The Importance of Sociolinguistics for English Language Teacher

As a study which engaged the interaction between language and society, sociolinguistics has a huge effect in foreign language teaching to reach a better understanding of the language nature as well as its materilization along with the conception of the nature of society. In this essay, I would like to discuss the importance of sociolinguistics toward english language teacher when teaching English

How is sociolinguistics connected to teaching English as a second language?

Teaching English for the speaker of other language who already acquired their first language may seem that pedagogy along with methodology is thing that English teacher need, but it does not that way. In this case, the conception of sociolinguistics should included. The main reason of why the understanding of sociolinguistics should included in teaching foreign language is because students who who already have firts language (L1) will have a set of values cultural awareness that had been taugt the whole time during their lives before they are being introduced to the second language (L2). In Malaysia for instance, English teachers are expected to concern about sociolinguistics features aspects such as culture, social inequality and communicative competence during the process of teaching and learning.

In addition, many language reseachers have stated that both language and culture are related and it cannot be parted both of these factors into individual. As a matter of fact, the behaviour and linguistics values mastered by L1 will cause some forms of influence towar the L2 learners. To support this statement, an example of the simple linguistics for relationship. Nearly all ESL textbooks together with those found in Malaysia begin the explanation of the language function by learning vocabulary to address family members. Based on Afful (2006), the term of adressing establish an important part of verbal behaviour, norms and practices of a society can be identified.

However, in English culture, there is only one term to describe the relationship between the parents’ male sibling as “uncle”compared to Chinese culture that have particular term for male sibling of both maternal and paternal sides taking also into consideration the family hierarchy of the sibling. For instance, the teacher should recognize the difference culture posed through the linguistic function which either hinders or support the child in learning English as a foreign language. In this example, a general mistakes that students will produce is by understanding that all male sibling of the parents’ as “Uncle” without without stating the family hierarchy. As a result, the students possibly will produce terms such as Big Uncle for the elder male sibling and Small Uncle for the younger sibling. In a methodology features, the teacher will have to use other method to generate the awareness for the students in order to understand the culture difference that producted to the glitch in linguistic area.

Nevertheless, the teacher is expected to understand that nearly all sociolinguist such as Labov suppose that all languages are identical when it comes to esteem and usage. When teaching English, it is therefore critical to ignore any kinds of intolerance o class differentiation toward the existing culture of the child and English culture. The notion of upper class language or more prestigious language derived from several aspects which Kloss (1966) has categorized to rich heritage, high degree of language modernization, considerable international standing, or the prestige of its speakers. For Malaysia has a wide diversity of cultures, languages and dialects depending on the demographic of individual, besides, there is a believe that most prestigious dialect is single standard dialect of English that all people should speak (Fox,1999)

Therefore, the teacher should concern of the outcome in understanding this when applying lessons in English.

Rererences

Afful, J.B.A. (2006): Adress terms among university students in Ghana. A case study.
Journal of Language and Intercultural Communication, 6(1)

Fox, M. (September 12, 1999). The way we live now : On Language and Dialects. The New York Times. Retrived May 02, 2017 from http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/12/megazine/the-way-we-live-now-9-12-99-on-language-dialects.html?n=Top/References/Times%20Topics/People/F/Fox,%20Margalit

Kloss, H. (1996). Types of multilingual communities: A discussion of ten variables. Sociological Inquiry 36 (2). Pp. 135-145