Prototype of Virtual Linguistic Landscape (VLL)-Based Mobile Application in West Sumatra
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/saludcyt20262543Keywords:
prototype, virtual linguistic landscape (vll), mobile application, cultural heritage, tourism, west SumatraAbstract
Introduction: Language in public spaces embodies not only communication but also cultural identity and regional branding. In West Sumatra, where tourism reached over 19 million visitors in 2024, the integration of local linguistic elements and Minangkabau cultural symbols presents strong potential for promoting sustainable tourism through digital innovation.
Objective: This study aims to design a prototype of a Virtual Linguistic Landscape (VLL)-based mobile application and to evaluate its expert validity in terms of content, language, quality assurance (QA), and user interface (UI/UX).
Method: Employing a Research and Development (R&D) approach with a 4-D model (Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate), the study combines field observation and document analysis from 8 regencies and cities in West Sumatra with 48 tourism heritage sites and attractions. Furthermore, the prototype was validated by three expert panels assessing 32 indicators across four aspects.
Results: Results show that content and language achieved an overall validity score of 76 % (Valid), indicating strong relevance for tourism promotion and cross-cultural understanding, though minor revisions are required in bilingual consistency and instructional clarity. Meanwhile, QA and UI/UX aspects obtained an average score of 91 % (Highly Valid), demonstrating excellent stability, aesthetics, navigational clarity, and system security.
Conclusions:
The findings confirm that the prototype is feasible and ready for pilot implementation with targeted refinements. This research contributes to the growing field of Virtual Linguistic Landscapes by providing a digital framework for cultural preservation and regional tourism promotion in Indonesia.
References
1. V. N. Sari, H. Hady, and Elfiswandi, “Employee Commitment Model: Analysis of the Work Environment and Digital Literacy on Organizational Performance to Introduce the Potential of West Sumatra Tourism Objects (Case Study on West Sumatra Tourism Employees),” Int. J. Prof. Bus. Rev., vol. 8, no. 7, 2023, doi: 10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i7.1676. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i7.1676
2. N. Huda, N. Rini, Muslikh, and S. Hidayat, “Development Strategy for Halal Tourism in West Sumatra ANP Approach,” Talent Dev. Excell., vol. 12, no. 1, 2020.
3. W. Waryono, “The Importance of Halal Tourism Policy in West Sumatra,” Relev. J. Manag. Bus., vol. 5, no. 1, 2022.
4. I. M. S. Paramarta, K. Artawa, M. S. Satyawati, K. W. Purnawati, P. E. Dambayana Suputra, and P. A. Prabawati Sudana, “Language Contestation on The Virtual Linguistic Landscape of The Government Website of Bali, Indonesia,” Rupkatha J. Interdiscip. Stud. Humanit., vol. 14, no. 3, 2022, doi: 10.21659/rupkatha.v14n3.19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v14n3.19
5. A. Fitriawati and F. A. Datang, “Indonesian Language Minority in the Virtual Space of Indonesian People Majority: Virtual Linguistic Landscape of r/Indonesia Subreddit,” Lensa Kaji. Kebahasaan, Kesusastraan, dan Budaya, vol. 13, no. 2, 2023, doi: 10.26714/lensa.13.2.2023.169-188. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26714/lensa.13.2.2023.169-188
6. M. Xue and Z. Zou, “Virtual Linguistic Landscape: A Case Study of Chinese Border Universities’ Websites in Yunnan,” OALib, vol. 10, no. 08, 2023, doi: 10.4236/oalib.1110543. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1110543
7. R. Jiang, Q. Luo, and G. Yang, “Exploring the geo virtual linguistic landscape of Dublin urban areas: before and during the COVID-19 outbreak,” Int. J. Multiling., vol. 21, no. 2, 2024, doi: 10.1080/14790718.2022.2096615. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2022.2096615
8. D. Guarin and L. O. Cardoso, “A virtual linguistic landscape analysis of higher education institutions and their use of pronouns of address in the hispanic and lusophone world,” in Transformation of Higher Education Through Institutional Online Spaces, 2023. doi: 10.4018/978-1-6684-8122-6.ch001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8122-6.ch001
9. D. Ivkovic and H. Lotherington, “Multilingualism in cyberspace: Conceptualising the virtual linguistic landscape,” Int. J. Multiling., vol. 6, no. 1, 2009, doi: 10.1080/14790710802582436. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790710802582436
10. G. Eliniongoze Kimambo, “Analysing persuasion strategies in online advertising for third-hand cars in Tanzania: translanguaging in the virtual linguistic landscape,” Int. J. Multiling., 2024, doi: 10.1080/14790718.2024.2312893. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2024.2312893
11. U. Keles, B. Yazan, and A. Giles, “Turkish-English bilingual content in the virtual linguistic landscape of a university in Turkey: exclusive de facto language policies,” Int. Multiling. Res. J., vol. 14, no. 1, 2020, doi: 10.1080/19313152.2019.1611341. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2019.1611341
12. I. Moshnikov, “Developing websites in the Karelian language as part of virtual linguistic landscape,” 2016. doi: 10.5128/LV26.09.
13. I. Moshnikov, “Developing websites in the Karelian language as part of virtual linguistic landscape [Karjalankieliset verkkosivut virtuaalisena kielimaisemana],” Lahivordlusi Lahivertailuja, vol. 26, 2016.
14. M. Berezkina, “‘Language is a costly and complicating factor’: a diachronic study of language policy in the virtual public sector,” Lang. Policy, vol. 17, no. 1, 2018, doi: 10.1007/s10993-016-9422-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-016-9422-2
15. S. A. Alkhalaf, “Online learning of English phonology in Saudi Arabia: Investigating college students’ perceptions during the pandemic period,” J. Lang. Linguist. Stud., vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 1513–1526, 2021, doi: 10.52462/JLLS.109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52462/jlls.109
16. I. Moshnikov, “Karjalankieliset verkkosivut virtuaalisena kielimaisemana,” Lähivõrdlusi. Lähivertailuja, vol. 26, 2016, doi: 10.5128/lv26.09. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5128/LV26.09
17. S. Munishi, “Multilingualism in linguistic landscape of Prishtina (Kosovo),” J. Educ. Soc. Res., vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 101–106, Sep. 2018, doi: 10.2478/JESR-2018-0036. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jesr-2018-0036
18. R. W. Hallett and F. M. Quiñones, “The linguistic landscape of an Urban Hispanic-Serving Institution in the United States,” Soc. Semiot., vol. 33, no. 3, 2023, doi: 10.1080/10350330.2021.1916391. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2021.1916391
19. W. Zeng and J. Luo, “The Influence of Linguistic Landscape on the Image of Shenzhen,” Open J. Soc. Sci., vol. 07, no. 03, 2019, doi: 10.4236/jss.2019.73008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2019.73008
20. S. Lu, G. Li, and M. Xu, “The linguistic landscape in rural destinations: A case study of Hongcun Village in China,” Tour. Manag., vol. 77, Apr. 2020, doi: 10.1016/J.TOURMAN.2019.104005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104005
21. Z. Fakhiroh and Z. Rohmah, “Linguistic Landscape in Sidoarjo City,” NOBEL J. Lit. Lang. Teach., vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 96–116, Sep. 2018, doi: 10.15642/NOBEL.2018.9.2.96-116. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15642/NOBEL.2018.9.2.96-116
22. Maya Rosa, Imam Santosa, Deddy Wahjudi, and Johannes Widodo “Identity Representations in Cultural Landscapes: An Intervention in the Conservation of Sawahlunto, Indonesia,” Int. Soc. Study Vernac. Settlements, vol. 10, no. 12, 2023, doi: 10.61275/isvsej-2023-10-12-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61275/ISVSej-2023-10-12-37
23. Y. Eka Putrie and W. Martokusumo, “Identity Representation and Conflict Prevention in Community Mosques of Malang Raya, East Java, Indonesia,” in Reframing the Vernacular: Politics, Semiotics, and Representation, 2019. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-22448-6_12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22448-6_12
24. E. R. Oliveira et al., “An Iterative Process for the Evaluation of a Mobile Application Prototype,” SN Comput. Sci., vol. 3, no. 4, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s42979-022-01153-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-022-01153-6
25. J. P. S. Bartra, J. F. H. Puja, M. G. Retuerto, and L. Andrade-Arenas, “Prototype of Mobile Application Oriented to the Educational Help for Blind People in Peru,” Int. J. Interact. Mob. Technol., vol. 16, no. 17, 2022, doi: 10.3991/ijim.v16i17.32075. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v16i17.32075
26. N. A. Haji-Othman, “Visualising Change: Linguistic and Semiotic Landscape of Tutong Town,” Southeast Asia A Multidiscip. J., vol. 20, no. 2, 2020, doi: 10.1108/seamj-02-2020-b1005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SEAMJ-02-2020-B1005
27. G. Shang, “Multilingualism in the linguistic landscape of Eastern China: City residents’ perceptions and attitudes,” Globe A J. Lang. Cult. Commun., vol. 12, 2021.
28. A. Grey, “Perceptions of invisible Zhuang minority language in Linguistic Landscapes of the People’s Republic of China and implications for language policy,” Linguist. Landsc., vol. 7, no. 3, 2021, doi: 10.1075/ll.20012.gre. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/ll.20012.gre
29. G. Kress and T. Van Leeuwen, “The semiotic landscape: language and visual communication,” Read. Images Gramm. Vis. Des., 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003099857-2
30. M. M. Protassova, “Flexibility in the linguistic landscape during the pandemic: tourism services in Helsinki,” Pskov J. Reg. Stud., no. 1, p. 44, 2023, doi: 10.37490/S221979310024230-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37490/S221979310024230-6
31. S. C. T. De Sousa and C. I. B. Dionísio, “Language policy and planning: An analysis of the themes present in research in brazil1,” Rev. Bras. Linguist. Apl., vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 265–293, Apr. 2019, doi: 10.1590/1984-63982019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-63982019
32. E. Biró, “Speak Global, Sell Local? Digital Linguistic Landscape of Local Small Businesses in the Social Media,” Acta Univ. Sapientiae, Philol., vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 177–193, Dec. 2021, doi: 10.2478/AUSP-2021-0020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ausp-2021-0020
33. V. Bonsignori and G. Cappelli, “Developing strategies for conceptual accessibility through multimodal literacy in the English for tourism classroom,” Multimodal Commun., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 31–47, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1515/MC-2020-0026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/mc-2020-0026
34. A. Agustina, A. Nusi, M. Aditiawarman, and Nurizzati, “Framework Model in Linguistic Landscape Strategies to Strengthen National Identity in Tourism Areas,” Tell-Us J., vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 914–927, 2024.
35. H. F. A. Sari, A. Nusi, S. I. Persulessy, and J. J. Hahury, “The Linguistic landscape of Accommodation Businesses in Ambon City, Maluku, Indonesia,” presented at the Proceeding of International Conference on Language Pedagogy (ICOLP), 2024, pp. 334–339.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Agustina, Ahmad Nusi , Nurizzati, Diana Kartika , Ary Ramadhan , Srimutia Elpalina (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.