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.