Introduction

Compared to other subfields of linguistics, sociolinguistics has been relatively outward-facing since its inception. Yet few can accuse sociolinguistics of being particularly meddlesome in the political process; nor has the discipline as a whole been overwhelmingly preoccupied with improving people's lives. Peter Trudgill's 1984 edited volume Applied Sociolinguistics, which showcased a range of sociolinguistic research with applications beyond academia, was a rare specimen. Since then, the collocation of 'applied' and 'sociolinguistics' has not gained the purchase he might have hoped. If anything it has come to mean simply the application of sociolinguistic theory to cases of human interaction, resulting in predominantly academic outputs. Public perceptions of sociolinguistics remain relatively constrained. Sociolinguistics is at its best when working with communities, local organisations, schools, museums, historical societies, employers, third sector groups, policymakers, civil servants, etc., and actively engaging them in the research process.