This strand features research that analyzes language as a habitual social practice shared by groups of people who have a common purpose or identity, commonly known as communities of practice. Proposals in this strand often illustrate how language practices emerge from, construct, or contest cultural beliefs, norms, or social habitus. Specifically, language socialization studies focus on how novices in a target community come to know what is acceptable language behavior, and on how such individuals are responded to when they conform to or transgress accepted practices. Possible topics could include (but are not limited to): language ideologies, sociocultural learning, accommodation studies, description and acquisition of specific genres and registers, acquisition of pragmatic skills, and the iconic or indexical relations between language and culture. The language practices under consideration can consist of oral, written or digital language. The strand is open to a range of analytical tools, including conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, narrative analysis, linguistic landscape, longitudinal case studies, ethnographic work, or any combination thereof.
