William Labov's contributions to sociolinguistics

William Labov is a pioneering sociolinguist known for showing how people's speech varies based on social factors like class, ethnicity, and context. He demonstrated that language isn’t fixed but dynamically reflects social identity and group membership. His famous studies, such as examining pronunciation differences in New York City, revealed that linguistic variation can signal social status and group belonging. Labov's work helped establish the field of sociolinguistics, emphasizing that language use is tied to identity, social changes, and power structures, enriching our understanding of how language functions in society.