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Sociolinguistics 2e
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How To Use Sociolinguistics
The Routledge English Language Introductions are ‘flexi-texts’ that you can use to suit your own style of study. All the books in the series, including Sociolinguistics, are divided into four sections:
- Introduction: Key Concepts in Sociolinguistics
Section A sets out key concepts. The Units of this section take you step-by-step through the foundational terms and ideas, carefully providing you with an initial toolkit for your own study. By the end of the section, you will have a good overview of the whole field. - Development: Studies in Language and Society
This section adds to your knowledge and builds on the key ideas already introduced. Units in this section also draw together several areas of interest. By the end, you will already have a good and fairly detailed grasp of the field, and will be ready to undertake your own exploration and thinking. In Sociolinguistics, the examples in each Unit are taken from real students' studies. - Exploration: Data for Investigation
This section provides examples of language data and guides you through your own investigation of the field. The Units in this section are more open-ended and exploratory, and you are encouraged to try out your ideas and think for yourself, using your newly acquired knowledge. - Extension: Sociolinguistic Readings
Finally, section D offers you the chance to compare your expertise with key readings in the area. These are taken from the work of important writers, and are provided with guidance and questions for your further thought.
The glossary/index at the end, together with the suggestions for Further Reading at the end of each Unit in section B, will help to keep you orientated.
You can read this book like a traditional text-book, ‘vertically’ straight through from beginning to end. This will take you comprehensively through the broad field of study. However, the Routledge English Language Introductions have been carefully designed so that you can read them in another dimension, ‘horizontally’ across the numbered Units. For example, Units A.1, A.2, A.3 and so on correspond with Units B.1, B.2, B.3, and with Units C.1, C.2, C.3 and D.1, D.2, D.3, and so on. Reading A5, B.5, C.5, D.5 will take you rapidly from the key concepts of a specific area, to a level of expertise in that precise area, all with a very close focus. You can match your way of reading with the best way that you work.
The book can be used as an accompanying course text, or as the primary text on a Sociolinguistics course or module. The key terms and concepts introduced in sections A and B can be set as lecture-support summaries, or as quick preparatory reading in advance of lectures, enabling you to develop a specialist area or detailed argument without having to prepare the elementary ground yourself. Students will be encouraged by being able to see examples (in section B) of the sort of work that they will actually be able to do, and you can refer them here to the Further Reading listings. The examples, excerpts and data collected in section C can be used as the basis for seminar material. Questions here are open-ended, allowing you or your colleagues opportunity for developing the discussion as you wish, and adding your own material and particular interests. Finally, the readings in section D can be used as initial basic follow-up. Alternatively, you might want to set these readings in advance of teaching, so that they form the basis for seminar discussion. The up-to-date references and suggestions for Further Reading will help your students move on from this textbook to more advanced study.