“an accessible introduction … a beginner-friendly structure … an enticing introduction for undergraduate students … the author draws an inspiring picture of his research field that appeals to both the heart and the head … the exercises adapt well to most levels of linguistic knowledge - the voice of the guide is clear and articulate - this is an effortless and lively tour that cannot but inspire beginners and experienced scholars alike”. - English World Wide, 2016
“A major strength of this book is indeed the focus on research. Bell not only provides different types of data from the field, but also detailed explanations on how data has been collected and interpreted. . . a fine candidate for an undergraduate sociolinguistics course. It introduces the key topics, provides lots of excellent and modern examples and is written in an accessible style suitable for introducing material to students not yet familiar with linguistic theory or social science research methodology.” - Linguistlist, 14 July 2014
“In seeking answers to these and myriad other questions through reading and engaging with Bell’s book, students and researchers alike will find substantive knowledge, lofty wisdom, and inspiration to carry forward the tradition of study of the world’s rich social and linguistic diversity in which Bell has long played a key part.” - Journal of Sociolinguistics, 3 June 2014
“an accessible introduction … a beginner-friendly structure … an enticing introduction for undergraduate students … the author draws an inspiring picture of his research field that appeals to both the heart and the head … the exercises adapt well to most levels of linguistic knowledge - the voice of the guide is clear and articulate - this is an effortless and lively tour that cannot but inspire beginners and experienced scholars alike”. - English World Wide, 2016
“A major strength of this book is indeed the focus on research. Bell not only provides different types of data from the field, but also detailed explanations on how data has been collected and interpreted. . . a fine candidate for an undergraduate sociolinguistics course. It introduces the key topics, provides lots of excellent and modern examples and is written in an accessible style suitable for introducing material to students not yet familiar with linguistic theory or social science research methodology.” - Linguistlist, 14 July 2014
“In seeking answers to these and myriad other questions through reading and engaging with Bell’s book, students and researchers alike will find substantive knowledge, lofty wisdom, and inspiration to carry forward the tradition of study of the world’s rich social and linguistic diversity in which Bell has long played a key part.” - Journal of Sociolinguistics, 3 June 2014
Review
“No one sees and synthesizes the theoretical connections between diverse strands of sociolinguistic research better than Allan Bell. His Guidebook to Sociolinguistics is comprehensive, up-to-date, and especially rich in fresh examples and perspectives.”
John R. Rickford, Stanford University
“The Guidebook to Sociolinguistics offers … integrated exercises derived from Bell’s extensive research background and allows readers to experience both the operational details of primary analysis and the theoretical constructs that underlie the field of sociolinguistics. It’s the perfect introduction!”
Walt Wolfram, North Carolina State University
"Allan Bell brings his great wealth of experience as researcher, teacher and editor of the Journal of Sociolinguistics to tell us not just what sociolinguistics is but how sociolinguistics is done. Best of all, he shows how we can do sociolinguistics ourselves."
Jenny Cheshire, Queen Mary, University of London
“Bell has provided a detailed and authoritative road map to sociolinguistics. Carefully structured, clearly written, lively and accessible throughout, the Guidebook introduces all the major traditions of sociolinguistics, pin-pointing the most important sources and perspectives, supported by a wealth of practical examples and exercises."
Nikolas Coupland, Copenhagen University and University of Technology Sydney
From the Publisher
Allan Bell is Professor of Language and Communication, and Director of the Institute of Culture, Discourse and Communication at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He is the Editor of the Journal of Sociolinguistics (Wiley Blackwell), and author or editor of several books on language and media and on New Zealand languages.
From the Inside Flap
"No one sees and synthesizes the theoretical connections between diverse strands of sociolinguistic research better than Allan Bell. His Guidebook to Sociolinguistics is comprehensive, up-to-date, and especially rich in fresh examples and perspectives."
John R. Rickford, Stanford University
"Bell has provided a detailed and authoritative road map to sociolinguistics. Carefully structured, clearly written, lively and accessible throughout, the Guidebook introduces all the major traditions of sociolinguistics, pin-pointing the most important sources and perspectives, supported by a wealth of practical examples and exercises."
Nikolas Coupland, Copenhagen University and University of Technology Sydney
"Allan Bell brings his great wealth of experience as researcher, teacher and editor of the Journal of Sociolinguistics to tell us not just what sociolinguistics is but how sociolinguistics is done. Best of all, he shows how we can do sociolinguistics ourselves."
Jenny Cheshire, Queen Mary, University of London
The Guidebook to Sociolinguistics offers students a comprehensive introduction to the main ideas and terms of sociolinguistics, along with an understanding of the aims, methods and findings of sociolinguistic research.
The book explores the main strands of sociolinguistics multilingualism, ethnographicinteractional sociolinguistics and variationist sociolinguistics from both macro to micro issues. It begins with multilingualism, and moves on through language choice and variation to style and identity. It also introduces readers to the methodology and skills required to produce hands-on sociolinguistic research, and leads students through the challenges involved in conducting their own project. Alongside practical examples, a range of helpful classic and contemporary case studies and exercises are included.
Informed by the latest social and linguistic theory, and written by one of the leading figures in the field, The Guidebook to Sociolinguistics offers illuminating insights into the complex relationship between language and the social nature of human beings.
From the Back Cover
"No one sees and synthesizes the theoretical connections between diverse strands of sociolinguistic research better than Allan Bell. His Guidebook to Sociolinguistics is comprehensive, up-to-date, and especially rich in fresh examples and perspectives."
John R. Rickford, Stanford University
"Bell has provided a detailed and authoritative road map to sociolinguistics. Carefully structured, clearly written, lively and accessible throughout, the Guidebook introduces all the major traditions of sociolinguistics, pin-pointing the most important sources and perspectives, supported by a wealth of practical examples and exercises."
Nikolas Coupland, Copenhagen University and University of Technology Sydney
"Allan Bell brings his great wealth of experience as researcher, teacher and editor of the Journal of Sociolinguistics to tell us not just what sociolinguistics is but how sociolinguistics is done. Best of all, he shows how we can do sociolinguistics ourselves."
Jenny Cheshire, Queen Mary, University of London
The Guidebook to Sociolinguistics offers students a comprehensive introduction to the main ideas and terms of sociolinguistics, along with an understanding of the aims, methods and findings of sociolinguistic research.
The book explores the main strands of sociolinguistics multilingualism, ethnographicinteractional sociolinguistics and variationist sociolinguistics from both macro to micro issues. It begins with multilingualism, and moves on through language choice and variation to style and identity. It also introduces readers to the methodology and skills required to produce hands-on sociolinguistic research, and leads students through the challenges involved in conducting their own project. Alongside practical examples, a range of helpful classic and contemporary case studies and exercises are included.
Informed by the latest social and linguistic theory, and written by one of the leading figures in the field, The Guidebook to Sociolinguistics offers illuminating insights into the complex relationship between language and the social nature of human beings.
About the Author
Allan Bell is Professor of Language and Communication, and Director of the Institute of Culture, Discourse and Communication at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He is the Editor of the Journal of Sociolinguistics (Wiley Blackwell), and author or editor of several books on language and media and on New Zealand languages.
