Info
TEAMS
there will be readings for the following weeks
exam in the end
Applied Linguistics – Overview
Linguistics
o it is about language
football-language pararell
o everyone has legs (mostly) and can kick a ball
o everyone can learn a language a language (we cannot not learn a language)
our brain is programmed to learn at least 1 language
goal of the lecture is to have an exact image of what language is
language related real life problems
Applied Linguistics
Linguistics is the study of language and human speech
by component of language it includes:
o phonetics – sounds
o syntax – grammar
o lexis – words
o semantics – meanings
o pragmatics – uses
o discourse – connected texts
Applied linguistics
by area studied:
o comparative linguistics
o psycholinguistics
o sociolinguistics
o historical linguistics
o theoretical linguistics
o etc.
AL emerged after WWII in response to a changing international linguistic landscape
o The field has thrived ever since
originally its focus of interest was exclusive on TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)
o linguistic knowledge was made available to English language teachers
language teaching was improved
today: broadened scope
o TEFL
o many other areas of enquiry
some regard it as an autonomous discipline in its own right
some others would rather see linguistics and AL as a single discipline
many areas of enquiry have developed their own research communities
Applied linguistics – the theoretical and empirical investigation of real-world problems in
which language is a central issue (Brumfit, 1997, p. 93)
o empirical means: based on our experiences ad based on datas
AL in Sociolinguistics
o “World Englishes” – the difference between English in China & Hong Kong, or India &
Bangladesh – and the difference between the needs of visitors to those countries
and students from them
AL in Psycholinguistics
o the importance of the brain automatizing receptive (how we understand it) and
productive (how we produce it) processes, and the resulting need for more time
when carrying out processes in a foreign language
AL means using the knowledge of how different languages are structured and processed to
solve real-life problems that involve language
‘Applied Linguistics’ is using what we know about (a) language, (b) how it is learnt, and (c)
how it is used, in order to achieve some purpose or solve some problem in the real world
the primary concerns of AL have been second language acquisition theory, second language
pedagogy…
…
Psycholinguistics Computational Linguistics
Sociolinguistics Forensic Linguistics
Bilingualism and Multilingualism Corpus Linguistics
Ecolinguistics Intercultural Communication
Language policy Translating and Interpreting
Gender Linguistics Discourse Analysis
Gerontolinguistics Lexicography
Second Language Acquisition Mother Tongue Education
Language and the Media
(And we can continue further…)
Both linguistics and applied linguistics describe and analyse language
Why is applied linguistics a field in itself and not just a matter of applying knowledge from
linguistics?
o They have different goals and approach the analysis of language very differently
How?
o linguistics analyses decontextualized sentences using arguments based on intuition
o applied linguistics analyses language in a specific social context and uses empirical
analysis
armchair linguists and field linguists
o armchair ones are sitting in armchairs and thinking of language and make thesis’s
about language
o field linguists are more active ones, who are going to the field to analyse (not the
plain field)
Focus of linguistics
o understanding people’s internalized language knowledge
o ultimate goal – to describe the underlying rules of human language
Focus of applied linguistics
o understanding how people use language or
o improving a language-related problems:
language learning
language teaching
literacy (being able to read and write)
language contact (language & culture)
language policy and planning
language assessment
language use
language and technology
translation and interpretation
language pathology
Question Applied Linguistics addresses
o How can we teach languages better?
o How can we diagnose speech pathologies better?
o How can we improve the training of translators?
o How can we develop valid language examinations?
o How can we determine the literacy levels of a population?
o What advice can we give the ministry of education on proposals to introduce a new
teaching method?
o What advice can we give a defense lawyer on the authenticity of a police transcript
of an interview with a suspect?
AILA – international Association of Applied Linguistics
o AILA comes from its French name
Characteristics of Applied Lingusitics
o autonomous, multidisciplinary and problem solving
o practical concerns have an important role in shaping the questions that AL will
address
o language related problems concern learners, teachers, academics, lawyers,
translators, test takers, service providers, etc.
Applied linguistics
o Linguistics – nature structure and variation of languages
o Education – teaching, learning, acquisition, assessment
o Sociology – scientific study of human behaviour and the study of society
o Psychology – science of mind behaviour, application of such knowledge to various
aspects of human activity
o Anthropology – scientific study of origin and behaviour of man
Historical Milestones
1948 – Language Learning (title of a journal)
o AL was mentioned for the first time
1956 – School of Applied Linguistics
o in Britain this school was founded
1959 – Center for Applied Linguistics
o was set up in Washington DC
1964 – Association internationale de la linguistiquée appliquée (AILA)
o national association of applied linguistics came together to form AILA
the term AL originally was related to the issue of language learning and teaching, especially
English (that’s where it all started)
origin of the term – US language-teaching programmes during and after WWII
the 1950’s
o insights of structural and functional linguistics that could be applied to a language
teaching
o literacy in L1 and L2
the 1990’s
o incorporation of more subfields, drawing on supporting disciplines
Psychology
Education
Anthropology
…
Interdisciplinary
o subfields
Language and education – first and second language acquisition, foreign
language education, clinical linguistics, language testing
Language, work, and law – workplace communication, language planning,
forensic linguistics
Language, information, and effect – literary stylistics, …
Outcomes
o new academic journals and associations
Applied Linguistics Associations
o AILA, AAAL, BAAL, GAL, MANYE
Other
o TESOL, IATEFL
