ABSTRACT
In Chapter Six we explored the application of variationist theory to second language acquisition, noting that this empirical approach to the study and analysis of patterns of language use is likely compatible with several of the social and cognitive models reviewed in Chapters Four and Five. In the present chapter we turn our attention to empirical investigations of the development of sociolinguistic competence in second languages conducted under the Variationist framework. This field is still relatively young, but research on this topic has witnessed exciting growth in recent decades, and even in the past few years. We begin our discussion with an overview of important developments in inquiry into second language variation and continue with examples of recent studies of the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence. Because sociolinguistic competence often entails the use of linguistic structures that are in variation, rather than absolute categorical grammatical rules, the Variationist Approach provides a mechanism for addressing long-standing issues in the field of second language acquisition without recurrence to an error analysis. In other words, this body of empirical research allows us to continue our discussion of issues like the influence of the first language on the acquisition of the second, the interfaces between different areas of the grammar, and the degree to which native-like patterns of language use can be achieved by very advanced second language users through an assessment of the frequency of use and constraints on the use of a given form, rather than an evaluation of accuracy. Thus, the purpose of the present chapter is to demonstrate how the Variationist Approach has been used to address important concerns in the field of second language acquisition, rather than to provide a complete review of all existing work in this field (for comprehensive reviews, see Bayley & Tarone, 2013; Geeslin, 2011a, 2011b; and Gudmestad, 2013b).
