Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Introductory Remarks 1.2 Background of the Research 1.3 Data Description and Collection 1.4 Research Aims and Questions 1.5 Layout of the Research Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Linguistic Studies in the Urban City 2.2.1 Language Variation and Social Context 2.2.2 Urban Language Use and Language Attitude 2.3 Linguistic Landscape in the Urban City 2.3.1 Framing the Concept of Linguistic Landscape 2.3.2 The Linguistic Landscape Studies in Metropolis 2.4 Summary Chapter 3 Theoretical Framework 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Language as Social Semiotic 3.2.1 The Social Semiotic Nature of Language 3.2.2 The Representational Meaning of Language 3.2.3 Negotiating Attitudes through Language 3.3 Language as Social Indexicality 3.3.1 Dialect and Register 3.3.2 Sociolinguistics Approach on Language 3.4 Language as Discourse 3.4.1 Discourse and Text 3.4.2 The Critical Stance on Discourse 3.5 Summary Chapter 4 The Social Interpretation of Habits of Meaning 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Negotiating Attitude 4.2.1 The Distribution of Attitude 4.2.2 The Realization of Affect 4.2.3 The Realization of Judgement 4.2.4 The Realization of Appreciation 4.3 Interacting in Heteroglossic Dialogue 4.3.1 The Distribution of Heteroglossic Engagement 4.3.2 Contracting the Dialogic Space: Disclaim, Proclaim 4.3.3 Expanding the Dialogic Space: Entertain, Attribute 4.4 Scaling the Feelings and Dialogistic Effects 4.4.1 The Distribution of Graduation 4.4.2 Force: Quantification, Intensification 4.4.3 Focus: Sharpen, Soften 4.5 Interpreting the Value Preference from Social Perspective 4.5.1 Citizens: Negotiating Positive Attitude 4.5.2 Infor-transmitters: Announcing Position with Contraction 4.5.3 Officials: Conducting Explanation with Quantification 4.6 Summary Chapter 5 Analyzing the Sociolinguistic Profile of the City Talk 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Speech Community 5.3 The Interpretation of Symbolic Conflicts and Construction in the City Talk 5.3.1 Displaying the Symbolic Conflicts in the City Talk 5.3.2 Displayingthe Symbolic Construction of the City Talk 5.4 The Interpretation of the Place Meaning of the City Talk 5.5 Summary Chapter 6 Analyzing the Semiotic Configuration of the City Talk 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Analyzing the Discoursal Aspect of the City Talk 6.2.1 Focusing on Genres: Ways of Acting 6.2.2 Focusing on Discourses: Ways of Representing 6.2.3 Focusing on Styles: Ways of Being 6.3 The Discourse of Action 6.3.1 Accounting for the Discourseof Action: A Practical Argumentation Analysis 6.3.2 The Practical Argumentation Analysis of the Discourse in Guangzhou Forum 6.4 Summary Chapter 7 Conclusion 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Major Findings of the Present Study 7.3 Implications of the Present Study 7.4 Suggestions for Future Studies Appendix Index References