AUTHENTIC MATERIALS DEVELOP STUDENTS’ SOCIO-CULTURAL COMPETENCIES

Sociolinguistic competence refers to the ability to use language that is appropriate to social contexts. Alptekin (2002, p. 58) explains that social context refers to culture-specific contexts that include the norms, values, beliefs, and behavioural patterns of a culture. For example, thanking a friend in a formal speech is different from how it is done over a meal. Sociolinguistic competence also refers to the ability to select topics that are appropriate for a communicative event. For example, expressing strong views about politics and religion over dinner is generally avoided. This rule is also moderated depending on the relationship between the guest and the host. If politics and religion are their favourite topics and if they know each other very well, these topics might well be appropriate.