Dell Hymes

The ethnography of speaking is concerned with the situations and uses, the patterns and functions, of speaking as an activity in its own right.

Competence is not just a matter of knowing rules, but of knowing when and how to use them.

Language is not merely a system of signs, but a system of practices.

The SPEAKING model provides a framework for analyzing the components of a speech event.

Communicative competence is what a speaker needs to know to communicate effectively in culturally significant settings.

The study of language must be integrated with the study of culture and society.

Performance is the actual use of language in concrete situations.

The social meaning of language is as important as its grammatical structure.

Ethnography is not just a method, but a perspective.

The study of language in its social context is essential for understanding human behavior.

Language is a form of social action.

The concept of 'speech community' is central to sociolinguistics.

Understanding communication requires attention to both linguistic form and social function.

The ethnographer's task is to discover the rules of speaking in a given community.

Language is a resource for social interaction.

The study of language should not be divorced from the study of its users.

Communicative events are structured and patterned.

The meaning of an utterance is always context-dependent.

Sociolinguistics bridges the gap between linguistics and anthropology.

The concept of 'communicative repertoire' highlights the diversity of linguistic resources available to individuals.