An Overview of Applied Linguistics

By Lec. Pang Samarnh

What is Applied Linguistics?

• Though the term "applied linguistics" has traditionally been associated with the scientific study of such areas as TESOL, TEFL, TESL, language teaching and learning, applied linguists do a variety of things: The basic idea is, as the definition implies, to contribute to the real-world issues. 

Some of the questions that applied linguists ask include:

 -How can languages best be learnt and taught?

-What social factors affect language learning?

-How can technology be used to contribute to the effectiveness of language teaching/learning?

-What are the related problems associated with language disorders? How can these be prevented?

Question

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

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)

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

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

Areas in Applied Linguistics—AAAL 2002

• language and speaking

• language and technology

• language and translation/interpretation

• language and writing

The Development of Applied Linguistics—Early History

• the ancient Greeks– Plato and Aristotle: design of curriculum of

grammar, rhetoric

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”

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 MethodVocabulary Control Movement)

– Audiolingualism (World War II) (Behaviorism)

– Cognitive approach (Chomsky, 1959)

– Communicative competence (Hymes, 1972)

– Monitor theory (Krashen, 1982)

– Focus on form (Doughty and Williams, 1998)

– CALL

– Corpus Linguistics

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

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

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.