Exploring Language Change

In this student-friendly text, Jones and Singh explore the phenomenon of language change, with a particular focus on the social contexts of its occurrence and possible motivations, including speakers' intentions and attitudes. Presenting new or little-known data, the authors draw a distinction between "e;unconscious"e; and "e;deliberate"e; change. The discussion on "e;unconscious"e; change considers phenomena such as the emergence and obsolescence of individual languages, whilst the sections on "e;deliberate"e; change focus on issues of language planning, including the strategies of language revival and revitalization movements. There is also a detailed exploration of what is arguably the most extreme instance of "e;deliberate"e; change; language invention for real-world use.Examining an extensive range of language situations, Exploring Language Change makes a clear, but often ignored distinction between concepts such as language policy and planning, and language revival and revitalization. Also featured are a number of case studies which demonstrate that real-life language use is often much more complex than theoretical abstractions might suggest.This is a key text for students on a variety of courses, including sociolinguistics, historical linguistics and language policy and planning.