Sociolinguistics: An introduction to language and society

By Peter Trudgill

4th Edition, 2000, Penguin Books

Why do men talk differently from women? Why do people happily talk about the weather without seeming to communicate any new information? How and why does the speech of different ethnic and social communities vary? Why is "the Queen's English" seen as "better" than other forms of English. How and why do we adjust the way we speak depending who we are talking to? Do we really speak as well or badly as we think we do?
It is questions such as these that are addressed by this book.

First published in 1974 and thoroughly updated in successive editions, this book remains the most accessible and understandable introduction to the relatively new field of sociolinguistics. It provides clear and concise treatment of all the major fields of study in sociolinguistics, drawing heavily on Trudgill's own field research, particularly his early work in Norwich, but also that of other key figures such as the pionerring American sociolinguist William Labov.

In a style which is highly readable for linguists and non-linguists alike, Trudgill introduces the key concepts behind sociolinguistics with a wealth of examples from research carried out across the world. The specialist terms are always clearly explained, so that nobody should have any reservations about dipping into this most fascinating area of linguistics.

This book is a must for anybody interested in language and the way we use it to communicate.

Peter Trudgill is currently Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Friborg in Switzerland. His career has focused on dialectology and sociolinguistics, and he was one of the early experts in the fledgling discipline of sociolinguistics in the 1970s.

Reviewed by: Phil White
Date reviewed: 15 Oct 2005