Blurb:

Chapter 7, ‘Language Variation’ provides ways of approaching analysis of language variation synchronically, gathered under the field of sociolinguistics, the branch of linguistics which analyzes the effects of society on the different forms of language use. It explains perceived types of language varieties, such as standard, dialect and vernacular, as well as the societal variables associated with language variation: age, socio-cultural and economic background, education, gender, occupation and geographical location. Other concepts included are diglossia, pidgins, creoles, speech accommodation, sociolect, and idiolect. It further provides instances of the ways in which speech communities demonstrate that variation, highlighting the regularities which exist in all varieties of language.