Research Methods in Language Attitudes

Description

Attitudes towards spoken, signed, and written language are of significant interest to researchers in sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, communication studies, and social psychology. This is the first interdisciplinary guide to traditional and cutting-edge methods for the investigation of language attitudes. Written by experts in the field, it provides an introduction to attitude theory, helps readers choose an appropriate method, and guides through research planning and design, data collection, and analysis. The chapters include step-by-step instructions to illustrate and facilitate the use of the different methods as well as case studies from a wide range of linguistic contexts. The book also goes beyond individual methods, offering guidance on how to research attitudes in multilingual communities and in signing communities, based on historical data, with the help of priming, and by means of mixed-methods approaches.

Ruth Kircher is a researcher at the Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning / Fryske Akademy (Netherlands). Lena Zipp is a scientific coordinator at the Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich (Switzerland).

'This brilliant new book will energise the field by offering researchers a clear and detailed overview of the latest methods to investigate language attitudes.' Jean-Marc Dewaele, Birkbeck, University of London 'For those seeking to better understand and evaluate research into language attitudes, and for those wishing to conduct investigations of their own, this outstanding and comprehensive collection of clearly explained and well-exemplified chapters by leading contemporary researchers is likely to be the go-to resource for many years to come. In addition, the volume provides a valuable productive backdrop and reference point for further methodological innovation and development in this complex and challenging field.' Peter Garrett, Cardiff University 'This book gives a wonderful overview of techniques and methods in language attitude research, and offers a discussion of the opportunities and challenges that investigators in this highly interdisciplinary field encounter. I can recommend this book to anyone who wants to investigate the relationship between societal and political structures and our views about language in more detail.' Nanna H. Hilton, University of Groningen