语言可以从内部或外部加以研究，也就是可以从生物体内部或从生物体之间的不同视角进行研究。从外部、从生物体之间考察语言的视角实际上就是语言的功能观。本书从社会的角度考察语言，揭示语言的本质属性，探讨语言的功能，阐明语言在社会人生活中的地位。本书内容丰富，就不同的主题论述了社会语言学或语言社会学的理论，包括语言研究的社会视角、语义潜势、语言与社会人、语言发展、编码取向、语言变异与语言品种等。

Preface

Acknowledgements

PART ONE USERS AND USES

Edifor’s Introduction

1 The Users and Uses of Language(1964)

PART TWo SoCIOLINGUISTIC TH]E}oRY

Editor’S Introduction

2 Language in a SociM Perspective(1971)

3 Language and Social Man(1974)

4 Sociological Aspects of Semandc Change

(1975)

5 Language as Social Semiotic：Towards a

General Sociolinguistic Theory(1975)

6 Aspects of Sociolinguistic Research(1975)

PART THREE LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL CLASS

Editor’S Introduction

7 Foreword to Basil Bernstein's Class，Codes

and Control Vol．2：Applied Studies towards

a Sodotogy ofLanguage(1973)

8 Language and the Theory of Codes(1994)

PART FOUR LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Edltor’s Introduction

9 An Interpretation of the Functional

Relationship between Language and Social

Structure(1978)

10 Anti-languages(1976)

Afterword

Bibhography  

Index