Discuss the principles of sociolinguistics and how they help analyze language variation and change in different social contexts.

Sociolinguistics investigates how language varies and changes in different social and cultural settings. It examines factors like social class, ethnicity, gender, and geographic region that influence language use. Key principles include linguistic variation, language attitudes, and language contact. Sociolinguistic studies reveal patterns of dialect variation, language maintenance, and language shift, shedding light on social identities and power dynamics.