Language in Society: An Introduction to Sociolinguistics

I find Suzanne Romaine's writing very engaging, and enjoy her pull-no-punches, tell-it-like-it-is approach to her subject. I have used her book as a supplement to my general introductory linguistics text, because that text tends to skirt around such issues in sociolinguistics which Romaine specifically adresses, i.e. the political dimension. Women, minorities, and other people 'dispossessed' by the language which surrounds them every day inform this book's pages and are given full exposure.