abstract
This study examines Australia’s linguistic landscape from the perspective of government authorities through a nationwide survey (2023–2024) of public signage policies at federal, state/ territory, and local levels. Based on 406 responses and policy document analysis, the study identifies significant gaps and inconsistencies in the regulation of language use on signage. English is assumed as the default but rarely formalised, while references to languages other than English (LOTE) appear mainly in place-naming policies or reconciliation plans and lack enforceability. The absence of a coordinated national approach undermines both communicative access for LOTE speakers and Australia’s commitments to multiculturalism. However, many agencies indicated interest in using the findings to enhance signage practices, reflecting growing awareness of linguistic inclusion. The study highlights the need for ongoing research and policy engagement to ensure signage reflects Australia’s multilingual reality. It recommends establishing a national database of signage policies and best practices to stengthen cross-jurisdictional coordination, address the limitations of voluntary data collection, and promote more equitable, inclusive public communication.
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Dissertation Note
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Description
OnlinePubl. Available online 16 Sep 2025.
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© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.