ABSTRACT
Word lists and reading passages have been used as a measure of stylistic variation in sociolinguistic studies in schools, but reading ability presents a distinct challenge with such materials. As noted by observers and researchers themselves, support for seminal sociolinguistic surveys was granted by the United States Department of Education with the goal of better understanding the language patterns of students in diverse communities. Some of the most robust sociolinguistic methods used in schools are not particular to linguistic elicitation but are informed by the entire situation in which linguistic information is gathered. Sharing data across linguistics and education programs, publications, and outreach is an underused methodological approach. Service learning and community engagement initiatives can help with such connections, as can work on interdisciplinary applied research in school contexts with colleagues from related disciplines, especially psychology, anthropology, and sociology.
