The public interest in gender issues remains strong, and linguistic aspects play an important role in various fields (politics, law, education). This introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the complex topic of 'language and gender': it first clarifies the category of 'gender' in the context of the historical development of the research area, describes and analyzes the different language practices of the genders, including facial expressions and body language, and presents the latest explanatory approaches. The conclusion is a chapter on language policy and language change. With this comprehensive perspective, this volume replaces purely feminist-oriented representations.