There are three areas of interest in the topic of sociolinguistics in the classroom. First, the study of sociolinguistics is the interest of the professional linguist; second, the application of sociolinguistic principles is or should be the concern of all professional people who care about what goes on in the classroom, especially the teacher; and third, the kinds of linguistic materials and methods used in classrooms are important. The idea that the teacher should know the language of the students disturbs and threatens teachers, but if sociolinguistics research is to be done in the school setting it is imperative that teachers know how to communicate with their students; whether the teacher realizes it or not, sociolinguistics processes do go on in the classroom. Teachers should also examine the following questions which are not included in currently available materials for introductory courses in sociolinguistics: Do teachers have a right to their own dialects? What is the relationship between teachers' dialects and the existence of multidialects in the classroom? and Do teachers have a right or obligation to gear their own dialect to that of their students? (SW)