https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/linguistika/

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24843/ling.2021.v28.i02.p07

LINGUISTIKA, SEPTEMBER 2021

p-ISSN: 0854-9613 e-ISSN: 2656-6419

Vol. 28 No.2


Linguistics Landscapes: New Normal Life Representation in Kuta, Bali

I Wayan Mulyawan ) IGA Istri Aryani English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University

[email protected] ; [email protected]

*) Corresponding Author

Abstract -- The covid-19 pandemic has influenced all human life worldwide. This pandemic affects all life in the world, including in Indonesia. Covid-19 had destroyed all aspects of life in Indonesia. One of the most devastating sectors affected is the tourism industry. In order to boost economic sustainability, the Indonesian government, through the Health Ministry, had issued a circular letter no. HK.02.01/MENKES/335/2020 about Protokol Pencegahan Penularan Corona Virus Disease (Covid-19) di Tempat Kerja Sektor Jasa dan Perdagangan (Area Publik) dalam Mendukung Keberlangsungan Usaha [Protocol for Prevention of Corona Virus Disease (Covid-19) Transmission in the Workplace of the Service and Trade Sector (Public Area) in Supporting Business Continuity]. This study is aimed to investigate the implementation of the Covid-19 protocol as an adaptation of New Normal life in Kuta village, Bali, Indonesia. It is chosen as the research area since Kuta is one of the international tourist destinations in Bali that mostly rely on the tourism industry. The data of this study is taken from any outdoor sign representing New Normal protocol in the area. The documentation method and note-taking technique were applied in collecting the data. The analysis is based on linguistics landscapes theory. The result showed that there are 199 outdoors signs found in 10 groups of most tourism facilities. The language of the sign is dominated by the Indonesian language with 84 signs, followed by the combination of English and Indonesian language with 55 signs.

Keywords: new normal life, covid-19 protocol, outdoor signs, Kuta, Bali.

  • 1.    Introduction

Coronavirus diseases (Covid-19), formerly known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a new strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by coronavirus 2 that was believed to be transmitted from bat to human (Liu Y-C., et al., 2020; Shareen, 2020). It was labelled as ‘19’ disease since it was initially discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak as a world pandemic. This status has made Covid-19 the fifth global pandemic since Spanish Flu in 1918, Asian Flu in 157, Hongkong Flu in 1968, and SARS in 2009 (Liu Y-C., et al., 2020).

The Covid-19 pandemic has destroyed the world economy because many countries have imposed lockdown regulations or regional quarantines on a national scale by closing all access in and out of the country. Therefore, many companies are closed, including airline companies. This lockdown, of course, has an impact on the world tourism sector.

In the context of handling this outbreak, the Indonesian government imposed a large-scale social restriction regulation as stipulated in Presidential Regulation number 21/2020 about Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar Dalam Rangka Percepatan Penanganan Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) [Large-Scale Social Restrictions in the Context of Accelerating Handling of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19)]. The issuance of this regulation caused the

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paralysis of the economy in Indonesia, especially in the domestic tourism sector.

In particular, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the tourism sector in Bali, whose economy is almost entirely dependent on this sector. Bali has become a dead city, especially seen in the Kuta village area, where almost all hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops are closed due to the absence of foreign and domestic tourists visiting.

Responding to these economic problems, the Ministry of Health issued a Circular Letter number HK.02.01/MENKES/335/2020 about Protokol Pencegahan Penularan Corona Virus Disease (Covid-19) di Tempat Kerja Sektor Jasa dan Perdagangan (Area Publik) dalam Mendukung Keberlangsungan Usaha [Protocol for Prevention of Corona Virus Disease (Covid-19) Transmission in the Workplace of the Service and Trade Sector (Public Area) in Supporting Business Continuity].. This circular focuses on adapting a new life protocol (New Normal) in business activities for consumers and workers.

With the issuance of this circular, tourism activities in Bali, especially in Kuta village, have begun to improve to welcome tourism through the new life protocol (New Normal). The representation of the implementation of this protocol can be seen clearly through various outdoor signs installed/posted in front of business premises and in the business environment, which aim to increase awareness and suppress the spread of Covid-19 in each business environment.

This study is aimed to investigate the use of the outdoor sign in Kuta as part of New Normal life protocol in conducting their business. Furthermore, it is analysing the use of language in the outdoor signs.

  • 2.    Material and Method

This study has a very high urgency because the results of this study are expected to provide a definite picture regarding the readiness of the tourism world in Kuta village in welcoming the new normal life protocol for the sustainability of the community's economy.

The data sources in this study were all outdoor signs in the village of Kuta. The outdoor signs include traffic signs, government building/office signs, private building/office signs, announcement signs and billboards. In contrast, the population data in this study

are various outdoor signs that have a representational relationship related to the new life protocol in the Kuta village area. In this study, the research study area was focused on six main roads in Kuta village, which represented the entire main tourism area in Kuta village. The six roads are Jl. Raya Kuta, Jl. Pantai Kuta, Jl. Legian, Jl. Bakung Sari, Jl. Buni Sari and Jl. Kartika Plaza.

Methods and techniques of data collection in this study using direct documentation techniques from the study area through photographic technique. The data collected is obtained in the Kuta village area, especially in various hotels and restaurants and other public/tourism facilities with a New Normal representation. The data collection was carried out in June 2021 along six main roads in the study area.

Methods and techniques of data analysis in this study is a combination of quantitative methods and qualitative methods. The quantitative method is used as a method of quantification analysis and identification of data related to the representation of the language used. The qualitative method is used to explain the analysis in word narration.

  • 3.    Theoretical Basis

Research studies related to outdoor signs known as Linguistic Landscapes (LL) were first initiated by Landry and Bourhis (1997). This study is a derivative form of sociolinguistic studies that discusses communication in society through mass communication which is represented through various signs in public spaces such as various commercial signs, billboards, government building signs, announcement signs and traffic signs.

Akindele (2011) discusses LL as a public communication in Gaborone, Botswana. In his article, Akindele tries to examine the influence of LL in the formation and development of the Gabarone Botswana language as a form of language use, linguistic policy among the local community.

“ ..... LL can provide valuable insight

into the linguistic situation of Gabarone Batswana, including a common pattern of language usage,

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official language policies, prevalent language attitudes, and the long-term consequences of language contact, among others.”

Ben-Rafael E. et al. (2006) examined the LL in Israel as a symbolic construction in a public place. They analysed the use of the three main languages in Israel in outdoor signs. The results of the study show that the combination of language use in the public domain shows community grouping in the LL environment.

“... study reveals essentially different

LL patterns in Israel's various communities: Hebrew-English signs prevail in Jewish communities;

Arabic-Hebrew in Israeli-Palestinian communities; Arabic-English in East Jerusalem.”

Huebner (2006) investigated code-mixing and language change in LL in Bangkok. The results of the analysis show that the diversity of language use in the Bangkok metropolitan area has many changes in language use from Chinese to English.

“...reveals the extent of linguistic diversity in a large metropolitan area like Bangkok,..... offers evidence of a shift from Chinese to English as the major language....”

The LL research for the Bali area has been previously carried out by Mulyawan. In this study, Mulyawan (2017: 8) focused his analysis on

outdoor commercial advertisements in the Kuta area, concluding that the existence of LL in Kuta is a reflection of facility support for the development of the Kuta area as a tourist destination.

“Commercial outdoor sign in Kuta is a reflection of what is needed and vital as the result of global development as a tourist destination.

The study showed that all Commercial outdoor sign are part of facilities that support the development and sustainability of Kuta as an international tourist destination.”

So far, the study of outdoor signs that has been carried out has focused more on linguistic studies related to commercialisation, the strength of language, the influence of power and the status of the language used. The study of multimodality analysis of linguistic landscapes related to the relationship of outdoor signs with the tourism and health sectors has not yet been studied in depth.

  • 4.    Result and Discussion

This study is qualitative research related to the representation of the New Normal adaptation in the world of tourism in Bali, especially in the village of Kuta. This representation is examined through various placements of outdoor signs on various tourism/public facilities. As explained in the research method, the data in this study focused on various New Normal representational signs along six main roads in Kuta village, including Jl. Raya Kuta, Jl. Pantai Kuta, Jl. Legian, Jl. Bakung Sari, Jl. Buni Sari and Jl. Kartika Plaza. The data collection process was carried out for six days, from June 14th, 2021, to June 19th, 2021. Every day, the team collected data on foot along the main road in the study area.

Figure 1. The Current Condition in Kuta

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A sad fact was obtained in the data collection process, where the conditions along the main road in the study area were still relatively quiet and deserted (see Figure 1). Most hotels, restaurants and various other tourism facilities are still closed and not operating. Likewise, almost no clothing and souvenir shops are open along the main road in Kuta village, especially on Jl. Pantai, Jl. Bakung Sari, Jalan Buni Sari, Jl. Kartika Plaza and Jl. Legian. Slightly different scenery seen on Jl. Raya Kuta (the main traffic lane), which is also the location of Kuta Traditional Market. Along the road, especially along the route to Kuta Traditional Market, economic activity looks quite busy, where almost all the food shops are still open and operating.

Based on the results of data collection (see Table 1), 199 outdoor signs were obtained that represent health protocols in the new life order or New Normal. The following are the results of data collection from each of the main roads that are the focus of the study area:

Table. 1 Data of New Normal Signs in Kuta

NO

ROADS

TOTAL

PERCENTAGE (%)

1

Jl.     Raya

Kuta

31

15,58

2

Jl.     Pantai

Kuta

46

23,11

3

Jl. Legian

52

26,13

4

Jl.   Bakung

Sari

11

5,53

5

Jl. Buni Sari

6

3,02

6

Jl.   Kartika

Plaza

53

26,63

TOTAL

199

100

Based on the data collection results, as shown in Table 2 above, the most New Normal signs are found on three main roads: Jl. Kartika Plaza, Jl. Legian and Jl. Pantai Kuta. Those are the centres of entertainment and tourist accommodation. Fifty-three signs (26.63%) were

found on Jalan Kartika Plaza, followed by Jalan Legian with 52 signs (26.13%) and Jalan Pantai Kuta with 46 signs (23.11%). Furthermore, the analysis of the New Normal representation on outdoor signs in Kuta village shows that there are 10 groups of New Normal signs based on the location of the signs, which are as follows:

  • a.    The New Normal sign at the pharmacy is the new normal sign in front of pharmacies and other health facilities.

  • b.    The New Normal signs in hotels are new normal signs found in the front and the   lobby   of hotels or tourist

accommodations.

  • c.    The  New  Normal sign  at the

minimarket is the new normal sign found in front of the minimarket.

  • d.    New Normal signs in Government Facilities are new normal signs found in front of government buildings and various other public places that are made and placed by the government.

  • e.    The New Normal sign in a restaurant is a new normal sign found in front of places to eat and drink.

  • f.    The New Normal sign in Educational Facilities is the new normal sign found in front of school buildings and other Educational facilities.

  • g.    The New Normal signs in Banking Facilities are new normal signs found in front of banks, ATMs or other financial facilities.

  • h.    The New Normal sign in Recreational Facilities is a sign outside the new normal found in public recreation areas.

  • i.    The New Normal sign in Entertainment Facilities is the new normal sign found in nightlife venues such as bars, discotheques and pubs.

  • j.    The New Normal signs in Shopping Center Facilities are new normal signs found in shopping centres or malls

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The results of the analysis (see table 2) show that the most common new normal signs are found in front of minimarkets with a total of 47 (23.62%) signs, followed by signs in front of hotels with 31 signs (15.58%) and the least in front of educational facilities with a total of 3 signs ( 1.51%). In Figure 2, it can be seen some examples of new normal representation on various signs found based on their location.

Table 2. Data of New Normal Signs based on Locations

NO

LOCATION

TOTAL

PERCENTAGE (%)

1

Pharmacy

18

9,05

2

Hotel

31

15,58

3

Mini Market

47

23,62

4

Government Facilities

17

8,54

5

Restaurant

23

11,56

6

Educational Facilities

3

1,51

7

Banking Facilities

11

5,53

8

Recreational Facilities

7

3,52

9

Entertainment Facilities

22

11,06

10

Shopping Centre

20

10,05

TOTAL

199

100

Figure 2. Sample Data of New Normal Signs

Besides the representation of New Normal signs, this study also analysed the language representations used in various new normal signs in the village of Kuta. Based on the results of the analysis, there are two languages used, namely Indonesian and English. In addition, there are also many visual/non-verbal signs in the form of hand sanitisers, sinks or handwashing facilities without writing in front of each facility location. The results of the analysis found four groups of language combinations used, namely:

  • a.    Indonesian

  • b.    English

  • c.    English and Indonesian

  • d.    Non-Verbal (representation of New Normal Adaptation symbols such as a sink, hand sanitiser, or other handwashing facilities)

Table 3. The Language of New Normal Signs

NO

LANGUAGE

TOTAL

PERCENTAGE (%)

1

Indonesian

84

42,21

2

English

49

24,62

3

English   and

Indonesian

55

27,64

4

Non-Verbal

11

5,53

TOTAL

199

100

The analysis results in table 3 show that Indonesian is used in the highest number with a total of 84 signs (42.21%) followed by a combination of English and Indonesian with 55 signs (27.64%). Furthermore, the results of this language representation show the importance of the role of Indonesian in implementing the New Normal adaptation in tourism/public areas in Kuta.

  • 5.    Conclusion

Based on the previous results of the analysis in this study, the representation of the New Normal adaptation in Kuta village can be concluded as follows:

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  • a.    Every tourism/public facility in Kuta village has implemented a new life adaptation and health protocol in each business/public environment. This finding is clearly represented through various outdoor signs placed in front of each business facility. This study found 10 locations for placing signs of New Normal protocol in Kuta village (see Table 2).

  • b.    The language representation shows that there are four groups of languages used in the new normal sign in Kuta village, namely Indonesian, English, a combination of English and Indonesian and      non-verbal       languages.

Furthermore, it was  found that

Indonesian was the most widely used as the New Normal sign language, followed by a combination of English and Indonesian (see Table 3).

Acknowledgement

Herewith we would like to express our gratitude and thanks to LP3M of Udayana University for funding this study and all colleagues for their help in this study.

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