'This ''Routledge Companion to Sociolinguistics'' is certainly a useful manual. Its clear short chapters, the glossary and the transparent structure of the whole compilation make it an accessible reference work for beginners. The suggestions for further readings and the extensive bibliographical list of references allow more advanced readers to check sources and to search for detailed information on the topics they are interested in.' - Catharina Peersman, LINGUIST LIST'This Companion to Sociolinguistics is a useful reference book for anyone interested in language variation and change, from the layman who first approaches linguistic matters to the more advanced sociolinguist' - Silvia Bruti, TESL-EJ