1. Topic: How is sociolinguistics relevant to teaching English as a second language?
Teaching English as a second language (L2) to an individual or a group of people who
already have the first language or mother tongue (L1) not only need the paedagogy and
methodology of teaching but also the understanding of sociolinguistics. This is because students
who already have L1 will already have a set of values and cultural knowledge that they have
learnt and known throughout their lives before being exposed to L2. Teaching English as a
second language (ESL) in Malaysia requires English teachers to be aware that within the process
of teaching and learning, there are many aspects that the teachers need to be aware of through the
sociolinguistic features such as culture, social inequality and communicative competence.
Many language researchers have mentioned that language and culture are intertwined
with no definite ways to separate both these elements in an individual. As such, the behavior and
linguistic values learnt from the L1 will have some form of influence on the individual when
learning L2. Take for example the simple linguistic functions for kinship. Most ESL textbooks
including those found in Malaysia start the explanation of the language function through learning
vocabulary for addressing family members. According to Afful (2006), the terms of address
constitute an important part of verbal behavior through which the behavior, norms and practices
of a society can be identified.
In the English culture, there is only one term to explain the relationship between the
parents’ male sibling as ‘Uncle’ compared to the Chinese culture which have a special term for
the male sibling of both maternal and paternal sides; taking also into consideration the family
hierarchy of the sibling. As such, the teacher should understand the difference of culture posed
through the linguistic function that either hinders or assist the child in learning English. In this

2. example, a common mistake that the student will make is by understanding that all the male
sibling of the parents’ as ‘Uncle’ without mentioning the family hierarchy. As such, the student
may produce terms such as Big Uncle for the elder male sibling and Small Uncle for the younger
male sibling. In a methodology aspect, the teacher will need to use other approaches to create the
awareness for the student to understand the difference of the culture which thus resulted to the
glitch in the linguistic area.
However, the teacher should understand that most sociolinguists such as Labov believe
that all languages are equal when it comes to esteem and usage. By teaching English, it is
therefore crucial to disregard any form of prejudice or class differentiation towards the existing
culture of the child and the English culture. The notion of upper class language or more
prestigious language derived from several aspects which Kloss (1966) has categorized to rich
literary heritage, high degree of language modernization, considerable international standing, or
the prestige of its speakers. Since Malaysia has a wide variety of cultures, languages and dialects
depending on the demographic of individual, there is a belief that most prestigious dialect is the
single standard dialect of English that all people should speak (Fox, 1999).
Thus, the teacher should be aware of the outcome in understanding this when
implementing lessons in English. Believing that English; due to its prestige is also linked to be of
upper class can either cause a student to learn or disregard it. Nonetheless, the teacher will face a
bigger challenge to students who refuse to learn the English language as being thought to
suppress their own culture which thus result to the learning barrier. Sociolinguistics knowledge
will be relevant in deriving the style to teach English in class because in both situations, students
have to be taught to assimilate the language and culture that comes with it in order not to totally
disrespect or forego his own culture and values of his L1 as it may cause other social problems.

3. In Malaysian classrooms, the teacher will need to find a balance in both explaining the need for
learning English due to globalization purpose as well as keeping their own ethnic identity.
Even so, to learn English and know the linguistic fluency of the language might not
necessarily result to the student being able to achieve communicative competence. Spitzberg
(1988) believes that communication competence is the ability to interact with other people in an
accurate, fluent, comprehensible, coherent, effective and appropriate to the context or topic being
mentioned. Students in Malaysia are generally exposed to a wide array of English language and
culture through songs, movies and the Internet; especially through websites such as Youtube and
Facebook. In most cultural aspects, the linguistic speech that is used by the English native
speakers is awkward to be used in the Malaysian context. A simple example is jokes which one
can find on the Internet. Due to the cultural and historic value of the native speakers of English
especially in America, jokes that revolve around their society might not be appropriate to be used
in our Malaysian context; even if it is among proficient speakers of English. These jokes; which
are well received to be a source of entertainment as they can be performed as a category for
competitions or even be used as time fillers in award ceremonies can be discriminating and
inappropriate if the L2 speakers are not well informed to use it in their own context.
Therefore, teachers need to acquire the sociolinguistic process of language which can
affect the L2 students. For a start, L2 students should be exposed to the standard language
varieties exists in order to allow them to assimilate their culture and values to English culture and
values. Most importantly, teachers should always be there to assure students that there is no
inferiority when it comes to learning the new language. In doing so, teachers themselves have to
know the sociolinguistics of how a language is regarded in this multilingual society.

4. Reference List
Afful, J. B. A. (2006): Address 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. Retrieved December 14, 2011 from
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/12/magazine/the-way-we-live-now-9-12-99-on-
language-dialects.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/F/Fox,%20Margalit
Kloss, H. (1966). Types of multilingual communities: A discussion of ten variables.
Sociological Inquiry 36 (2). pp. 135–145
Spitzberg, B. H. (1988). Communication competence: Measures of perceived effectiveness. In C.
H. Tardy (Ed.), A handbook for the study of human communication: Methods and
instruments for observing, measuring, and assessing communication processes. pp. 67-
105.