Język polski w krajobrazie językowym Ostrawy

THE POLISH LANGUAGE IN THE LINGUISTIC LANDSCAPE OF OSTRAVA The purpose of this text is to present several aspects of language landscape research using the example of public places in Ostrava – the third largest city in the Czech Republic with historical and still (to some extent) close ties with Poland. The Polish language in Ostrava’s linguistic landscape was analysed from a synchronic perspective using the author’s own field research, conducted in 2023–2024. The subject of the research were inscriptions (but also various types of voice messages and audio announcements of an informative or persuasive nature) in Polish found in public spaces in Ostrava and recorded by the author of this text in the form of photographs and recordings. In order to collect material for description and analysis, all signs in Polish on the outside of buildings, exceptionally also in their interiors (e. g. in the foyer, lobby) were photographed, virtually all over Ostrava. Linguistic signs appearing in Ostrava’s urban space were analysed in accordance with the methodology adopted in linguistic landscape studies, and were divided into monolingual, polyphonic and mixed ones, as well as into signs of public or private character.