Variational pragmatics in the foreign language classroom

This paper highlights the need for a focus on macro-social factors. It draws attention to the fact that the rather blinkered focus on intra-lingual variation to date has meant that in research and teaching, languages have been generally viewed as homogeneous wholes, devoid of regional and social variation. By means of data from a selection of regional intra-lingual pragmatic studies, the paper attempts to highlight a number of parameters relevant to intra-lingual pragmatic variation. On this basis, a case is made for language teaching to include a variational perspective on conventions of language use.