Sociolinguistics of Writing

Sociolinguistics of Writing PDF

Author: Theresa Lillis

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2013-03-11

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 0748637494

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Brings the study of writing to the heart of sociolinguistic inquiryThis book puts writing at the centre of sociolinguistic inquiry drawing on a range of academic fields including New Literacy Studies, semiotics, genre studies, stylistics and new rhetoric. The key question the book explores is- what do we mean by 'writing' in the 21 century?Using examples from across a range of contexts the book argues that writing, involving both old and new technologies, is a pervasive and complex communicative feature of contemporary life.The book is organised around the following areas: The multimodal nature of writing The verbal dimension to writing. Writing as everyday practice. Writing as a differentiated semiotic and social resource. Writing as the inscription of identity A range of analytic tools for analysing writing as text and practice are illustrated including genre, register, discourse and metaphor, as well as notions which emphasise the mobile potential of writing such as genre chains, networks, literacy brokers and text trajectories. This book seeks to redress the neglect of writing in the field of sociolinguistics by introducing readers to the nature and consequences of what it means to do writing in a globalised world.

Discovering Sociolinguistics

Discovering Sociolinguistics PDF

Author: Dick Smakman

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-10-31

Total Pages: 323

ISBN-13: 1350308692

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This engagingly written textbook provides a unique 'hands-on' introduction to sociolinguistics, which equips readers with the tools to start their own sociolinguistic research project. The book begins by outlining the historical, theoretical and cultural space in which language use occurs, before delving into the key topics and concepts of today's field. It examines the choices speakers make in everyday life and assesses language and status across the world, by investigating variation in cultural norms. Sociolinguistic variables such as age and gender are surveyed, along with the socio-cultural context of second language acquisition. The second half of the book equips readers with the skills needed to undertake sociolinguistic research of their own. This is an ideal introductory text for students taking courses in sociolinguistics, language and society, language in use or language variation.

What Is Sociolinguistics?

What Is Sociolinguistics? PDF

Author: Gerard Van Herk

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-02-27

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 1405193182

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"I'm sitting here in Newfoundland, in Canada, writing a book about sociolinguistics, and you're out there somewhere, starting to read it. If you were here and could hear me talk -- especially if you were Canadian, especially if you had some training -- you could tell a lot about me. When I speak English, most people can tell I'm North American (I pronounce schedule with a [sk] sound), Canadian (I rhyme shone with gone, not bone), and probably from Quebec (I keep my socks in a bureau). And if I was wherever you are, I could probably tell a lot about your speech community and where you fit into it. The fact that we can do this is one of the things that interest sociolinguists..." It's rare to encounter a textbook that one will want to read cover to cover. But Gerard van Herk has written exactly that, introducing students to the field of sociolinguistics as the best teachers do: with excitement, humor, and deep knowledge. What is Sociolinguistics? is a tour through the major issues that define the field, such as region, status, gender, time, language attitudes, interaction, and style, while also exploring the sociolinguistics of multilingualism, culture and ethnicity, language contact, and education. The chapters contains useful and clear features including: Numerous innovative exercises and Spotlighted research, where the author introduces some key concepts discussed in foundational research and offers suggestions for reading the primary literature Further readings, glossary terms, chapter summaries, and text boxes that explore introduced concepts in greater depth for interested students The companion website offers PowerPoint slides for instructors and sample answers to questions, while providing students with further resources, including sound files and carefully curated links for further study.

Writing Systems of the World

Writing Systems of the World PDF

Author: Florian Coulmas

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Published: 1991-01-08

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 9780631180289

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This book is an account of the writing systems of the world from earliest times to the present. Its aim is to explore the complex ways in which writing systems relate to the language they depict. Writing, Coulmas contends, is not only the guide or garment of spoken language, but has a deep and lasting effect on the development of language itself. His study takes in Egyptian hieroglyphics and the cuneiform system of the ancient Near East; he describes Chinese writing, discussing why an apparently cumbersome system has been used continuously for more than 3,000 years; he ranges across the writing systems of western Asia and the Middle East, the Indian families and the various alphabetic traditions which had its origins in the multifarious world of Semitic writing and came to full bloom in pre-Classical Greece.

Introducing Sociolinguistics

Introducing Sociolinguistics PDF

Author: Rajend Mesthrie

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2009-05-29

Total Pages: 528

ISBN-13: 0748632492

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Sociolinguistics is one of the central branches of modern linguistics and deals with the place of language in human societies. This second edition of Introducing Sociolinguistics expertly synthesises the main approaches to the subject. The book covers areas such as multilingualism, code-choice, language variation, dialectology, interactional studies, gender, language contact, language and inequality, and language and power. At the same time it provides an integrated perspective on these themes by examining sociological theories of human interaction. In this regard power and inequality are particularly significant. The book also contains two chapters on the applications of sociolinguistics (in education and in language policy and planning) and a concluding chapter on the sociolinguistics of sign language. New topics covered include speaking style and stylisation, while current debates in areas like creolisation, globalisation and language death, language planning, and gender are reflected.Written collaboratively by teachers and scholars with first hand experience of sociolinguistic developments on four continents, this book provides the broadest introduction currently available to the central topics in sociolinguistics.Features:* Provides a solid foundation in all aspects of sociolinguistics and explores important themes such as power and inequality, sign language, gender and the internet* Well illustrated with maps, diagrams, inset boxes, drawings and cartoons* Accessibly written with the beginner in mind* Uses numerous examples from multilingual settings* Explains basic concepts, supported by a glossary* Further Reading lists, a full bibliography, and a section on 'next steps' provide valuable guidance.

Linguistics for Writers

Linguistics for Writers PDF

Author: Colleen Elaine Donnelly

Publisher: SUNY Press

Published: 1994-01-01

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 9780791415719

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This book is designed so that writers, teachers, and students can begin to incorporate the insights of linguistics into their study of communication and writing. It has two main purposes. One is to demystify some of the most worthwhile and powerful linguistic theories that illuminate written discourse. Basic linguistic principles and theories are outlined. The primary purpose is to present a way in which these theories can be developed into practical techniques and methods for dealing with the writing and editing of texts. Oriented toward users--people who are seeking methods to improve their writing--the book contains numerous examples and exercises. Topics covered: the linguistic study of language; the cognitive processing of information; using non-traditional grammars; achieving cohesion and coherence; creating global coherence through macrostructures; and the pragmatic and sociolinguistic parameters of written communication.