ABSTRACT
Both sociolinguistics and pragmatics involve the study of language in context. Thus, they emphasize social and contextual variables as they affect the learning and production of a second language. The underlying assumption of sociolinguistically oriented SLA research is that second language data do not represent a static phenomenon; rather, L2 production is affected by such external variables as the specific task required of a learner, the social status of the interlocutor, and gender differences. The resultant claim is that learners may produce different linguistic forms that are dependent, to a certain extent, on external variables. Second language research in sociolinguistics and pragmatics deals with both the acquisition and use of L2 knowledge.
