Why to study Applied Linguistics?

Linguistics is the scientific study of language; Applied Linguistics is the application of the theories, methods or findings of linguistics to the solution of practical problems associated with language. Studying Applied Linguistics at graduate level leads to interesting academic and professional careers in language education generally, and second language teaching in particular.
Applied Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of research and instruction which integrates ideas from linguistics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, education, and languages into a distinct field focused on the learning and teaching of second languages. Applied linguists examine and work on the issues involved in the teaching and learning of a second/foreign language. Our department is a leader in the development and use of online learning.

Applied Linguistics papers. (2008) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Te Kura Kete Aronui. University of Waikato. (Last modified: Wed Mar 19).

Available on: http://www.waikato.ac.nz/wfass/subjects/linguistics/appling/&h=360&w=490&sz=23&hl=es&start=6&sig2=ObMHNBotIU2aHY2EG19tUg&um=1&tbnid=zKg6ZKXwFZdHqM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=130&ei=DTxQSMy-CJH6eeuE_MUC&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dapplied%2Blinguistics%2Bimages%26um%3D1%26hl%3Des

What is applied linguistics?

Vivian Cook, Newcastle University

If you tell someone you’re an applied linguist, they look at you with bafflement. If you amplify – it’s to do with linguistics – they still look baffled. You know, linguistics the science of language? Ah so you speak lots of languages? Well no, just English. So what do you actually do? Well I look at how people acquire languages and how we can teach them better. At last light begins to dawn and they tell you a story about how badly they were taught French at school.

The problem is that the applied linguists themselves don’t have much clearer ideas about what the subject consists of. They argue over whether it necessarily has anything to do with language teaching or with linguistics and whether it includes the actual description of language. All of these views exist among applied linguists and are reflected in the MA courses available at British universities under the label of applied linguistics.

The language teaching view of applied linguistics parallels TESOL or TEFL, by looking at ways of improving language teaching, backed by a more rigorous study of language. The motivation is that better teaching will be based on a better understanding of language. However in British universities language teaching itself is not highly valued, often carried out by ancillary staff, because it does not lend itself easily to the kind of research publications that university careers now depend upon...




Taken from: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/vivian.c/Writings/Shorts/WhatisALl.htm

Bilingualism and Kids

This is a useful Blog for pre-service english teachers