Longman Dictionary of

PE2379 ch06.qxd 24/1/02 16:07 Page 493
societal bilingualism n
also multilingualism
the coexistence of two or more languages used by individuals and groups
in society.
Societal bilingualism does not imply that all members of society are bilingual:
in fact a majority of members of language groups in multilingual
societies may be monolingual (e.g. as with English speakers in Canada)
because the different groups are separated either geographically or
socially.
socio-cognitive approach n
in the teaching of second language writing, an approach in which students
focus on the needs and expectations of the audience and the situation for
their writing.
socio-constructivist theory n
see CONSTRUCTIVISM
sociocultural competence n
see COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE
sociolect
socio-cultural theory n
an approach to SLA derived from Vygotsky’s work which emphasized the
causal relationship between social interaction and cognitive development,
including language learning.
see also ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT
socio-educational model n
a model of second and foreign language learning in school settings developed
by Gardner. The theory emphasizes the role of INTEGRATIVE MOTIVATION.
sociolect adj
also social dialect
a variety of a language (a DIALECT) used by people belonging to a particular
social class. The speakers of a sociolect usually share a similar
socio-economic and/or educational background. Sociolects may be
classed as high (in STATUS) or low (in status).
For example:
He and I were going there. (higher sociolect)
“Im’n me was goin’ there. (lower sociolect)
The sociolect with the highest status in a country is often the STANDARD
VARIETY.
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