Synopses & Reviews
This introduction to major topics in the field of Arabic sociolinguistics examines key issues in diglossia, code-switching, gendered discourse, language variation and change, and language policies. It introduces and evaluates various theoretical approaches and models, and it illustrates the usefulness and limitations of these approaches to Arabic with empirical data. Reem Bassiouney explores how current sociolinguistic theories can be applied to Arabic and, conversely, what the study of Arabic can contribute to our understanding of the function of language in society.
Graduate students of Arabic language and linguistics as well as students of sociolinguistics with no knowledge of Arabic will find this volume to be an indispensable resource.
Synopsis
This book provides an introduction to the field of Arabic sociolinguistics by presenting an overview of such major topics as diglossia, and dialect groups, code-switching, language variation and change, gender, and language policy and politics. Written for students and scholars of the Arabic language and linguistics and general sociolinguistics, Bassiouney explains various theoretical approaches and illustrates the usefulness and limitations of these approaches to Arabic using empirical data. She shows how sociolinguistic theories can be applied to Arabic and conversely, what the study of Arabic can contribute to our understanding of the functions of language in society.