Sociolinguistics for language education (original) (raw)
Related papers
Spolsky/Handbook, 2008
Linguistic anthropologists investigate how language use both presupposes and creates social relations in cultural context (Silverstein, 1985; Duranti, 1997; Agha, 2006). Theories and methods from linguistic anthropology have been productively applied in educational research for the past 40 years. This chapter describes key aspects of a linguistic anthropological approach, reviews research in which these have been used to study educational phenomena, and illustrates how researchers can analyze educational data from this perspective. Readers should also consult Chapter 28, "Language Socialization," by Kathleen Riley, later in this volume, for a discussion of linguistic anthropological research in the language socialization tradition. The linguistic and paralinguistic signs that compose educational language use communicate both referential and relational messages. When educators and learners speak and write, they communicate not only about the subject matter they are learning but also about their affiliations with social groups both inside and outside the speech event. These affiliations, some of which are created in educational events and institutions themselves, can shape students' life trajectories and influence how they learn subject matter. For both theoretical and practical reasons, then, educational researchers need to understand how language use both creates and presupposes social relations during educational activities. Comments
The Intersections of Language Socialization and Sociolinguistics
In their introduction to the Journal of Sociolinguistics theme issue on sociocultural linguistics, Bucholtz and Hall (2008: 403) called for a new coalition among sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and related subfields. 1 Arguing that recent advances in sociolinguistics "reaffirm the importance of interdisciplinary connections," they proposed a sociocultural linguistics to address issues of identity, agency, language change, and micro-(individual speaker) and macrolevels (social structures and processes) in hybridized, urban, globalized settings. Their article was a platform for interdisciplinary work and an acknowledgment of the cross-connections already happening in a contemporary sociolinguistics increasingly focused on bilingual and multilingual settings.
Language Socialization Across Educational Settings
Companion to the Anthropology of Education, 2011
Language Socialization (LS) research concerns itself with two identified components of the socialization process: socialization through the use of language and socialization to use language . Grounded in interdisciplinary research from human development and linguistic anthropology, LS researchers study the ways participants in socialization interactions, whether in expert or novice roles, negotiate the acquisition and display of skills for competent participation in community. LS research adheres to a set of methodological principles to examine the acquisition of linguistic and cultural practices across social settings. These principles include an ethnographic perspective through sustained fieldwork, a longitudinal research design, and the collection and analysis of audio and/or video data in naturalistic settings . The studies, often following a small sample of focal participants across multiple sites, provide us with detailed descriptions and interpretations on the subtleties of the language socialization process in ways that a large-scale study could not achieve. The work that we review in this chapter theoretically and empirically engages the methodological principles of LS and contributes insights into the ways in which linguistic and cultural competencies are acquired through routine and moment-to-moment interactions, thereby expanding our understanding of education in its broadest sense.
Sociology of Language and Education: Empirical and Global Perspectives
Encyclopedia of Language and Education
This chapter first gives an overview of early developments and research orientations in the study of sociology of language and education and then offers an account of some recent studies which reflect sociolinguistic changes and developments, both macro and micro. It concludes with discussion on the appropriate types of research methodology that are adequate for studies of the complexities of today's society with regard to globalization and linguistic hegemony. Focal areas that are addressed are language policy, language status, language maintenance (of indigenous varieties), and language education, be they in rural communities or in multinational sites.
2006
Language is closely linked to our social relationships and is the medium through which we participate in a variety of social activities. This fascinating study explores the important role of language in various aspects of our social life, such as identity, gender relations, class, kinship, status, and hierarchies. Drawing on data from over thirty different languages and societies, it shows how language is more than simply a form of social action; it is also an effective tool with which we formulate models of social life and conduct. These models - or particular forms of social behaviour - are linked to the classification of 'types' of action or actor, and are passed 'reflexively' from person to person, and from generation to generation. Providing a unified way of accounting for a variety of social phenomena, this book will be welcomed by all those interested in the interaction between language, culture, and society.