Language Variation and Place

In previous chapters, we explored the ways that speakers make choices in interaction about how they can express meaning (referential and social) linguistically. Speakers can indicate through linguistic choices how they view their relationship with their interlocutors and their audience. These linguistic choices are shaped by the beliefs they hold about language and by the social and cultural context in which the interaction takes place. We looked specifically at the language choices of muiltilingual speakers and how they can use language choice as an additional social resource.