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In line with a recent trend in sociolinguistic research focusing on the visual dimension of multilingual urban environments, this study investigates multilingualism, as seen in street signage, more particularly shopfronts, in the Parisian neighbourhood of Belleville. Through this illustrative account, the study aims to highlight the ways in which, in spite of a national policy that proclaims the pre-eminence of the French language, immigrant communities in Belleville succeed in gaining visibility in the linguistic landscape. It also seeks to explore the ways in which written signs, as well as other discursive modalities such as images and elements of architecture, enact cultural diversity in Belleville's linguistic landscape. The study also documents the impact of the English language on Belleville's linguistic landscape. Specifically, the analysis highlights the influence of English syntax in shop and business names, and the use of English as a symbol of cosmopolitanism and globalisation. The study is supplemented by the metalinguistic remarks and insights of individual actors regarding their choice of language for their business names.
