The revised edition of Sociolinguistic Theory presents a critical synthesis of sociolinguistics, centering on the study of language variation and change.

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• A revised introduction to sociolinguistic theory by one of the top scholars in the field
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• Provides a critical synthesis of sociolinguistics that centres on the study of language variation and change, now incorporating the latest developments in the field
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• Shows how empirical explorations have made sociolinguistics the most stimulating field in the
  contemporary study of language
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• Discusses the linguistic variable and its significance, crucial social variables such as social stratification, sex,
  and age, and the cultural significance of linguistic variation