Studying language in its social context has been of central importance to linguists for several decades. The field of sociolinguistics is now the most dynamic and influential area of language and communication studies. It is a diverse discipline which addresses important questions on how language reflects, structures and dominates social life. This major new textbook, the first volume of its kind for years, will be a unique and inavaluable resorce for students and teachers of socilinguistics and related disciplines. The book includes 37 essays from leading sociolinguists grouped into eight thematic sections and carefully structured to introduce the reader to the field of its central concerns. Each section has a introduction offering an overview of the topic and ends with helpful notes on further reading.
