Applied Linguistics

Lecture 1: An Introduction to Applied

Linguistics

Dr. Hanan Abdulqader

Faculty of Arts
Department of English
 Main issues of this Lecture
• What is linguistics?
• What is the relation between linguistics and applied
linguistics? How do they differ?
• What is applied linguistics?
• When did applied linguistics develop as an
independent area of study?
• What are the main areas of concern of applied
linguistics?
• What will this course focus on? How is this course
organised?
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 2
 What is Linguistics?
• 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.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 3

 What is Linguistics?
• Linguistics deals with the study of particular
languages, and the search for general properties
common to all languages or large groups of
languages.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 4

 Some questions linguistics tries to
answer
• 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?

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 5

 Some questions linguistics tries to
answer
• 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.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 6

 Branches of linguistics

Pragmatics

Semantics Phonology

LINGUISTIC
S

Syntax Phonetics

Morpholog
y

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 7

What is Interdisciplinary Linguistics?
Interdisciplinary studies • Historical Linguistics,
involve two or more • Sociolinguistics,
academic disciplines • Psycholinguistics,
which are considered
• Ethnolinguistics or
distinct. The most
common Anthropological
interdisciplinary Linguistics,
branches of Linguistics • Computational
are: Linguistics,
• Neurolinguistics.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 8

 Applied Linguistics:
When did it all begin?
• 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 Center of Applied Linguistics in
Washington D.C. in 1957.
• It was largely taken for granted in the 1960s and
1970s that applied linguistics was about language
teaching.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 9

 What is Applied Linguistics? (1/4)
• Applied Linguistics entails using what we know
about language, about how it is used, and about
how it is learned in order to solve some problem
in the real world.
• 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).
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 10
 What is Applied Linguistics? (2/4)
“AL is the utilisation of the knowledge about
the nature of language achieved by
linguistic research for the improvement of
the efficiency of some practical task in
which language is a central component.”
(Corder, 1974, p. 24)

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 11

 What is Applied Linguistics? (3/4)
“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).

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 12

 What is Applied Linguistics? (4/4)
“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).
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 13
 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.
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 14
 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,

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 15

 A sample of questions Applied
Linguistics addresses
• 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?

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 16

 A sample of questions Applied
Linguistics addresses
• 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?

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 17

 What is the relationship between AL
and other language related disciplines?
• 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.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 18

 What is the relationship between AL
and other language related disciplines?
• Applied linguistics conducts research into
professional practice and on the basis of
the results develops theory.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 19

 Theoretical, Interdisciplinary and
Applied Linguistics
Theoretical Interdisciplinary Applied linguistics
linguistics linguistics
• Phonology, • Psycholinguistics, • Applied linguistics
• Morphology, • Sociolinguistics, to language
• Syntax and • Pragmatics, education,
structural • Discourse • Applied linguistics
grammar, analysis. to foreign
• Semantics, • Computational language
• Historical and corpus education,
linguistics. linguistics. • Translation
studies,
• Lexicography.
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 20
 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.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 21

 Linguistics

Applied
Linguistic Education
s

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 22

 Linguistics (the study of the nature, structure and variation of
language).
Applied Linguistics

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).

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 23

 Subfields of Applied Linguistics
Language and Language, work Language,
education and the law information and
effect
• First language • Workplace • Literary stylistics,
education, communicatio • Critical discourse
• Second n, analysis,
language • Language • Translation and
education, planning, Interpretation,
• Foreign • Forensic • Information design,
language linguistics. • Lexicography.
education,
• Clinical
linguistics,
•An Introduction
Language to Applied Linguistics 24
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 evaluation, and foreign language
• Syllabus design and learning,
language curriculum • Language education
development, policies and language
• Language testing, planning,
• Language teaching • Educational technology
methods and techniques, and language learning,
• Immersion education,
• Language education in
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics multilingual settings. 25
 Focus of this course:
Foreign language didactics
What How
• How does one select • How does one
and organise the organise the
content of what is to teaching/learning
be taught and learnt? process?
• What do you teach? • How does one
develop knowledge
and skills?

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 26

 Issues discussed in the course
What?
• Methods in language teaching.
• Language theories and their effect on foreign
language teaching.
• Syllabus design and curriculum development.
• Communicative competence.
• Communicative language teaching, task
based language teaching and intercultural
competence.
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 27
 Issues discussed in the course
How?
• Theories of language learning and their
effect on foreign language teaching/
learning.
• Individual characteristics and their effect
on language learning.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 28

 Applied Linguistics
Lecture 2: Topics in Applied Linguistics

Dr. Hanan Abdulqader

Faculty of Arts
Department of English
 Main Issues
1. Language : Give questions about language.
What do you want to know about the study of
language.
2. Applied Linguistics : Definition, Position
3. Competence vs. Performance
4. Acquisition vs. Learning
5. Language Acquisition and innate capacity

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 30

 1. Language
• Anthropological linguistics: language and
culture
• Biological linguistics: language and
biological conditions
• Clinical Linguistics: Language and disorders
• Computational Linguistics: Language and
computer science
• Educational Linguistics: Language and
Education

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 31

 1. Language
• Geographical Linguistics: Language and
regional distribution
• Mathematical Linguistics
• Neurolinguistics
• Philosophical Linguistics
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Theo linguistics
• Applied linguistics

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 32

 2. Applied Linguistics
• The application of linguistic theories,
methods, and findings to the elucidation
of language problems that have been
arisen in other domains.
• The term is used in Foreign language
teaching and learning, educational fields,
language planning, language testing, and
translation

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 33

 2. Applied Linguistics
• The application of linguistic theories,
methods, and findings to the elucidation
of language problems that have been
arisen in other domains.
• The term is used in Foreign language
teaching and learning, educational fields,
language planning, language testing, and
translation

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 34

 2. Applied Linguistics

Linguisti
AL LT/LL
cs

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 35

 Competence vs. Performance
• Competence consists of the mental
representations of linguistic rules. It is the
speaker’s knowledge of the linguistic rules. It is
implicit; it exists in the speaker’s mind and it can
be exhibited via his\her performance.
• Performance: consists of the use of this
linguistic knowledge in the comprehension and
production of language. It is explicit in that it is
the actual use of the linguistic knowledge
(speaking, writing). Thus, competence can be
examined through the person’s performance.
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 36
• There are rules of speaking without which
the grammatical rules are useless.
-Dell Hymes

Communicative Competence: linguistic

knowledge + pragmatic knowledge

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 37

 Acquisition vs. Learning
Learning Acquisition
Conscious Unconscious
Formal Informal
Unnatural Learning Natural Learning
Teaching is involved Effortless
Explicit Learning Implicit Learning
People get exposure People get exposure
to language in the . to language in real-life .
classroom
An Introduction to Applied Linguistics situations 38
 Language Acquisition and innate
capacity
• Innate Capacity has to be activated through
getting enough exposure to language in
society.
• Students of English should always be
exposed much to English to be able to
produce it.
• Language Acquisition can be rich or poor
depending upon the language environment.

An Introduction to Applied Linguistics 39