Did you know that how we learn JavaScript has changed a huge amount over the last ten years? Lots of small changes in how we introduce people to JS have built up over time into a radical difference - these changes are based in sociolinguistics!

Our community’s communication has evolved rapidly. We’ve moved from only valuing the opinions of senior developers to recognising the importance of contributions from people at all stages of learning. Learning itself has become a form of participating. These are examples of the sociolinguistic concepts of legitimation and positive welcoming.

My talk will introduce the basics of sociolinguistics, how we are already using them, and how we can integrate them more effectively to start building a more inclusive and welcoming space for everyone in the JS community.