Applied Linguistics (Intro)

8/11/2019 Applied Linguistics (Intro)

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Should everyone learn foreign languages? If so, whichlanguages?

How to decide which foreign languages should be taught inschools? (for example, in Sumadija, which languagesshould be taught in schools; take into account that the

factory of FIAT opened in Kragujevac; should we includeItalian into syllabus now?)

How can we prevent Serbian language from losing its ownidentity? How can we fight against Anglicisms? Should wedo that?

Should we support English as lingua franca? How can we prevent some languages from dying out?

Should we do that?

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The answers to these questions depend on our attitudes

and decisions.

In order to find solutions for these questions, we need

to use the knowledge about language and apply it to theproblems.

That is the job of applied linguistics.

Applied linguistics is the academic discipline

concerned with the relation of knowledge aboutlanguage to decision making in the real world.

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What is linguistics?

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Linguistics

By components of

language

Phonetics (sounds)

Syntax (grammar)

Lexis (words)

Semantics (meanings)

Pragmatics (uses)

Discourse (connectedtexts)

By area studied

Comparative linguistics

PsycholinguisticsSociolinguistics

Historical linguistics

Theoretical linguistics,

Etc.

Applied

linguistics

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Translation Language

technology

Computer assisted

language learning

RhetoricApplied linguistics Second language

acquisition

Language

policy Critical discourseEducational

linguistics

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The importance of AL lies in the significant role it has in solvinglanguage-related problems.

Language is crucial to human lives. Without language, mostimportant activities will be inconceivable.

Throughout the history and across the world, people have been

using language to communicate. In our world there are many rapid changes. These changes affect

how people use language. Hence, people need to investigate and understand the facts of

language use, to organize and formalize what they know and tosubject their knowledge to rational consideration and criticalanalysis.

Only by doing so will people be able to set out the options foraction and the reasoning behind them.

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Language andeducation

First languageeducation

Additional-language education(foreign LE andsecond LE)

Clinical linguistics Language testing

Language, work andlaw

Workplacecommunication

Language planning

Forensic linguistics

Language,information and

effect

Literary stylistics

Critical discourseanalysis

Translation andinterpretation

Information design

Lexicography

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Applied linguistics as a MEDIATOR between language

experience and abstract analyses of language

Very difficult to combine and reconcile these fields

That is the main task and challenge of applied

linguistics

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Applied linguistics does not only span the gap between

linguistic problems and linguistic theory, but it also

uses the theory to explore how we can change the

perception of problems.

The results we get, can be implemented into linguistic

theory, in turn.

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Detect a linguistic problem

Start from a theory of linguistics (choose the proper

one according to the problem)

Apply the knowledge of the chosen theory to theproblem

Possibly implement the results into linguistic theory, in

turn

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A speech therapist sets out to investigate why a four-year-old child has

failed to develop normal linguistic skills for a child of that age.

An EFL teacher wonders why a group of learners sharing the same first

language regularly makes a particular grammatical mistake that learners

from other language backgrounds do not. An expert witness in a criminal case tries to solve the problem of who

exactly instigated a crime, working only with statements made to the

police.

An advertising copy writer searches for what would be the most efficient

language use to target a particular social group in order to sell a product.

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A mother tongue teacher needs to know what potential employers considerimportant in terms of a school leavers ability to write reports or other

business documents.

A person constructing a language test for non-native speakers for entry

into further education needs what the key linguistic or psycholinguistic

indicators are of reading ability in a second or foreign language. A dictionary writer ponders over possible alternatives to an alphabetically

organized dictionary.

The child has difficulties with expressing ideas clearly and learning new

vocabulary. The doctor claims that the child is dyslexic.

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Edward Said claims that the term The Other is used for non-westerncountries to show the superiority of the western countries.

The paper is concerned with the contrastive analysis of terms for bodily

disorders in English and Serbian

A group of civil servants are tasked with standardizing language usage in

their country, or deciding major aspects of language planning policy thatwill affect millions of people.

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All these problems have one thing in common:

the possibility of turning the discipline of

linguistics to seek solutions.

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Linguisticstheory-driven

Applied linguisticsproblem-driven

Applied linguistics does not only test the applicabilityof linguistic theories, but also challenges them where

they are found wanting.

they are more likely to be partners

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The responsibility of linguists to build theories of language that aretestable, which connect with perceived realities and which are not

contradicted or immediately refuted when they comfort those

realities.

The responsibility of linguists to offer models, descriptions and

explanations of language that satisfy not only intellectual rigour but

intuition, rationality and common sense.

The responsibility of applied linguists not to misrepresent theories,descriptions and models.

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The responsibility of applied linguists not to apply theories,descriptions and models to ill-suited purposes for which they werenever intended.

The responsibility of applied linguists to provide an interface betweenlinguists and practitioners where appropriate, and to be able to talk onequal terms to both parties.

The responsibility of both communities to exchange experience withfront-end practitioners such as language teachers, psychologists or

social workers, who may not have a training in linguistics nor the timeor resources to do applied linguistics themselves, but who may beeager to communicate with both groups.

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A teacher of English as a foreign language wonders

why groups of learners sharing the same first

language regularly make a particular grammatical

mistake that learners from other language

backgrounds do not.

A dictionary writer ponders over possible alternatives

to an alphabetically organized dictionary.

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Language Teachers Questions Lexicographic (dictionary-

making) questions

What is known about the learners firstlanguage or any other language that

he/she knows that may interfere with

foreign language learning?

What is the internal structure oflanguage(s) I am dealing with?

What do grammarians say about this

structure?

What do we know about the mental

organisation of vocabulary in human

beings? Perhaps this can be used in

dictionary organisation?

What psychological barriers may be

preventing the learning of the

structure?

What problems might a non-native user

of the dictionary have with the

organising principle chosen?

Are some structures difficult to learn if

they are tackled too early on? Is there

an order in which structures are best

presented?

What place should information about

grammar have in such a dictionary? Is

a bilingual dictionary along non-

alphabetical lines possible?

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Some questions are common: Can linguistics offersolution to the problems? If so, by which approach or

method? How reliable are linguists methods? How

willing are linguists to participate in practical

endeavours? If there are conflicting theories, which

approach should one resort to? Can a non-

linguistically-trained person undertake such a task or

is it a job for highly specialized experts?

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Identifying and defining problems.

Contextualizing those problems within linguistic study

and developing a theoretical stance.

The use of appropriate resources for the exploration ofpossible solutions.

Evaluating the proposed solutions.

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THANK YOU

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Documents

Applied Linguistics (Intro)