ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book describes forensic linguistic research, another area where sociolinguists make a contribution to redressing social injustices based on misconceptions about language use and language variation. It illustrates where cultural and social values differ, the perspective of the majority tends to define social 'reality’. The book focuses on a specific aspect of sociolinguistic competence, our ability to manage discourse in a range of social contexts. It provides ways to unpack the socio-pragmatic and socio-cultural assumptions which underlie different interpretations of messages. The book extends the discussion of the relevance of concepts such as power and status in sociolinguistics in relation to language attitudes in particular. It discusses the mistaken bases for the widespread negative judgements which label as educational failures many children who speak vernacular varieties, or who use language in ways which differ from the approved norms of the middle-class school.
