Sociolinguistics and Contemporary French [Paperback]

Discusses how French is used in different circumstances, the language attitudes of French speakers and language policy.This textbook considers the ways French is used in different circumstances and settings in France and abroad as well as the language attitudes of French speakers and linguistics policy.This textbook considers the ways French is used in different circumstances and settings in France and abroad as well as the language attitudes of French speakers and linguistics policy.This textbook deals with the ways in which French is used in different circumstances and settings in France and abroad; with the language attitudes of French speakers; and with language policy. It is concerned not only with the linguistic data, but also the social, political, and economic environment in which contemporary French is used. This is the only up-to-date introduction to the sociolinguistics of French currently available. The exposition is clear and lively, and will be welcomed by students and teachers alike.Glossary of terms; 1. Overview; 2. Regionalism; 3. Occitan; 4. Regional languages; 5. French abroad; 6. Social variation: age and sex; 7. Social categories; 8. The outsider; 9. Social variation: occupations; 10. Interaction; 11. Language policy; Index; Bibliography. ...does a superb job of reviewing and synthesizing a wide range of information about language and society in France and in the French-speaking world....will be of considerable interest to scholars and teachers not only of French linguistics, but also of French cultural studies. William J. Ashby, Canadian Journal of Linguistics