SOCIOLINGUISTIC INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS IN LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Keywords:
sociolinguistics, age as a variable, language learning activities, technicum education, willingness to communicate, adolescent learners, young adult learners, Uzbekistan, multilingualism, pedagogical differentiation.Abstract
This article investigates the sociolinguistic dimensions of age as a
variable in second and foreign language learning activities within technicum
(vocational college) settings in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Drawing on sociolinguistic
theory, cognitive neuroscience, and second language acquisition (SLA) research, the
study examines how adolescent (ages 14–17) and young adult (ages 18–25) learners
differ in their language learning strategies, motivation patterns, sociolinguistic identity
construction, and classroom interactional behaviour. The article presents original
observational data collected from four technicums in Tashkent and Samarkand oblasts
across two academic semesters (2023–2024), supplemented by a structured analysis of
age-related sociolinguistic variables using an adapted version of the Sociolinguistic
Needs Analysis Framework (SNAF). Key findings indicate that age-group
membership exerts a statistically and pedagogically significant influence on learner
interaction styles, willingness to communicate (WTC), peer-group norm adoption, and
resistance to or acceptance of target language norms. The article concludes with
evidence-based recommendations for age-differentiated instructional design in
multilingual technicum contexts.
References
Odilbek Kholikov interests lie at the intersection of sociolinguistics, second
language acquisition, and vocational education in the Central Asian context. This
