Juliana Bertucci Barbosa
Professor of the Professional Master’s Program of Linguistics (Letras em Rede/ PROFLETRAS) at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM)
PPGLLP-Unesp-Araraquara
Member of the CpE Network
Juliana Bertucci Barbosa
Professor of the Professional Master’s Program of Linguistics (Letras em Rede/ PROFLETRAS) at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM)
PPGLLP-Unesp-Araraquara
Member of the CpE Network
APRIL/MAY 2026 | nº.6 | Book reinforces that understanding inherent variation in natural languages is fundamental to combating linguistic prejudice and building fairer educational and social practices
IMAGE: PUBLICITY
The book “Linguistic Variation: Diversity and Everyday Life”, by Raquel Freitag (Contexto Publisher, 2025), constitutes an introductory and, at the same time, conceptually consistent reading for Modern Languages students, researchers in Linguistics and teachers of Basic Education interested in understanding the phenomenon of linguistic variation from a scientific, social and pedagogical perspective. With accessible language and a didactic approach, the book presents an engaging and up-to-date reflection on linguistic diversity in everyday life, articulating assumptions from Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, and the Psychology of Language.
The author, Raquel Freitag, is a linguist and professor at the Department of Vernacular Letters of the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), with a doctorate in Linguistics from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), and a distinguished career in studies on the processing of linguistic variation. The author is also co-author of books aimed at public debate on language and society, such as “There is no neutral language! Gender in society and in the grammar of Brazilian Portuguese”, which reinforces the social and scientific commitment of her work.
Starting from a central principle of Sociolinguistics, that no language is homogeneous, the book emphasizes the fact that linguistic variation is a constitutive condition of natural languages. Differences at the phonological, lexical, morphological, and/or syntactic levels are not exceptions or deviations, but systematic manifestations that emerge from the everyday communicative practices of speakers. From the very first pages, the author demonstrates that, in societies marked by cultural, social, and regional plurality, such as Brazil, linguistic diversity is the rule, not an anomaly.
Judgment and Stigmatization
One of the merits of the book lies in demonstrating that the way we deal with linguistic diversity in everyday life matters a great deal. The perception of linguistic differences is so strong that it permeates historical and religious records, as exemplified by biblical passages in which individuals were identified, recognized, or even persecuted for the way they spoke.
For example, in the Pentecost episode (Acts 2), the listeners identify the speakers as Galileans based on their manner of speaking, which causes strangeness given that they are using other languages. In another passage (Matthew 26:73), Peter is recognized as a follower of Jesus because “his manner of speaking betrays him”.
In contemporary daily life, this process remains active: upon hearing a minimal feature of the linguistic system (such as the pronunciation of “aks” instead of “ask”), listeners frequently trigger automatic inferences about the speaker’s social origin, education, income, or regional affiliation. When such inferences take on a negative value, linguistic prejudice is configured, widely documented by sociolinguistic research.
The book problematizes not only the judgment of the listener, but also the effects of variation on the speaker. What happens when a speaker whose variety is stigmatized encounters the prestigious variant? Linguistic diversity produces distinct impacts on different speaker profiles and social groups. At this point, the book engages with recent contributions from Psycholinguistics, a field that has expanded its objects, methods, and study populations, as exemplified in contemporary collections dedicated to linguistic diversity.
It is in this movement that “Linguistic Variation: Diversity and Everyday Life” differs from more traditional introductions to Sociolinguistics. The author proposes that, to understand phenomena such as linguistic prejudice, it is not enough to analyze only production (how people use language) or perception (how they evaluate others’ uses). It is necessary to incorporate the dimension of linguistic variation processing, investigating which variants are most salient, in what contexts, how frequently, and at what cognitive cost. Questions such as why profound changes in grammar go unnoticed, while minimal alterations provoke intense social reactions, guide the reflection throughout the book.
This perspective is systematically developed in the book’s chapters. In “Processing Linguistic and Social Information”, variation is presented as a natural phenomenon, highlighting the cognitive and social processes that articulate language, identity, and social categorization, contributing to the construction of social indexing. In “Awareness, Salience, and Frequency”, the author introduces the concept of sociolinguistic awareness and explores how these explanatory parameters, in dialogue with Psycholinguistics, underpin the formation of linguistic norms and judgments about language, highlighting the interaction between automatic and controlled processes.
The chapter “How to measure processing” discusses observational and experimental methods, including the use of sociolinguistic biomarkers, which allow access to unconscious knowledge about variation.
Applications and Pedagogical Practices
In the chapter “Linguistic Diversity in Society,” the author consolidates the practical implications of this knowledge, exploring applications in education, public communication, and artificial intelligence. In the school context, sociolinguistic awareness can favor more inclusive pedagogical practices that recognize students’ linguistic repertoire and fight stigmatization. In public communication, it contributes to preventing the marginalization of social groups through language. In the field of artificial intelligence, the incorporation of linguistic variation proves fundamental for the development of more representative and socially responsible technologies.
From a pedagogical point of view, the book offers relevant support for the initial and continuing training of teachers. By arguing that the teaching of the standard norm should expand, and not replace, the linguistic varieties of students, Freitag proposes a conception of linguistic education committed to equity and inclusion. The evaluation of oral and written productions, from this perspective, should consider the context of use, the communicative purpose, and the interlocutor, and not just strict adherence to the standard norm.
With 128 pages, clear language, and didactic exposition, the book manages to articulate linguistic theory, empirical evidence, and social reflection without resorting to conceptual excesses, which makes it accessible to non-specialists. At the same time, it presents sufficient theoretical density to encourage more in-depth reading and interdisciplinary dialogues.
“Linguistic Variation: Diversity and Everyday Life” reaffirms that understanding linguistic diversity is fundamental to combating linguistic prejudice and building fairer educational and social practices. By shifting the focus to the processing of variation, the book broadens the horizon of Sociolinguistics and invites the reader to reflect critically on how we hear, perceive, judge, and regulate language in everyday life. It is, therefore, a highly recommended read for those interested in a democratic, inclusive, and socially committed linguistic education.
