Sociolinguistics and Contemporary French

Discusses how French is used in different circumstances, the language attitudes of French speakers and language policy.

Dennis Ernest Ager (Author)

9780521397308, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 December 1990

280 pages
23.6 x 15.6 x 2.4 cm, 0.465 kg

"...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

This book 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 to examine not only the linguistic data, but also the social, political and economic environment in which contemporary French is used. At the same time it offers an introduction to contemporary sociolinguistic theory, methods and results. After a brief historical introduction and a review of approaches to regionalism, Professor Ager looks at such questions as the conflicts between standard French and regional languages such as Breton, the changing role of French in the world; the distinctiveness of social and professional varieties such as the language of the working class, scientists or immigrants and language variation correlating with interactional factors such as formality or medium. A final chapter deals with language attitude, language policy and language planning. This volume sets language information in its social context and shows how to investigate and evaluate both language variation and the social and political reaction to it.

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.

Subject Areas: Sociolinguistics [CFB]