Linguistic Landscape Approach to Language Visibility in Post-Soviet Baku

Abstract

The paper aims to apply the concept of linguistic landscape as a social science theoretical framework to language visibility in post-Soviet Baku as it is assumed that radical shifts in a society inflict radical changes in the balance of language power. The rationale to focus on both top-down signs and bottom-up signs in the central part of Baku was to detect the overt official language policy and to determine whether the official language policy was backed by the entrepreneurs. Findings showed that the shift has radically changed the functional balance of language power. Russian, which experienced unlimited power during the Soviet period, has significantly weakened. English has sharply strengthened its position. Many functions that Russian used to fulfill have been taken over by English. Turkish has a huge impact on Azerbaijani. Three tendencies can be observed: returning to Turkic roots, de-Russification and linguistic globalization.