Text Integration for the Multilingual Printed Page

The study investigated the inclusion of foreign language material using non-Latin scripts on the design of ‘public informational’ genre documents in the UK. It examined the design strategies stemming from differing styles of visual language, focussing on the use of simultaneity and graphic equivalency (the visual matching and treatment of texts) in documents. The study also examined the levels of integration at different levels (macro and micro).

A document survey of a representative sample of (ethnically profiled) local government authorities using data collected through a document survey and multiple case studies was conducted. The survey recorded the process of document production, from commission to publication, to provide a broader understanding of the creation of a bi/multilingual ‘public informational’ document. Also, there was scrutiny of the underlying rationale(s) for the publication of such documents. The research then sought to develop criteria for the evaluation of bi/multilingual documents through empirical studies of extant documents collected from a variety of sources.

The survey provided evidence for the contention that current design solutions do not always appropriately address the problems of integration in bi/multilingual document design for the chosen genre. Indeed, it is the case that budget rather than access too frequently appears to be the driving motivation in the production of bi/multilingual documents. Also, that most local authorities use one or more of ten design strategies (defined by the study) to integrate two or more texts within a document.

Again, the survey also supports the contention that the occurrence of language shift (Fishman 1966) is a contributing factor for the seeming lack of knowledge amongst ethnic graphic designers in the UK. Also, that the UK government policy with regard to immigration has moved from the pluralistic Netherlands model to the American model where greater emphasis is now placed on English language acquisition and assimilation. Further, given the current global financial downturn (2009), it is unlikely that ‘best practice’ recommendations for the design of bi/multilingual documents would be implemented.

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