Sociolinguistics

Sociolinguistics is a fieldwork-based discipline. Sociolinguistics is mainly interested in the different forms of sociolect, in suggesting patterns and frameworks by which such sociolects seem to operate. The main tool in sociolinguistics has been the concept of the ‘linguistic variable’. This is any single feature of language which could be realized by different choices. Linguistic variables operating at a grammatical level have also been studied in sociolinguistics. Variation means there is the potential for change, and the causes and effects of language change are, therefore, central concerns of sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics has informed the thinking of government policy on education and language planning across the world, with insights from the field finding their way directly into teacher-training courses and educational programmes, especially in the UK and USA. Teachers who are aware of the sociolinguistic context have insights at their disposal which can make them better teachers.