This is a classic book on a fascinating subject Peter Trudgill examines the close link between language & society & the many factors that influence the way we speak These range from gender environment age race class region & politics Trudgill's book surveys languages & societies from all over the world drawing on examples from Afrikaans to Yiddish He has added a fascinating chapter on the development of a language as a result of a non-native speaker's use of it Compelling & authoritative this new edition of a bestselling book is set to redraw the boundaries of the study of sociolinguistics