Applied Sociolinguistics: The Case of Arabic as a Second Language

Abstract

This paper has several themes. The first is that almost everything that sociolinguists can discover about the sociolinguistic patterning of Arabic will have some relevance for the teaching and learning of Arabic as a second language. Second is the principle, illustrated here by three examples of sociolinguistic patterning, that while rules for the appropriate conduct of speech vary considerably from one society to another, there is an underlying universality to sociolinguistic rules which makes them readily comprehensible and accessible to language learners, while cross-cultural variability contributes to learners' continued interest. Third, there is some evidence that sociolinguistic rules are difficult for learners to acquire on their own, suggesting that some sociolinguistic facts need to be taught if second language learners are to achieve the desired goal of communicative competence.

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