Sociolinguistics in Ireland

Abstract

Sociolinguistics in Ireland takes a fresh look at the interface of language and society in present-day Ireland. In a series of specially commissioned chapters it examines the relationship of the Irish and English languages and traces their dynamic development both in history and at present. A range of topical issues are dealt with such as language and the media as well as the most recent sociolinguistic developments in Ireland. The historical section tells the story of emigration from Ireland to overseas locations and shows how Irish and English interacted through the centuries and how attempts at reviving Irish have coloured Irish politics and education in the past century or so. The contemporary section deals with matters such as language use in present-day Ireland, code-switching between Irish and English, the study of Irish English using modern technology and its prevalence in films produced in Ireland.