“Leave no trace”: The macro and microscale analysis of the linguistic landscape of the Polish-Czech border area

This article investigates the linguistic landscape of the Polish-Czech border area through the lenses of ecolinguistics and linguistic landscape studies. It explores the languages displayed in this region along with the semiotic and social contexts that surround them. Firstly, the study quantitatively examines the macroscale of the linguistic landscape in the Polish-Czech border area. The macroscale serves as a reference point for the microscale analysis. Specifically, the microscale examination focuses on a sticker board outside a tourist hostel entrance on Szczeliniec Wielki peak in Stołowe Mountains National Park, employing quantitative and qualitative methods. Both analyses reveal similar trends, i.e. a gradual shift from the monolingual paradigm. In addition, the examination of the microsigns on this sticker board in Stołowe Mountains National Park highlights the various forms of the tourists’ self-expression. The paper also suggests a few activities – inspired by the research findings and LL – that can be incorporated into the EFL classroom.