This book is the fruit of many happy years teaching at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. The purpose of' understanding sociolinguistics ' is to provide students and new teachers and all interested researchers with an account of what is involved in linguistics in general and in sociolinguistics in particular. The layout of this book enables students of linguistics to use the material in a variety of ways. Teachers of linguistics can use the book for lessons on sociolinguistics for class lectures, points of reference for self-assessment as well as for practical exercises and home sociolinguistics assignments. 'Understanding sociolinguistics ', although dealing with eminently academic subject matters, seeks to maintain a lively, modern style, and to be user- friendly. As such it should be of interested to anyone involved in any way if the fascinating world of linguistics in general and in particular sociolinguistics