Language Variation and Change

Scope & Guideline

Fostering Understanding of Linguistic Change

Introduction

Welcome to the Language Variation and Change information hub, where our guidelines provide a wealth of knowledge about the journal’s focus and academic contributions. This page includes an extensive look at the aims and scope of Language Variation and Change, highlighting trending and emerging areas of study. We also examine declining topics to offer insight into academic interest shifts. Our curated list of highly cited topics and recent publications is part of our effort to guide scholars, using these guidelines to stay ahead in their research endeavors.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0954-3945
PublisherCAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 1989 to 2024
AbbreviationLANG VAR CHANGE / Lang. Var. Chang.
Frequency3 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
AddressEDINBURGH BLDG, SHAFTESBURY RD, CB2 8RU CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

The journal 'Language Variation and Change' focuses on the dynamic aspects of language as it varies across different contexts and changes over time. Its core aims encompass understanding the sociolinguistic factors that influence language variation and the implications of these variations in broader social contexts.
  1. Sociolinguistic Variation:
    The journal emphasizes the study of language variation as influenced by social factors, including class, ethnicity, and gender. This includes examining how these social dimensions impact language use and change.
  2. Language Change Dynamics:
    A significant focus is on the mechanisms of language change, exploring how and why languages evolve over time, including phonetic, morphological, and syntactic changes.
  3. Dialectology and Regional Variation:
    The journal covers research on regional dialects and their characteristics, contributing to the understanding of how geography interacts with language use.
  4. Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis:
    Methodologically, the journal employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyze language data, providing a comprehensive view of linguistic phenomena.
  5. Interaction of Language and Identity:
    Research often explores how language variation relates to identity construction, including aspects of social distinction and group affiliation.
The journal has been increasingly reflecting contemporary issues and emerging themes within sociolinguistics and language variation, indicating a responsiveness to current linguistic and social dynamics.
  1. Digital Linguistics:
    There is a notable trend towards exploring language variation in digital contexts, such as social media, where new forms of language use and variation are emerging.
  2. Gender and Language Studies:
    Research focusing on the intersection of gender and language is gaining prominence, highlighting how gender identity influences language use and variation.
  3. Cognitive and Psychological Factors:
    An emerging theme involves examining the cognitive aspects of language variation, including how psychological factors influence language processing and use.
  4. Community and Identity Dynamics:
    There is an increasing focus on how language variation reflects and constructs community identities, particularly in multicultural and multilingual contexts.
  5. Phonetic and Phonological Variation:
    Recent papers are increasingly investigating phonetic changes and their social implications, reflecting a growing interest in the detailed mechanisms of speech variation.

Declining or Waning

While the journal continues to thrive in many areas, certain themes that were once prevalent are showing signs of decline. This may reflect shifts in research interests or methodological approaches within the field.
  1. Historical Linguistics Focus:
    There appears to be a decline in the number of papers centered on historical linguistics, particularly those that focus solely on diachronic aspects without a sociolinguistic lens.
  2. Static Descriptive Studies:
    Research that primarily aims to provide static descriptions of dialects or languages, without engaging with the dynamics of change or social implications, seems to be less frequent.
  3. Language Universals and Typology:
    Papers focusing on universal features of language or typological comparisons are appearing less frequently, possibly indicating a shift towards more context-specific studies.

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