Students often struggle with sociolinguistic context because of its abstraction. Broad, disconnected explanations don’t help them relate to what they’re learning. To address this: 👉 Use relatable case studies: Provide real-world examples like multilingualism in cities, code-switching in pop culture, or social media language variations to make abstract concepts more tangible. 👉 Cross-cultural comparisons: Have students explore language use in different societies to understand how geography, history, and social structure shape language behavior. 👉 Case study reflections: Assign research on sociolinguistic case studies (e.g., language policies or endangered languages) and have students connect these to key sociolinguistic principles.

I try to make it relatable by using real-life examples they can connect with. For instance, I might explain how language changes depending on who you're talking to—like how we speak differently with friends versus teachers. One time, I asked students to compare how they greet a friend versus a principal, and this opened up a fun discussion on formal vs. informal language. I also bring in examples from different cultures to show how language use varies globally, helping students see the bigger picture of language in society.

I help the learners draw from real life experiences. It’s important because you cannot understand a concept if you dont know how it’s used in context. Always ask why. Why is this language or that language salient or silent? Etc.

It depends on whether they are minors or adults, foreigners or not, that is, whether they come from countries that speak the same language or not (non-Spanish speakers, non-English speakers, non-French speakers, etc.), in this case there are methods that are applied to promote and facilitate language learning. I have 22 years of experience teaching Spanish to non-Spanish speakers, but in the last 15 years I have been satisfied with my method of teaching Spanish to young people from 12 to 24 years old in the process of migratory mourning in Navarra in the North of Spain, a method inspired by two to four linguistic approaches that help increase motivation for Spanish and learn easily and in good psychosocial and cultural conditions.

As an educationist, I understand that sociolinguistics can seem complex at first, but breaking it down into manageable concepts can greatly help students. To make it easier to grasp, I encourage students to explore real-life examples. I also advise students to look into factors like region, gender, and social class, which play a significant role in shaping language variations. Engaging in discussions, case studies, and group activities helps them see these linguistic shifts in action, making the theoretical aspects more relatable. I firmly believe incorporating multimedia, like videos or recordings from diverse communities, allows students to hear these differences first-hand.