This textbook, aimed primarily at beginning undergraduates studying for degrees in English, provides an introduction to a range of sociolinguistic theories and the insights they provide for a greater understanding of varieties of English, past and present. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative approaches to sociolinguistic variation, the book provides a systematic overview of such topics as:

* 'English' as a social and as a linguistic concept
* The relationship between regional and social dialectology, and their application to the study of English
* English historical sociolinguistics, from Old English to late Modern English
* Sociolinguistics and change in English
* Outcomes of contact involving varieties of English
* English and language planning
* English, sociolinguistics and linguistic theory.

The book contains data drawn from studies of English as it is used around the world. Throughout, there is an emphasis on facilitating a deeper understanding of linguistic variation in English and the social, political and cultural contexts in which speakers and writers of English operate.