Sociolinguistics: Method and Interpretation presents a thorough and practical description of current sociolinguistic methodology while recognizing that methodological decisions can never be separated from questions of theory. * Presents a thorough and practical description of current sociolinguistic methodology. * Considers a range of issues including speaker selection, data collection, social considerations, phonological and syntactical variation, style--shifting and code--switching. * Recognizes that methodological decisions can never be separated from questions of theory. * Stresses the need for the entire research process from the initial design of the project to the interpretation of results to be grounded in theoretically defensible positions. * Shows how the research paradigm established by a few influential pioneers has been fruitfully expanded by exciting new trends.