Sociolinguistic Theory

by J.K. Chambers

Sociolinguistic Theory presents a critical synthesis of sociolinguistics, centering on the study of language variation and change.

Synthesizes the most important descriptive and theoretical findings concerning linguistic variation from the last forty years.
Provides an integrated framework for studying language variation and its social significance.

Expands on the first edition's discussion of communicative competence and developmental sociolinguistics.

Is written by one of the world's foremost scholars in the field of variation studies and includes data from his own work.

Genres: Linguistics, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 1995

Reviews

[Alexander Rysman · Rating 4 out of 5]

He provides a very clear view of sociolinguistics and manages to clear away much of the vagueness. It has been a while since I read it and my memory is that his view proceeds from dialectology and so it less than complete but it is one of the best introdcuctions to the field I have read.

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read it for my seminar class at college, although I only needed to read few chapters. But, I read the whole book, everything was thoroughly explained, and illustrated.