Editing Sociolinguistics (section)

=== Speech community ===
{{main|Speech community}}
[[Speech community]] is a concept in sociolinguistics that describes a distinct group of people who use language in a unique and mutually accepted way among themselves. This is sometimes referred to as a [[Sprechbund]].

To be considered part of a speech community, one must have a [[communicative competence]].  That is, the speaker has the ability to use language in a way that is appropriate in the given situation. It is possible for a speaker to be communicatively competent in more than one language.<ref name="Deckert">Deckert, Sharon K. and H. Vikers, Caroline.  (2011).  ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=K-M0ad3HBxAC&q=%22An+Introduction+to+Sociolinguistics%3A+Society+and+Identity%22 An Introduction to Sociolinguistics: Society and Identity]''. Page 59.</ref>

Demographic characteristics such as areas or locations have helped to create speech community boundaries in speech community concept. Those characteristics can assist exact descriptions of specific groups' communication patterns.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Milburn |first=Trudy |date=2004-01-01 |title=Speech Community: Reflections Upon Communication |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2004.11679041 |journal=Annals of the International Communication Association |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=411–441 |doi=10.1080/23808985.2004.11679041 |s2cid=151534135 |issn=2380-8985}}</ref>

Speech communities can be members of a profession with a specialized [[jargon]], distinct [[Group (sociology)|social groups]] like high school students or hip hop fans, or even tight-knit groups like [[Family|families]] and friends. Members of speech communities will often develop [[slang]] or specialized jargon to serve the group's special purposes and priorities. This is evident in the use of lingo within sports teams.

[[Community of Practice]] allows for sociolinguistics to examine the relationship between socialization, competence, and identity.  Since identity is a very complex structure, studying language socialization is a means to examine the micro-interactional level of practical activity (everyday activities).  The learning of a language is greatly influenced by family, but it is supported by the larger local surroundings, such as school, sports teams, or religion. Speech communities may exist within a larger community of practice.<ref name="Deckert" />