New directions in the history and sociolinguistics of French

This chapter positions the contribution of the volume in the wider research context in which it was designed. It charts the evolution of the two main strands of research at the heart of the volume—sociolinguistics and historical (socio-)linguistics—exploring in each case the influence of the field on our understanding of the French language. In so doing, it draws on theoretical and methodological approaches from around the world, notably work by scholars in North America and Europe, particularly in Francophone and Anglophone traditions. The chapter sets out the distinctive approach of this volume, notably its multilingual perspectives (within France, across Europe, and in North America), its comparative dimension (across languages, geographies, and historical periods), and, crucially, its focus on data-driven methodologies. While theoretically diverse, and addressing a range of linguistic and sociolinguistic issues, the chapters are unified by an emphasis on data, drawing on recent datasets and electronic corpora of different text types that allow us to shed new light on the French language, both diachronically and synchronically.