A discussion of the role of transfer of native-language knowledge to second language learning proposes that language transfer is as much a sociolinguistic process as a psycholinguistic one. The term "sociolinguistics" is used in a broad sense to incorporate all social factors that affect language, both the relatively static characteristics of an individual or of a group and the dynamics of human interaction. The argument put forward is that while transfer may sometimes be a psycholinguistic overgeneralization from native to target language, it is often a sociolinguistic process and frequently an assertion of cultural identity. Three types of sociolinguistic transfer are distinguished: sociolinguistic rule transfer, pragmatic transfer, and socially-motivated transfer. Four major psychological purposes of transfer are also identified: accommodation to the speech of the listener, conformity to norms, negotiation of identity via linguistic choices, and self-expression. In addition to sociolinguistic transfer, sociolinguistic avoidance affects second-language performance. Both can be viewed as powerfully motivated by social psychological factors. Five pages of references conclude the document. (MSE)