Describes recent efforts that have been made to overcome barriers to the successful implementation of sociolinguistics in early education, barriers involving acceptance of research by the schools, attitude and teaching method changes by teachers, and the needs of the children themselves. (DS)

Presents the advantages of an analytic, constructivist, holistic view of language learning and training, whether native or foreign, written or oral, productive or receptive. Argues that context (setting the linguistic forms in a communicative competence framework) is the critical issue. (HOD)