Cho, Tae-rin. 2006. Positions on the Status and the Signification of Sociolinguistics. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 14(1). The purpose of this article is to examine the status and the signification of sociolinguistics by providing a comparative analysis of the various positions on this issue. Numerous positions have been distinguished too simply by denominations such as ‘OO sociolinguistics’ but have to be classified by criteria which show their essential difference (i.e., sphere of the object of study, relation with neighboring fields, autonomy as a field of science, epistemological viewpoint, consideration for the language user, viewpoint of the society, relation with real problems, etc.). After a brief examination of the logic, persuasiveness and limits of each position, this article clarifies its own position by offering a conceptual definition of sociolinguistics as a ‘study of the dynamic interaction between language, language user and social structure from a trans-disciplinary, hermeneutic and participatory point of view’. This discussion will contribute to elucidating the nature and the actual reality of sociolinguistics and exploring ideal ways toward its future development.

Ⅰ. 입장 묻기
 Ⅱ. 입장 겨루기
  1. 연구 대상의 범위 또는 분야에 따라
  2. 인접학문과의 관계에 따라
  3. 학문 분야로서의 자립성에 따라
  4. 인식론적 관점에 따라
  5. 언어 사용자에 대한 고려 정도에 따라
  6. 사회관에 따라
  7. 현실 문제와의 관계에 따라
 Ⅲ. 입장 취하기
 참고 문헌

• 조태린(국립국어원)