A study investigated whether sociolinguistic rules are taught as part of instruction in English as a Second Language in Japan. It was determined that of three types of institutions in which English is taught, the private language institutes offer far better language instruction than public schools or universities, and that some of the instructors have training in sociolinguistics. Examination of several Japanese-English textbooks for junior high school students revealed that the materials were prepared in grammar-oriented sequences, and that the dialogues provided were often artificial, without overt consideration for rules of speaking. Textbooks used at the private language institutes were also felt to have questionable authenticity and utility in their subject matter. Professors at two national Japanese universities, interviewed concerning the sociolinguistics training of Japanese English teachers, acknowledged the importance of sociolinguistics in language teaching despite the fact that there was no systematic teaching in this field in either institution. Without knowledge of rules of speaking, misunderstandings, sometimes with profound effects, are inevitable. Japanese learners of English have difficulty developing good relationships with native speakers because they miss opportunities to promote further interaction. (MSE)