Applied linguistics uses knowledge about language, its acquisition and use to solve real-world problems. Traditional areas of focus include second language acquisition theory, pedagogy and their interface. Other areas are authorship identification, forensic linguistics, and language disorders. Applied linguistics has expanded to include language and its relation to assessment, the brain, cognition, culture, ideology, instruction, interaction, media, policy, reading, research methodology, society, speaking, technology, translation and writing. The field has developed from a focus on discrete language elements to more holistic perspectives considering social and contextual factors.

1. An Overview of
Applied Linguistics

2. What is Applied Linguistics?
• “Applied Linguistics” is using what we
know about language, how it is learned, and
how it is used, in order to achieve some
purpose or solve some problem in the real
world.

3. What is Applied Linguistics?
• “Applied Linguistics” is using what we
know about language, how it is learned, and
how it is used, in order to achieve some
purpose or solve some problem in the real
world.

4. What is Applied Linguistics?
• “Applied Linguistics” is using what we
know about language, how it is learned, and
how it is used, in order to achieve some
purpose or solve some problem in the real
world.

5. Question
• According to the definition, what are some
possible issues concerned in the field of
Applied Linguistics?

6. Areas in Applied Linguistics
• Traditional concern of applied linguistics
has been
– second language acquisition theory
– second language pedagogy
– interface between the two
• Other areas
– authorship identification
– forensic linguistics
– language-related disorders (aphasic, autistic
speakers)

7. Areas in Applied Linguistics—
AAAL 2002 (18 topic areas)
• language and its acquisition
• language and assessment
• language and the brain
• language and cognition
• language and culture
• language and ideology
• language and instruction

8. Areas in Applied Linguistics—
AAAL 2002
• language and interaction
• language and listening
• language and media
• language and policy
• language and reading
• language and research methodology
• language and society

9. Areas in Applied Linguistics—
AAAL 2002
• language and speaking
• language and technology
• language and translation/interpretation
• language and writing

10. Homework
• Visit the conference websites of AILA
2005, AAAL/CAAL 2006, BAAL2005,
ALAA2005 and check what sub-areas each
conference include in its Call for Papers.
• The purpose of this homework is to make
you see what areas are of interest in the
field of Applied Linguistics.

11. The Development of Applied Linguistics
—Early History
• the ancient Greeks
– Plato and Aristotle: design of curriculum of
grammar, rhetoric

12. The Development of Applied Linguistics
—Early History
• English:
– Samuel Johnson (1755). Dictionary of the
English Language
• authority on the meanings of English words
• standardizing English spellings
– Robert Lowth (1762). Short Introduction to
English Grammar
• adopted as ‘correct English”

13. The Development of Applied Linguistics
—The 20th
Century
• L2 teaching methods:
– Grammar-translation method (ability to ‘analyze’ language)
– Direct method (use-based, exposure to oral language)
– Reading MethodVocabulary Control Movement)
– Aodiolingualism (World War II) (Behaviorism)
– Cognitive approach (Chomsky, 1959) (LAD)
– Communicative competence (Hymes, 1972)
– Monitor theory (Krashen, 1982)
– Focus on form form (Doughty and Williams, 1998)
– CALL
– Corpus Linguistics

14. The Development of Applied Linguistics
—The 20th
Century
• Social/Cultural and Contextual Elements
– Philosophy
– Psychology (experimental science): separation of
individual and society (Chomsky)
– Labov (1970): How social factors influence L1
language use Tarone (1979) did the same for L2
– Sociolinguistics: The study of the interface of social
factors and language use
– Pragmatics
– Discourse Analysis

15. The Development of Applied Linguistics
—The 20th
Century
• Social/Cultural and Contextual Elements
– Philosophy
– Psychology (experimental science): separation of
individual and society (Chomsky)
– Labov (1970): How social factors influence L1
language use Tarone (1979) did the same for L2
– Sociolinguistics: The study of the interface of social
factors and language use
– Pragmatics
– Discourse Analysis

16. The Development of Applied Linguistics
—The 20th
Century
– Sociolinguistics: The study of the interface of social
factors and language use
– Pragmatics
– Discourse Analysis
• Social and contextual influences cannot be
divorced form individual learners when
language learning and use are studied.

17. Themes to Watch For in this Book
• The Interrelationship of the Areas of Applied
Linguistics
• The Move from Discrete to more Holistic and
Integrative Perspectives
– Language use is not just a product of a number of
individual language ‘knowledge bits’ which reside
completely within interlocutors; it is also
profoundly affected by a number of other factors,
such as the social context (who you are
communicating with and for what purpose), the
degree of involvement and interaction, the mode of
communication (style) and time constraints.

18. Themes to Watch For in this Book
• The Move from Discrete to more Holistic and
Integrative Perspectives
– Taking these and other factors into account gives us
a much richer and more accurate account of the way
language is actually used and leads to a better
description of the knowledge and skills which make
up language proficiency.

19. Themes to Watch For in this Book
• Bringing the language learner into the
discussion
– Ch 10, Focus on the Language Learner:
Motivation, Styles and Strategies

20. Themes to Watch For in this Book
• New Perspectives on Teaching the Four Skills
(Ch 11-14)

21. The Lack of ‘Black and White’ Answers
• Because language is created and processed both
between interlocutors and within the human
mind, much of what is of interest in applied
linguistics is hidden from direct view and
study.
• We cannot yet look into the human brain and
directly observe language, which means that
most research has to rely on indirect evidence
observable through language processing and
use

22. The Lack of ‘Black and White’ Answers
• The results of such indirect evidence needs to
be interpreted, and usually more than one
interpretation is possible.
• This makes it difficult to say much with
complete certainty about language learning and
use.
• It is thus remains the responsibility of
researchers, teachers and readers to evaluate the
various proposed positions and decide which
makes the most sense.