ABSTRACT
This chapter considers how closely linked language and attitudes are. It explores examples that show how attitudes towards other people are expressed through language, by looking at the case of sexist language. The chapter examines people's positive and negative attitudes to different language varieties and focuses on how these attitudes can shed light on the way people perceive to be organised. It discusses that the study of language ideologies is related to the study of language attitudes and perceptions about language. The chapter also focuses on the pioneering work of Henri Tajfel in social identity theory. It examines research that shows people's perceptions of what different dialects there are are tightly bound up with their perceptions of what different dialects are like. Accommodation theory stresses the importance of speakers' attitudes to their addressee, and the resulting dynamism in interactions. It also provides us with a context for comparing what speakers think they are doing with what they actually are doing.
