Description
The 'third wave' of variation study, spearheaded by the sociolinguist Penelope Eckert, places its focus on social meaning, or the inferences that can be drawn about speakers based on how they talk. While social meaning has always been a concern of modern sociolinguistics, its aims and assumptions have not been explicitly spelled out until now. This pioneering book provides a comprehensive overview of the central tenets of variation study, examining several components of dialects, and considering language use in a wide variety of cultural and linguistic contexts. Each chapter, written by a leader in the field, posits a unique theoretical claim about social meaning and presents new empirical data to shed light on the topic at hand. The volume makes a case for why attending to social meaning is vital to the study of variation while also providing a foundation from which variationists can productively engage with social meaning.
The only book offering an overview of third-wave variation research and theory, which is an approach centered on social meaning.
About the Author
Lauren Hall-Lew is Reader in Linguistics and English Language, University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on differences in speech among speakers of different social backgrounds and in different social contexts. Emma Moore is Professor of Sociolinguistics and British Academy Mid-Career Fellow (2019-2020). She researches the social meaning of syntax and has edited three other CUP volumes: Analysing Older English (2011); Language and A Sense of Place (2017); and Categories, Constructions, and Change in English Syntax (2019). Robert J. Podesva is Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Stanford University, where he directs the Interactional Sociophonetics Laboratory. His research examines the social significance of phonetic variation and its role in the construction of identity. He is co-editor (with Devyani Sharma) of Research Methods in Linguistics.
Reviews
'... this is an excellent volume of data-driven research that helps answer cutting-edge questions relating to social meaning, which should inspire a new generation of sociolinguists to advance our understanding of the topic in the future.' Roy Alderton, Language in Society
Book Information
ISBN 9781108471626
Author Lauren Hall-Lew
Format Hardback
Page Count 406
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 704g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 158mm * 27mm
The only book offering an overview of third-wave variation research and theory, which is an approach centered on social meaning.
About the Author
Lauren Hall-Lew is Reader in Linguistics and English Language, University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on differences in speech among speakers of different social backgrounds and in different social contexts. Emma Moore is Professor of Sociolinguistics and British Academy Mid-Career Fellow (2019-2020). She researches the social meaning of syntax and has edited three other CUP volumes: Analysing Older English (2011); Language and A Sense of Place (2017); and Categories, Constructions, and Change in English Syntax (2019). Robert J. Podesva is Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Stanford University, where he directs the Interactional Sociophonetics Laboratory. His research examines the social significance of phonetic variation and its role in the construction of identity. He is co-editor (with Devyani Sharma) of Research Methods in Linguistics.
Reviews
'... this is an excellent volume of data-driven research that helps answer cutting-edge questions relating to social meaning, which should inspire a new generation of sociolinguists to advance our understanding of the topic in the future.' Roy Alderton, Language in Society
Book Information
ISBN 9781108471626
Author Lauren Hall-Lew
Format Hardback
Page Count 406
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 704g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 158mm * 27mm
