ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the social dimensions and differences of greatest current relevance to second language acquisition (SLA) research and considers some pedagogical implications. The identification of language learners with a primary cultural group, and the ethnolinguistic vitality and identity of that group vis-à-vis the target-language group, has been examined for decades in applied linguistics. However, an interesting context for current SLA research that challenges this dichotomy is found in heritage-language (HL) learning communities, where the primary (L1) and target language may be one and the same. An increasing range of studies, particularly longitudinal, ethnographic case studies across different learning, linguistic and geographical contexts, will help applied linguists and language educators better understand the complex sociological forces at work in classroom interactions and learning.
