In 28 newly-commissioned chapters, distinguished contributors provide an up-to-date overview of sociolinguistics. This invaluable work of reference identifies the most important issues of sociolinguistics, makes primary sources more accessible, and provides orientation for future research.
Language gives a snub to borders in a way that is denied to any other human invention. There are no controls or checks to prevent words crossing boundaries, there are no duties to be paid when phrases migrate from one culture to another. In the basic and simplest sense of the phrase, language is a free market.
Within the pages of Faux Pas? the foreign expressions are presented: the familiar and the unfamiliar, the useful and the pretentious. Each entry in this book has been given a phonetic indication of pronunciation.
Each entry has also been given a rating on the so-called – or soi-disant – Pretentiousness Index. For many entries it does not apply at all, either because they are ‘technical’ terms (like in camera or ultra vires) or because they are so well-established in English that using them is about as natural as breathing.
Every entry has been illustrated with an example of actual use, sometimes very recent use. The sources are generally what used to be called the broadsheets (The Times, Guardian, Daily Telegraph and Independent in particular). Quite a few examples have been drawn from fiction as well as sources such as the Spectator magazine.
Sociolinguistic Variation brings together a group of leading scholars in the field of language variation and change to address the directions that sociolinguistic research is taking in the new millennium. Among the main themes of the volume are the construction of identity, the nature of "place" as distinct from "community", and the role of attitudes in language variation. These themes are explored through a variety of types of data, from traditional sources such as narratives, to relatively new sources, such as postings on the Internet or television documentaries.
Combining the voices of established scholars in the field with the perspectives of promising younger scholars this volume provides crucial guidance for anyone interested in doing research on sociolinguistic variation. Contributors include Guy Bailey, Penelope Eckert, Barbara Johnstone, William Labov, Ronald Macaulay, Lesley Milroy, Dennis Preston, John Rickford, Gillian Sankoff, Natalie Schilling-Estes, Jan Tillery, and Walt Wolfram.
This work is full of things better left unsaid: hackneyed phrases, idioms battered into senselessness, infuriating Gallicisms, once-familiar quotations and tags from the ancient classics. It makes a formidable list, amplified as it is with definitions, sources, and indications of the cliches, venerability in every case.
The Medieval Realms is enjoyable to use for reading or answering questions. It covers all the topics for Year 7 study of 1066-1500. The book doesn't just focus on major battles and events, but also on life for ordinary people in the Middle Ages. Each page has a variety of colourful picture sources and written sources, both primary and secondary. Each spread has graded questions, sometimes focusing on extracting information from the sources.
