ABSTRACT
Competent language use requires learners to not only produce grammatical utterances but also capture relevant contextual information about language use. Moreover, because numerous linguistic functions are conveyed through multiple forms, an essential part of language acquisition is learning to vary between those forms according to linguistic, social, and stylistic contexts. The present chapter thus explores how second language acquisition has evolved to analyze language beyond exclusive emphasis on correctness and grammaticality and toward knowledge of language use and discourse, along with strategies for successful communication. It highlights the history, constructs, critical issues, research contributions, and future directions of sociolinguistic competence.
