Overview

This engagingly written textbook provides a unique ‘hands-on’ introduction to sociolinguistics, which equips readers with the tools to start their own sociolinguistic research project. The book begins by outlining the historical, theoretical and cultural space in which language use occurs, before delving into the key topics and concepts of today’s field. It examines the choices speakers make in everyday life and assesses language and status across the world, by investigating variation in cultural norms. Sociolinguistic variables such as age and gender are surveyed, along with the socio-cultural context of second language acquisition. The second half of the book equips readers with the skills needed to undertake sociolinguistic research of their own. This is an ideal introductory text for students taking courses in sociolinguistics, language and society, language in use or language variation.

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9781137519078

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Reviews

Combining fascinating details and insights drawn from languages and societies around the world, this book provides a truly global introduction to sociolinguistics as a field of study. * Patrick Heinrich, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy * The strength of this book is to present the complex field of sociolinguistics in a clear way, which guides readers through the process of undertaking research. It demonstrates that rather than being an intellectual pastime sociolinguistic research can actually be useful. * Florian Coulmas, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany * Smakman's Discovering Sociolinguistics is genuinely reflective of its title, and a valuable introductory text. It offers practical insights for budding researchers of sociolinguistics, clearly introducing readers to a broad range of useful methods, as well as providing diverse and international coverage of the field. This is an original and valuable book, especially for those starting out in the discipline of sociolinguistics. * Peter Sercombe, Newcastle University, UK *

Author Information

Dick Smakman is a Lecturer in Sociolinguistics and Language Acquisition at Leiden University, the Netherlands.

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