Seventeenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

Based on studies in the field of Linguistic Landscape and local research, there is a clear connection between the appearance of one’s language in the public space with a feeling of belonging and self-worth. Manu’l is a linguistic landscape project that seeks to use public recreation spaces in Israel as a platform for creating intercultural contact through the presence of the Arabic language in the linguistic landscape in Israel. This is done by embedding expressions and proverbs, that are massively used in the Arabic language, and connecting them with leisure activities the public space offers. Today, Arabic is lacking from the Israeli Linguistic Landscape, and appears mostly in its formal display, in warning, prohibition and guidance signs, the focus of Man’ul is to create a narrative linguistic space in which the Arabic language gains presence in the space, both for its speakers and for Hebrew speakers.