The Silent Educators: Unmasking Inaccuracies in the Linguistic Landscape of Indigenous Tourism Villages

Abstract

Background: Indigenous tourism villages increasingly utilize multilingual public signage, functioning as "silent educators" in informal learning environments. However, these linguistic landscapes often contain translation inaccuracies that disrupt effective language acquisition and vocational communication. Purpose: This study aims to unmask these linguistic inaccuracies and evaluate their pedagogical implications, proposing a disciplinary pedagogy framework to transform tourism signage into standardized instructional media for local workforce competencies. Method: Employing a qualitative observational design aligned with Outcome-Based Education (OBE) principles, this research analyzed public signs across indigenous tourism villages. Data were evaluated against vocational language curricula to determine their impact on incidental learning and professional communication standards. Results: The findings reveal significant grammatical and lexical errors within the observed linguistic landscapes, inadvertently creating a flawed informal educational ecosystem. However, when these real-world inaccuracies were repurposed as case-based authentic assessment materials for vocational students, it significantly enhanced their critical language awareness and practical communication skills, successfully bridging the gap between theoretical linguistic knowledge and global industry realities. Conclusion: Erroneous linguistic landscapes, while initially problematic, can be strategically harnessed as authentic instructional tools. Aligning public signage development with pedagogical standards fosters a rigorous, immersive educational ecosystem that supports vocational excellence and sustainable tourism workforce development