A sociolinguist is interested in the functions of language and communicative competence i.e. how language functions in society – who speaks what language to whom, when and where and for what purpose. The significance of a language as a repository of socio-cultural patterns of a language community can hardly be overemphasized. It is really remarkable that during the last few decades sociolinguists have significant light on language use. There is nevertheless a great scope for in-depth studies on languages – particularly Indian Languages- from a sociolinguistic orientation. No other country affords so much opportunity for this kind of study as India, which has rightly been regarded as a 'sociolinguistic giant'.

In view of this, Language Forum, a peer reviewed International Journal from Bahri Publications, New Delhi wishes to bring out a special issue on ‘Sociolinguistics’. The study of language in a social context will be the subject matter of this issue. Some of the key areas which would be covered are:

All papers submitted to Language Forum - LF should be original, neither having been previously published nor being considered elsewhere at the time of submission

Manuscripts should be in conformity with the Language Forum format, which can be made available on request.

Guest Editor: 
Vinay Kumar Jain
Head, Dept. of English,
MLC Govt. Girls College, Khandwa 450001
(M. P.) India
E-mail: vinayprof@gmail.com

Editors
Harpreet Kaur Bahri
Deepinder Singh Bahri
C/o BAHRI PUBLICATIONS
1749A/5, Govindpuri Extension
Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019
E-mail: bahrius@vsnl.com

Within the last few decades we have experienced a global upsurge for generating language corpus of various types to be directly accessed in various domains of mainstream linguistics, applied linguistics, and language technology. This gives birth to Corpus Linguistics – a new area of linguistic research that can challenge our so-long-practiced traditional linguistics. However, generation and utilization of corpora are interfaced with several theoretical and practical problems that need to be addressed properly before linguistic data and information stored in corpora are utilized properly. Since most of the issues related to Corpus Linguistics are not yet addressed properly with equal emphasis to all the language types, an issue of Language Forum, a peer reviewed international Journal, has been planned on Corpus Linguistics thus.

Hence, we invite original research papers related (not restricted) to the following broad areas:

The papers pertaining to the areas mentioned above should be submitted electronically (both in PDF and DOC format) to the Guest Editor/Editors, at their contact addresses given below not later than 30th June 2008.

Papers should not exceed 7500 words and should be preceded by an abstract of 200-250 words. The title, the name(s) and full mailing address(es) of the author(s), including e-mail addresses, should appear on the first page of the manuscript

The editors will select contributions for the special issue and notify authors of acceptance or otherwise once reports are received from the reviewers not later than 30th Sep 2008.

All papers submitted to Language Forum - LF should be original, neither having been previously published nor being considered elsewhere at the time of submission