Abstract
Social intelligence plays an essential role in bridging the gap between practical language usage and linguistic knowledge. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to investigate the main role of social intelligence in developing sociolinguistic competence among EFL learners. This study adopted a quantitative correlational research design to examine the relationship between social intelligence and sociolinguistic competence among EFL learners. The construct validity of both the Social Intelligence Scale and the Sociolinguistic Competence Test was verified through factor analysis, confirming their basic dimensions and the suitability of their respective constructs. The reliability analysis showed satisfactory internal consistency for both instruments, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.79 for the Social Intelligence Scale and 0.87 for the Sociolinguistic Competence Test, indicating that both instruments demonstrated a satisfactory level of internal consistency, reliability and long-term stability. A purposive sample of sixty male and female EFL students participated in the study. Social Intelligence Scale and Sociolinguistic Competence test were used to obtain the data needed to achieve the objectives of the study. The results of this study highlight the major role of social intelligence in enhancing the sociolinguistic competence of EFL learners. The findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between social intelligence and sociolinguistic competence among Jordanian EFL learners, indicating that students with higher social intelligence are likely to have stronger sociolinguistic communication skills.
Keywords: EFL Learners, Language, Social Intelligence, Sociolinguistics Competences.