Introduction

Language socialization refers to the acquisition of linguistic, pragmatic and other cultural knowledge through social experience and is often equated with the development of cultural and communicative competence. Research in this area examines these aspects of learning and also how individuals become socialized into particular identities, worldviews or values, and ideologies as they learn language, whether it is their first language or an additional language. Thus, language socialization explores how people learn how to take part in the speech events and activities of everyday life: jokes, greetings, classroom lessons, story-telling or essay or memo writing and also the values underlying those practices. Being able to participate in language practices appropriately, according to local expectations and conventions, allows humans to function well in society.

Various definitions of language socialization exist but one that I have used draws on work by language socialization pioneers Elinor Ochs, Bambi Schieffelin and others: language socialization is ‘the lifelong process by which individuals – typically novices – are inducted into specific domains of knowledge, beliefs, affect, roles, identities, and social representations, which they access and construct through language practices and social interaction ...’ (Duff, 1995: 508). One of the domains of knowledge is of course language and literacy itself. This ‘induction’ or socialization of novices such as firstand second-language learners normally occurs through social interaction between those with more proficiency, expertise or experience in language, literacy and culture (often referred to as ‘experts’ or ‘oldtimers’), and those with less proficiency (relative ‘novices’ or ‘newcomers’): older siblings interacting with younger siblings; teachers with students; caregivers with children; and more experienced workers with new employees in a workplace.

By saying that language socialization is a ‘lifelong’ process (Ochs & Schieffelin, 2008), we mean that children are not the only ones being socialized into appropriate ways of using language (‘Say please, thank you!'), such as greetings or leave takings (Hi/Goodbye Grandma! Good night).