Sociophonetics An Introduction [Paperback]

Sociophonetics  the interface of sociolinguistics and phonetics  is a field that has expanded rapidly in recent years. A subject that requires both methodological and theoretical assessment for study, sociophonetics has never before been presented in a way that ties these fundamental strands together so successfully.

This comprehensive and user friendly introduction seamlessly marries the dual cores of sociophonetics into one accessible text.

In a methodical and structured approach, Sociophonetics: An Introduction:

? Provides detailed analysis of phonetic variables, discussing consonants, vowels, prosody and voice quality
? Includes clear and thorough explanations of how to measure linguistic phenomena and conduct acoustic analyses and perception experiments
? Covers a variety of theoretical approaches, including exemplar theory and cognitive sociolinguistics
? Examines, through theoretical issues, how sociolinguistics, phonetics and cognitive linguistics are linked

Thomas' innovative and friendly introduction to sociophonetics presents both a guide for advanced beginners as well as?a?basis for further development of professional research.

This comprehensive introduction discusses detailed methods of analyzing consonants, vowels, prosody and voice quality. Extensively illustrated, and with a focus on language variation, it provides explanations for conducting acoustic analyses and perception experiments and covers a variety of theoretical approaches.Preface.- The Place of Sociophonetics.- Production.- Perception.- Consonants.- Vowels.- Prosody.- Voice Quality.- Combinations of Different Types of Features.- Variation and the Cognitive Processing of Sounds.- Sound Change.- Social Factors and Phonetics.- Lateral Transfer.- Notes.- References.- Index.
ERIK R. THOMAS isl£g