LINGUIST List 12.440

Fri Feb 16 2001

Books: Sociolinguistics (Modified Issue #12.395-1)

Editor for this issue: Naomi Ogasawara <naomilinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Kimberly Kahn, Socioling: Modified Issue #12.395-1, Language in Society by Romaine

LANGUAGE IN SOCIETY: An Introduction to Sociolinguistics
Second Edition
Suzanne Romaine, Oxford University
	
Why have 1,500 separate languages developed in Melanesia? Why is a
Cornish accent rated higher than Cockney speech but lower than Oxford
English?

Linguistics tends to ignore the relationship between languages and the
societies in which they are spoken, while sociology generally
overlooks the role of language in the constitution of society. Suzanne
Romaine provides a clear, lively, and accessible introduction to the
field of sociolinguistics, emphasizing the constant interaction
between society and language. In her examples she draws on studies of
cultures all over the world, including her own extensive fieldwork in
Papua New Guinea.

February 1994 256 pp.; 14 illus.
0-19-875134-6 paper $11.95
Oxford University Press
	
Contents: 

Language in Society/Society in Language
Language Choice
Sociolinguistics Patterns
Language and Gender
Language Change in Social Perspective
Pidgin and Creole Languages
Linguistic Problems as Societal Problems
Conclusions
References
Index
	
"This book is a valuable introduction to the field of sociolinguistics
 for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students. It is a readable
 yet thorough study which offers both the traditional viewpoint and
 alternative perspectives on a `still rather young'
 discipline."--Language In Society

	 
Kimberly Kahn
Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 726-6086 Fax: (212) 726-6442 E-mail: krkoup-usa.org