Synopses & Reviews
Since it first appeared more than fifteen years ago, Ronald Wardhaugh's
An Introduction to Sociolinguisticshas been an immensely popular textbook for courses in sociolinguistics and the sociology of language.
Organized in four parts - Languages and Communities, Inherent Variety, Words at Work, and Understanding and Intervening - the book offers an accessible, comprehensive introduction to sociolinguistics. Topics explored include language, dialects, pidgins and creoles, codes, bilingualism, speech communities, variation, and change. The book also covers words and culture, ethnographies, solidarity and politeness, talk and action, gender, disadvantage, and planning.
In the fourth edition, the text, further reading sections, exercises, and references have been revised and updated to reflect new developments in the field. In particular, the coverage of gender, disadvantage, and planning has been considerably revised and extended.
Review
"Among the various introductions to sociolinguistics, this one certainly stands out in its comprehensiveness... it offers a wealth of relevant and correct information."
Sociolinguistica "...the standard text in advanced undergraduate courses and introductory graduate courses." Language
About the Author
Ronald Wardhaugh is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Toronto. His many successful books include Understanding English Grammar (Blackwell, 1995) and Proper English (Blackwell, 1998).
Table of Contents
Preface.
Acknowledgements.
1. Introduction.
Part I: Languages and Communities:.
2. Languages, Dialects, and Varieties.
3. Pidgins and Creoles.
4. Codes.
5. Speech Communities.
Part II: Inherent Variety:.
6. Language Variation.
7. Findings and Issues.
8. Change.
Part III: Words at Work:.
9. Words and Culture.
10. Ethnographies.
11. Solidarity and Politeness.
12. Talk and Action.
Part IV: Understanding and Intervening:.
13. Gender.
14. Disadvantage.
15. Planning.
16. Conclusion.
Bibliography.
Index.