The ethnolinguistic claim that residents of communities of dialectical diversity who interact with a wide cross-section of speakers need competencies, active and passive, in various dialects, and sensitivity to sociolinguistic norms and their role in acerbating and ameliorating social conflicts has pragmatic currency, particularly in regard to the pedagogical decisions of educators. A refined awareness of the language and culture of the student's community can function to yield rational educational models and intervention strategies. Craig identifies two sets of factors useful in determining appropriate policy models for particular situations.
If social and occupational adjustment require competency in and sensitivity to varieties of English, then an argument can be advanced for a language teaching policy that incorporates the indigenous culture with sensitivity to its socio-linguistic norms. To date, the ethnolinguistic work on the Creole English dialects of the Caribbean has been scant. Alleyne, Labov and Hymes acknowledge the need for research in this domain. So, in order to argue, idealistically and pragmatically, for the implementation of policies and approaches to English education in the Caribbean which recognize community values, it is necessary to investigate the socio-linguistic norms and attitudes.