First Published in 1992. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book provides a concise and comprehensive exploration of the complex variations to which a language is subject. Unique in its coverage of so many English language topics, the second edition of this book has been up-dated, revised and significantly enlarged. New to this edition are: all relevant data and new research such as worries created by the Kingman and Cox reports about the way language is taught or not taught in schools; new insights into pidgins and creoles; new section on literature in English by writers for whom English is not a native language; emphasis on new trends in advertising and the media; updated additional reading at the end of each chapter.