Variationist Sociolinguistics: Change, Observation, Interpretation is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of systematic variation in language, both present and past. Tagliamonte, a leading and influential scholar in the field, provides a broad introduction to the foundational theory of Language Variation and Change, by synthesizing many of the early observations and findings that have shaped the field. She not only discusses the classic work of scholars including Labov, Trudgill, Milroy, and Wolfram, but she also advances the current discussion and debate in the field by highlighting contemporary work, including cutting-edge research that opens yet more questions for future scholars.
The textbook, aimed at students taking intermediate and advanced courses in sociolinguistics, outlines the methodologies of research and data collection in the field, with explanations that go beyond the facts and into the philosophy of the field. The work is set in the context of all aspects of linguistic variation, including phonological, morpho-syntactic, and discourse-pragmatic variables. The text engages students throughout with a variety of pedagogical features, including Mini Quizzes to test comprehension, extensive Exercises at the end of each chapter, the opportunity to do hands-on quantitative analysis of a never-before published data set, and Notes and Tips that offer insight into conducting sociolinguistic research. Extra materials and answers to the exercises are available at www.wiley.com/go/tagliamonte. The first real textbook of its kind, Variationist Sociolinguistics is an ambitious and exciting work that will be a must-have for students and researchers alike.
