What does Sociolinguistics study?

Sociolinguistics is a field that examines how social factors impact language use, development, and change. It explores how different aspects such as ethnicity, gender, class, and community influence the way people speak and interact linguistically. This includes understanding variations in dialect, accent, and register as they relate to the speakers' social identities and contexts.

In contrast, the other options focus on different aspects of language and communication. The study of body language in relation to speech focuses more on non-verbal communication rather than social influences on language. The evolution of theatrical language would concentrate on specific changes within a particular artistic form rather than the broader social patterns that sociolinguistics addresses. Lastly, analyzing grammar rules in different languages pertains to the structure and syntax of languages themselves, which is more aligned with linguistics than with the sociolinguistic approach to language as shaped by social contexts.