Language in Society

Language in Society introduces the study of the relationship between language and society, also known as sociolinguistics, without assuming any prior knowledge of linguistics. Introducing the key concepts in an accessible way, Lee illustrates how language develops constantly as a response to society and must be understood in the context of societal norms, processes, and events. The book:

• Provides a short history of the field and explores the types of questions that can be asked in sociolinguistics as well as its methods
• Introduces essential concepts such as sociolinguistic variation, multilingualism, and contact languages
• Discusses contemporary topics including issues of language endangerment, language and justice, as well as language and computing
• Includes examples and case studies from the Asia Pacific and focuses on highlighting research from the Southern hemisphere
• Provides discussions of the future trajectory of the field and some reflection points on practical applications for each chapter

Language in Society is key reading for students studying this topic for the first time with little or no background in linguistics.

Nala H. Lee is an associate professor of linguistics at the Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore.