Abstract
This study investigates the linguistic landscape (LL) of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), focusing on three campuses which are Auckland Park Kingsway (APK), Doornfontein (DFC), and Soweto campuses (SWC) by examining top-down and bottom-up signage as well as the Digital Linguistic Landscape (DLL) of the institution. Using a mixed-methods approach, 306 signs were analysed to assess the visibility and representation of languages in public spaces. Despite UJ’s multilingual policy, the findings show a significant predominance of English across the campuses, with limited integration of the institution’s other official languages, which are Afrikaans, isiZulu, and Sesotho sa Leboa. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and multimodality were employed as theoretical frameworks to examine the power dynamics, historical legacies, and sociocultural factors influencing language use in the university's public spaces. The analysis revealed that while top-down signage partially reflects institutional efforts to promote multilingualism, bottom-up signage is overwhelmingly monolingual in English, suggesting a disconnect between policy and practice. Similarly, the DLL demonstrates English dominance, which raises further questions about the alignment between digital representation and institutional multilingual commitments. This study highlights the need for more inclusive signage practices that better represent the linguistic diversity of both the university and the broader South African context. It calls for future initiatives that encourage the creative use of multiple languages in campus signage to foster inclusivity and cultural expression.