The Sociolinguistics of Sign Languages

This is an accessible introduction to the major areas of sociolinguistics as they relate to sign languages and deaf communities. Clearly organized it brings together a team of leading experts in sign linguistics to survey the field and covers a wide range of topics including variation multilingualism bilingualism language attitudes discourse analysis language policy and planning. Each chapter introduces the key issues in each area of inquiry and provides a comprehensive review of the literature. The book also includes suggestions for further reading and helpful exercises.