The 'third wave' of variation study, spearheaded by the sociolinguist Penelope Eckert, places its focus on social meaning, or the inferences that can be drawn about speakers based on how they talk. While social meaning has always been a concern of modern sociolinguistics, its aims and assumptions have not been explicitly spelled out until now. This pioneering book provides a comprehensive overview of the central tenets of variation study, examining several components of dialects, and considering language use in a wide variety of cultural and linguistic contexts. Each chapter, written by a leader in the field, posits a unique theoretical claim about social meaning and presents new empirical data to shed light on the topic at hand. The volume makes a case for why attending to social meaning is vital to the study of variation while also providing a foundation from which variationists can productively engage with social meaning.

A comprehensive guide to conducting research projects in linguistics, this book provides a complete training in state-of-the-art data collection, processing, and analysis techniques. The book follows the structure of a research project, guiding the reader through the steps involved in collecting and processing data, and providing a solid foundation for linguistic analysis. All major research methods are covered, each by a leading expert. Rather than focusing on narrow specializations, the text fosters interdisciplinarity, with many chapters focusing on shared methods such as sampling, experimental design, transcription and constructing an argument. Highly practical, the book offers helpful tips on how and where to get started, depending on the nature of the research question. The only book that covers the full range of methods used across the field, this student-friendly text is also a helpful reference source for the more experienced researcher and current practitioner.

A comprehensive guide to conducting research projects in linguistics, this book provides a complete training in state-of-the-art data collection, processing, and analysis techniques. The book follows the structure of a research project, guiding the reader through the steps involved in collecting and processing data, and providing a solid foundation for linguistic analysis. All major research methods are covered, each by a leading expert. Rather than focusing on narrow specializations, the text fosters interdisciplinarity, with many chapters focusing on shared methods such as sampling, experimental design, transcription and constructing an argument. Highly practical, the book offers helpful tips on how and where to get started, depending on the nature of the research question. The only book that covers the full range of methods used across the field, this student-friendly text is also a helpful reference source for the more experienced researcher and current practitioner.

"Language and Sexuality" explores the question of how linguistic practices and ideologies relate to sexuality and sexual identity, opening with a discussion of the emerging field of "queer linguistics" and moving from theory into practice with case studies of language use in a wide variety of cultural settings. The resulting volume combines the perspectives of the field's top scholars with exciting new research to present new ideas on the ways in which language use intersects with sexual identity.

"Language and Sexuality" explores the question of how linguistic practices and ideologies relate to sexuality and sexual identity, opening with a discussion of the emerging field of "queer linguistics" and moving from theory into practice with case studies of language use in a wide variety of cultural settings. The resulting volume combines the perspectives of the field's top scholars with exciting new research to present new ideas on the ways in which language use intersects with sexual identity.