Knowledge of sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics can influence instruction so they are worth studying. A sociolinguist refers to a person “who studies variation within a language, or across languages with a view toward describing that variation or toward writing rules which incorporate it (rather than, as in the past, ignoring it)…” (Cobb & Kallus, 2011, p. 249). Instead of viewing and studying language as fixed and unchanged, the sociolinguistics view is that language changes depending on a variety of circumstances such as the speaker’s economic level, ethnicity, culture, age, sex, and the context in which it’s being used. Language is constantly unfolding and growing as the speaker’s needs and environment change. Another aspect of sociolinguistics is the belief that the study of language can benefit and influence other fields of study, including education. Psycholinguistics is a convergence of linguistics and psychology, the study of the psychological mechanisms that occur during language acquisition and use. “Linguistic analysis…shows that language has two levels—a surface structure—that is, the sounds or written representation of language—and a deep structure—that is, meaning” (p.266). Psychology provides understanding about the complex relationship between the two structures and the mental operations that take place when a person formulates meaning from language, either oral or written communication.

Understanding sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics can enlighten educators and provide assistance for reading instruction. Through sociolinguistics, teachers are aware that a student’s family background and culture, such as the education level of their parents and the expectations of their family or peers, will affect their language use. William Labov and William Stewart concluded that speech should be studies in communities versus in individuals and data should be considered on a continuum because people use language differently depending on their environments (Labov, 1966. Stewart, 1964). For example, a person uses a formal register in a professional work setting but switches to a casual register at home with family or when spending time with friends. These variations are also evident in reading and writing. Textbooks are written in more formal language than novels, for example. As reading teachers provide instruction to their students, keeping in mind these variations in language acquisition and use will help them provide effective instruction to students from diverse groups. Specifically, ELL students need instruction on the various ways that English is used in different contexts and registers so they can navigate the numerous settings in which they need to use English for listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Psycholinguistics studies also influence reading instruction because “it is becoming clear that reading is not a process of combining individual letters into words, and strings of words into sentences, from which meanings spring automatically” (p.267) Instead, the studies show that meaning is constructed through interaction with exposure to a wide range and large variety of texts. Children are already hard-wired to learn how to read and should be provided a multitude of opportunities to experiment with “written language that is both interesting and comprehensible” (p.267). Students are not passive learners of language, but are actively involved in the learning process by cognitively searching for information and making determinations about the information. When considering ELL students, teachers should be cognizant that much of their brain capacity is focused on using knowledge of their native language to understand English. They frequently have to translate back and forth between the two languages in order to listen, speak, read, and write in English. Teachers should provide aides such as gestures, visuals, vocabulary word banks, and extended wait times, for example, to ensure that the input ELL students receive is comprehensible and they can cognitively active in their learning. Educators should have an awareness of both sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics to increase their effectiveness in the classroom with all students.

Reference:

Cobb & Kallus (2011). Historical, Theoretical, and Sociological Foundations of Reading in the United States. Pearson Education, Inc., Boston, MA.