Sociolinguistic Variation and Acquisition in Two-Way Language Immersion

Rebecca Lurie Starr is an Assistant Professor of English Language at the National University of Singapore. She researches sociolinguistic variation in English, Mandarin and other languages, focusing on children’s acquisition of sociolinguistic knowledge in schools and multilingual settings.

This book provides an exciting addition to research on the crucial question of when and how children acquire sociolinguistic norms in the early stages of language use. Starr’s investigation focusses on both teacher and student talk in a two-way language immersion class, providing a multi-pronged approach to the crucial question of how teacher input may effect student output in negotiating the complexities of sociolinguistic variation. This rigorous yet accessible book will be invaluable for sociolinguists, acquisitionists and educators, and is set to be a key text for students working in these areas.

• 1. Introduction2. Standard Mandarin and Sociolinguistic Variation3. Teacher Language Use4. Corrections and Other Metalinguistic Discourse5. Student Language Use6. Implications and Future DirectionsReferences