Applied Linguistics: General

Introduction

Dr. Samina Sarwat

 What is Linguistics? (1/2)
• Linguistics is the scientific study of language.
Linguists do work on specific languages, but their
primary goal is to understand the nature of
Language in general.
• Linguistics is primarily concerned with the nature
of language and communication. There are broadly
three aspects to the study, including language form,
language meaning, and language use in discursive
and communicative contexts.
 What is Linguistics? (2/2)
• Linguistics deals with the study of particular
languages, and the search for general
properties common to all languages or large
groups of languages.
 Some questions linguistics tries to answer
(1/2)
• What distinguishes human language from
other animal communication systems?
• What features are common to all human
languages?
• How are the modes of linguistic
communication (speech, writing, sign
language of the deaf) related to each other?
 Some questions linguistics tries to answer
(2/2)
• How is language related to other types of
human behaviour?
• What is language and how is it organized?
• How is it analysed? How are its units
discovered and tested, etc.
Branches of linguistics

Semantics Pragmatics

LINGUISTI
CS
Syntax Phonology

Morpholog Phonetics
y
 What is Interdisciplinary Linguistics?

Interdisciplinary • Historical Linguistics,

studies involve two or • Sociolinguistics,
more academic • Psycholinguistics,
disciplines which are • Ethnolinguistics or
considered distinct. Anthropological
The most common Linguistics,
interdisciplinary • Computational
Linguistics,
branches of
• Neurolinguistics.
Linguistics are:
 Applied Linguistics:
When did it all begin? (1/2)
• The term Applied Linguistics (AL) is an
Anglo-American coinage.
• It was founded first at the University of
Edinburgh School of Applied Linguistics in
1956.
• Then at the Centre of Applied Linguistics in
Washington D.C. in 1957.
 Applied Linguistics:
When did it all begin? (2/2)
• The British Association of Applied Linguistics
(BAAL) was formally established in 1967, with the
following aims: “the advancement of education by
fostering and promoting, by any lawful charitable
means, the study of language use, language acquisition
and language teaching and the fostering of inter-
disciplinary collaboration in this study” (BAAL,
1994).
• It was largely taken for granted in the 1960s and 1970s
that applied linguistics was about language teaching.
 What is Applied Linguistics?(1/4)
• “the theoretical and empirical investigation of
real-world problems in which language is a
central issue” (Brumfit, 1997, p. 93);
• “‘Applied Linguistics’ is using what we know
about (a) language, (b) how it is learned, and
(c) how it is used, in order to achieve some
purpose or solve some problem in the real
world” (Schmitt & Celce-Murcia, 2002, p. 1).
• “Traditionally, the primary concerns of Applied
Linguistics have been second language acquisition
theory, second language pedagogy and the
interface between the two.” (Schmitt, 2002, p. 2).
• “the focus of applied linguistics is on trying to
resolve language-based problems that people
encounter in the real world, whether they be
learners, teachers, supervisors, academics,
lawyers, service providers, those who need social
services, test takers, policy developers, dictionary
makers, translators, or a whole range of business
clients” (Grabe, 2002, p. 9).
• Kaplan suggests that applied linguists “are likely
to move toward the analysis of new data, rather
than continue to argue new theory” (Kaplan,
2002, p. 514).
• “the term ‘applied linguistics’ raises fundamental
difficulties, if for no other reason than that it is
difficult to decide on what counts as ‘linguistics’.
Given these difficulties within linguistics proper,
it is perhaps unfair to expect clean solutions and
clear delimitations for defining applied
linguistics’ ” (Kaplan & Grabe, 2000, pp. 5–6).
• Applied Linguistics uses language-related
research in a wide variety of fields (e.g.
language acquisition, language teaching,
literacy, gender studies, language policy,
speech therapy, discourse analysis, censorship,
workplace communication, media studies,
translation, lexicography, forensic linguistics).
 Defining characteristics of Applied
Linguistics
• Autonomous, multidisciplinary and problem
solving: uses and draws on theory from other related
fields concerned with language and generates its
own theory in order to find solutions to language
related problems and issues in the real world.
• Practical concerns have an important role in shaping
the questions that AL will address.
• Language related problems concern learners,
teachers, academics, lawyers, translators, test takers,
service providers, etc.
What problems are related to language?

Problems related to:

•language assessment,
• language learning, •language use,
• language teaching, •language and
• literacy, technology,
• language contact •translation and
(language & culture), interpretation,
• language policy and • language pathology.
planning,
 A sample of questions Applied Linguistics
addresses (1/2)
• How can we teach languages better?
• How can we diagnose speech pathologies
better?
• How can we improve the training of
translators?
• How can we develop valid language
examinations?
 A sample of questions Applied Linguistics
addresses (2/2)
• How can we determine the literacy levels of a
population?
• What advice can we give the ministry of
education on proposals to introduce a new
teaching method?
• What advice can we give a defence lawyer on
the authenticity of a police transcript of an
interview with a suspect?
 What is the relationship between AL and
other language related disciplines? (1/2)
• Applied linguistics occupies an intermediary,
mediating position between language related
disciplines (linguistics, psycholinguistics and
sociolinguistics) and professional practice
• It uses theories/principles from language related
disciplines in order to understand language related
issues and to solve language related problems.
The choice of which disciplines are involved in
applied linguistics matters depends on the
circumstances.
 What is the relationship between AL and
other language related disciplines? (2/2)
• Applied linguistics conducts research into
professional practice and on the basis of the
results develops theory.
Theoretical, Interdisciplinary and Applied
Linguistics
Theoretical Interdisciplinary Applied linguistics
linguistics linguistics
• Applied
• Psycholinguisti linguistics to
• Phonology,
cs, language
• Morphology,
• Sociolinguistics education,
• Syntax and
• Pragmatics, • Applied
structural
• Discourse linguistics to
grammar,
analysis. foreign language
• Semantics,
• Computational education,
• Historical
and corpus • Translation
linguistics.
linguistics. studies,
• Lexicography.
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
• Linguistics is primarily concerned with
language in itself and in findings ways of
analysing language and building theories that
describe language.
• Applied linguistics is concerned with the role of
language in peoples’ lives and problems
associated with language use in peoples’ lives.
• Linguistics is essential but not the only feeder
discipline.
 Linguistics

Applied
Linguistic Education
s
 Applied Linguistics
Linguistics
(the study of the nature, structure and variation
of language).
Education (teaching, learning, acquisition,
assessment).
Sociology
(the scientific study of human behavior and the
study of society).
Psychology (the science of mind and behavior,
and the application of such knowledge of various
spheres of human activity).
Anthropology
(the scientific study of the origin and behavior of
man).
 “Linguistics Applied” or “Applied
Linguistics”?
A distinction made by
Widdowson (right).
“L-A uses language data
to develop our linguistic
knowledge about
language, while A-L
studies a language
problem […] with a view
to correcting it” (Davies &
Elder 2004, p. 11)
 Subfields of Applied Linguistics

Language and Language, work and Language,

education the law information and
• First language effect
education, • Literary stylistics,
• Second language • Workplace • Critical discourse
education, communication, analysis,
• Foreign language • Language planning, • Translation and
education, • Forensic linguistics. Interpretation,
• Clinical • Information
linguistics, design,
• Language testing. • Lexicography.
 Applied Linguistics to foreign language
teaching and learning: Related sub-fields
• EAP, ESP, EYL, •Language teacher
• CALL/TELL, training and education,
• Materials development •Research into second and
and evaluation, foreign language learning,
•Language education
• Syllabus design and
policies and language
language curriculum
development,
planning,
• Educational technology
• Language testing,
and language learning,
• Language teaching •Immersion education,
methods and techniques, •Language education in
multilingual settings.
 Major Applied Linguistics Organisations

• TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of

Other Languages.
• IATEFL: International Association of
Teachers of English as a Foreign Language.
• AAAL: American Association for Applied
Linguistics.
Thanks