An Introduction to English Sociolinguistics

Designed for beginning undergraduates studying for degrees in English, this textbook provides an introduction to a range of sociolinguistic theories and the insights they provide for a greater understanding of varieties of English, past and present. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative approaches to sociolinguistic variation, the book provides a systematic overview such topics as: *'English' as a social and as a linguistic concept *English speech communities *Social and regional dialectology in relation to varieties of English *English historical sociolinguistics, from Old English to late Modern English *Sociolinguistics and change in English *Outcomes of contact involving varieties of English *English and language planning *English, sociolinguistics and linguistic theory. The book contains data drawn from studies of English as it is used around the world. Throughout, there is an emphasis on facilitating a deeper understanding of linguistic variation in English and the social, political and cultural contexts in which speakers and writers of English operate.

ISBN 0748623256   Pages 168 ISBN13 9780748623259 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 214 Publisher Edinburgh University Press   Published in Edinburgh Imprint Edinburgh University Press   Series title Edinburgh Textbooks on the English Language Format Paperback   Height (mm) 216 Publication date 01 Oct 2008   Width (mm) 138 DEWEY 306.44   Spine width (mm) 10 DEWEY edition DC21   Academic level Tertiary education

		List of figures and tables
		Acknowledgements
		To readers
1		What is áEnglish'?		1
1.1		Overview		1
1.2		Languages and dialects		4
1.3		Linguistic and social criteria for different languages		6
1.4		Good and bad English		8
1.5		The native speaker of English		10
1.6		Standard English		11
1.7		Summary		14
		Exercises		14
		Further reading		15
2		Communities, networks and individuals		16
2.1		Overview		16
2.2		What is a community?		16
2.3		The English speech community and social networks		17
2.4		Communities of practice		22
2.5		Virtual communities		24
2.6		The individual		25
2.7		Summary		26
		Exercises		27
		Further reading		27
3		English and language planning		28
3.1		Overview		28
3.2		How to plan a language		29
3.3		Planning English in England		32
3.4		English in Kenya, Sri Lanka and the European Union		35
3.5		How has the globalisation of English affected language planning?		38
		More...

 Be the first to write a customer review