Language and Schooling

This article examines the sociological significance of sociolinguistic research in the area of education. The goal of my examination is to demonstrate that the study of language use in naturally occurring situations (I) contributes to an understanding of the role of language in education, (2) contributes to an understanding of the role of schoolng in social stratification, and (3) contributes to sociological theory by revealing issues not otherwise available for sociological analysis. In the body of the article, sociolinguistic studies of language use in contrasting settings are reviewed, and studies which suggest that language is the medium through which stratification occurs in schools are discussed. Before reviewing selected sociolinguistic studies in educational settings, I will place this line of research in the context of social sirati cation theories and the historical period of the work.