Universidad de Guadalajara

Maestría en Enseñanza del Inglés como Lengua Extranjera

Module: I A Language and Social Context

Reflection 1

Tutor’s Name: Sara Quintero Ramírez

Name: Humberto Marino Ramírez

E-mail: humber_marino@hotmail.com

Sunday, September 08, 2013

By reading definitions and concepts teachers become aware of how important
sociolinguistics is, on the other hand many young students have not yet developed
abstract thought and get bored by long and dull theory and definitions; so how do teachers
make their students aware of this important subject called sociolinguistics?. In this text I
am going to analyze how a teacher can make his students became aware of their own
linguistic behavior, what process he can follow, what tools he should use and what
approach he can take.

But the first question is whether students should become aware of the importance of
sociolinguistics in their first language or in the second one. I think this awareness should
definitely start in the student’s first language because according to constructivism,
knowledge should always be grounded on the basis of previous information. Students
have been using L1 since they were born, they know how to use language with their
friends and relatives, they know the importance words have in these relationships.

Students should talk about their experiences relating the use of language in their mother
tongue. The teacher as a facilitator might propose a brainstorm regarding the use of
language in society. He might start asking questions like “What would happen if our
society didn’t have a language?”, “How would people communicate?”, “How would they
organize their work?”, “How would they meet their basic needs?”

The students start thinking: How do I use languages?, In what situations?, If one day I
decided not to talk at all what would the outcome be? What are my attitudes toward people
who don’t talk much? Or the ones that speak too much? Is the use of language essential
to socialize? Or is it possible to have friends without talking a single word? Does society
really need words or is it enough to communicate with non-verbal language? What was the
role of language in the creation of societies? What do you often use the language for?
How about the classroom? Is it important to use language in a school? Can a peaceful and
cordial interaction be possible among classmates without words?

The students could also be asked about their use of language in different contexts for
example how they would address the principal of his school contrasted with the way they
talk to their classmates. The language they used would be totally different not only
regarding words but also in the tone of voice which would be more respectful in front of an
authority.
With this brainstorm of questions the students will also become aware of the different
functions of language they use and the reason why they use it. For example if they are
interrupting, making a request, offering help, giving instructions. When the students
discover this they will be able to communicate more effectively because they will interpret
not only the words but also the intentions of the speaker with whom they are talking. With
these questions students start thinking and imagining different scenarios and how would
people react in these situations. As students talk about this they will became aware of the
great importance of language.

In this text I have discussed the importance of making the language learners aware of the
importance of sociolinguistics. It is necessary to do this in their mother tongue and in a
way that won’t be boring to them. A teacher might start using questions to his students
about what would happen if society didn’t have a language, by doing this they will become
aware of language’s great importance.
Bibliografía

Hymes, D. (1974). The Scope of Sociolinguistics. Mcmillan.