Why is dialect is an issue that must be explored? What is a problem that is out there that demands that we understand dialect issues better?

In regard to a real world approach, dialect must be explored for the same reason that one should educate themselves about other cultures as much as possible: to avoid prejudice based on ignorance. You may notice that the primary source from which you hear dialects that are unfamiliar to your nation and region are jokes, through word of mouth or through media, at the dialect speaker's expense. Dialect goes hand in hand with culture, and every culture in the world has valuable history and ideas to explore. In regard to an academic or literary approach, it is important to have a strong grasp on dialect as a writer to be able to connect with an audience and rectify some of the problems mentioned in my first paragraph. Some dialects are only able to be mimicked by experiencing them firsthand. William Faulkner, for example, had a strong grasp on the southern dialect simply because he did, in fact, spend his early life in Lafayette County, Mississippi. If one were to read enough of his work, that person could effectively mimic the dialect as well. This is a means of sharing culture and defeating the oppressive influence of ignorance.