Combining fascinating details and insights drawn from languages and societies around the world, this book provides a truly global introduction to sociolinguistics as a field of study. * Patrick Heinrich, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy * The strength of this book is to present the complex field of sociolinguistics in a clear way, which guides readers through the process of undertaking research. It demonstrates that rather than being an intellectual pastime sociolinguistic research can actually be useful. * Florian Coulmas, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany * Smakman's Discovering Sociolinguistics is genuinely reflective of its title, and a valuable introductory text. It offers practical insights for budding researchers of sociolinguistics, clearly introducing readers to a broad range of useful methods, as well as providing diverse and international coverage of the field. This is an original and valuable book, especially for those starting out in the discipline of sociolinguistics. * Peter Sercombe, Newcastle University, UK *