Language and Society

by William Downes

Book Overview

This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Downes' textbook is an accessible introduction to the social aspects of language and their various explanations. Topics covered include domains of language use, language change, code-switching, speech as social action, and the nature of meaning and understanding. This new edition includes an up-to-date analysis of language standardization, language conflict and planning.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521456630
• ISBN13: 9780521456630
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 516 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

I liked it--hey?

I bought this book thinking to learn something about sociolinguistics and its related fields--this operation was a resounding success. I found Downes's writing style felicitous but his explanation of some points less clear than that of some other writers I have read subsequently ... particularly the section on illocutionary acts was a bit opaque. Did the job fine, though, as a textbook should.