Review of “Sociolinguistics: The Essential Readings”
Reviewed by Jingquan Li
Summary in English
“Sociolinguistics: The Essential Readings”, edited by Christina Bratt
Paulston and G. Richard Tucker, is an introduction to many different aspects of
sociolinguistics for students and others interested in the field. It is a
collection of 29 seminal papers organized into 11 parts, which indicate the
directions the field has taken. Each part is headed by a classic paper in the
specific subfield. These are then followed typically by more recent articles,
some written especially for this reader, by researchers and educators who have
also helped to define the field of sociolinguistics in the past 50 years. For
each part, the editors introduce the articles and pose questions for discussion.
The volume helps to define the field of sociolinguistics, contextualizes the
history of the subject matter, helps students understand the progression of
intellectual development in the field, and provides the foundation for future
research. The current review introduces the main contents of each part, comments
on the editorial techniques, and provides a critique of its contents and form.
Generally speaking, this volume is an excellent introductory reader for
students, teachers, and researchers of sociolinguistics.