Another important factor which could determine variation in language usage in the context of the social network is the situation in which the encounter takes place. A situation is defined by the co-occurrence of two or more individuals who are related to each other in a particular way, communicating about a particular topic and in a particular setting. The situation determines the pattern of language variety – whether in terms of a different language or a different social, occupational, regional pattern in which language is used. It could also be in the style of phonological, lexical or grammatical usage. For instance, a beer-party between lecturers and students may be viewed as quite a different situation from a lecture class involving the same people. The topic of talk in the two situations are likely to be different, their location and time are also likely to be different while the relationship or roles of the participants vis – a – vis each other are likely to be different, In general, any of these differences may determine the use of a different language variety in each case. However it is essential for members of social networks who share a common language to know when to shift from one variety (situation or language) to another.
For instance, there are occasions when a shift in situation may require a shift in language variety. A shift in language variety may also signal a shift in the relationship between members of a social network or a shift in the topic and purpose of their interaction or a shift in the privacy or location of their interaction.