Sociolinguistics and Language Education

Abstract

This chapter begins by distinguishing various meanings of the term sociolinguistics. It then traces early developments in the field of sociolinguistics, beginning with the work of geographical dialectologists and then moving to the seminal work of Hymes (on communicative competence. In J. B. Pride & J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguistics. London: Penguin, 1972) and Bernstein (Class, codes and control. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, Ltd., 1971). The author next describes three major strands of investigation in sociolinguistics: language variation, language contact, and language change. Work in the area of language variation is based largely on the groundbreaking work of William Labov, whose findings have been challenged by current research on language hybridity. Research in the area of language contact includes work on pidgins and creoles, as well as work on World Englishes. Finally, in reference to language change, the chapter highlights the manner in which the linguistic changes that are occurring today raise critical questions about the construct of a standard variety of a language. The paper ends with a summary of current work on language and globalization where there is far greater emphasis on the symbolic value of particular languages within the messy and complex exchanges of global interaction – exchanges where speakers come with different language resources, as well as different pragmatic norms. The final section discusses the pedagogical implications of the issues raised in the paper.