Chapter 1

Applied linguistics began in the USA. The application of linguistics began there. The problem
was the IIWW WHICH TRIGGERED A SERIES OF PROBLEMS. They were how to train soldiers in
different languages in the less amount of time possible and in the most efficient way. Applied
linguistics has a pedagogic orientation, and this was very much so. It keeps on been focus on
pedagogical areas. Saussure was focused on the synchronic linguistics. In the 1940s, Leonard
Bloomfield was a structuralist. The army got to him to solve this problem for the American
soldiers. How can we divide that into a group? Bloomfield published a book, An outline guide
for the study of foreign languages. He wrote this in 1942 and thanks to this guide; there was
more or less a guide that a linguist gave to organize in a principal way, linguistically speaking,
this language teaching courses. The very first specialized Journals where research is included
with the mention of applied linguistic appeared in 1948 at the University of Michigan and
reputed to be the very first time that the term itself was used by scholars: Language Learning:
A Quarterly Journal of Applied Linguistics. In Europe, the interest arose in the 1950s, and the
very first department of applied linguistics was created at the University of Edinburg.

AAAL: AL as an interdisciplinary field - It is sort of comes to being by combining the principles

of different disciplines like psychology, medicine, forensic linguistics (it combines principles of
medicine and linguistics). In linguistics, the words ‘use’ (performance) and ‘usage’
(competence) must be distinguished. Chomsky was focused on the abstract (or theory) of
language, our capacity for learning the language. He does not lay importance on performance
but on competence. So, the usage shows how to be correct in a language; then we have the
construction of grammar. Descriptive (the use of the language) and prescriptive (they look old
book of literature). These concepts are basic to any knowledge of linguistics.

AILA: The limits of one and another are very fussy. It is very difficult to establish a limit.

Longman Dictionary: It gives a different trend of linguistics. For many universities, applied
linguistics is just a subject of a second language. Problems are also understood an open-
researched question, not a negative thing.

Which is Applied linguistics?

Applied linguistics originally came into being to teach a second language. AP has extended its
scope and it covers a lot of subfields. One of the most remaining is the studying of a second
language and teaching.

Use is more central to AP and Usage is more central to theory.

AP is due to solve real-world problems. Problem: research question or something that is really
wrong. It can be also the combination of the two.

It resorts to two science like sociology, anthropology… AP allies with psychology to resolve
some questions. So, it is interdisciplinary.

One of its major interests is the study and learning of non-native language. You learn a
vernacular a language which is different to learn a language officially in some institutions. The
concept of the second language is quite blurry due to multilingualism.
Sheet 2

a. B-5; A-4; D-1; B-3

b. D-6; E-4; E-5; E-6;

c. D-1; D-2; D-A; A-3

d. B-2; B-3; B-4; D-3; D-4; D-6;

e. A-3; B-1; B-6; C-2; D-2; D-3; E-A; E-7

f. E-7

g. C-1; C-5; D-1; E-4

h. B-3; C-1

i. A-1; C-6; A-4

j. E-7

k. A-4; A-1; E-4

l. C-6

m. C-3

n. B-5; D-8

o. D-7; D-2

p. A-4; B-3

Standard: There are so many different standards because of the vocabulary, grammar, etc that
someone uses. There are certain traits that define some standard. There is nothing such as
better language. All languages have their merits. Standard American English is also valid like
British English in terms of linguistics. There is no better standard than another; there is no
better variety than other.

Lingua franca: It is a language that you use in order to communicate between people who do
not share the same language. The language that you use to communicate with another group
and both have the same interest. We can have three lingua francas. Latin was the lingua
France a lot of time ago.

Applied linguistics: One thing is linguistic is applied linguistics (interdisciplinary), and linguistics
applied.

Sociolinguistics is the relation between linguistics and society.

Functional linguistics shows the functions of the language. We speak with a definite purpose
in mind

Corpus linguistic was able to compile huge data banks. We are able to write sentences.
Mediation: It is not to be from top to bottom or vice versa but horizontal. From bottom to top
would be British applied and vice versa would be AAL. This is not in focus anymore. What is on
focus is the mediation, the mutual influence. Then, there can be a reformulation of the fact,
the two of them, if they have a mutual influence can give a new perception of the problem and
a solution.

Intuition:

Language experience:

Expertise:

Practice ch.1

1.

Applied linguistics vs. Linguistics applied

Interdisciplinary vs. monolithic

Real-world problem vs. ideal

Use-based vs. usage-based

Performance vs. Competence (is the abstract in our mind of the language)

Context vs. Abstract

Pragmatic (practical, and decision making) vs. Theoretical

Experience /the practice and the real world problem) vs. Expertise (theoretical foundation
that you put into practice in your profession)

Fact (statistically speaker, there are many fact that I can base on/the reality/ what is record in
grammar…) vs. Intuition/perception (I can base myself on intuition/fact) (I have the intuition
that I have not the example to give an example)

Decision-making (from a practical point of view)

Problem-solving vs. Description/explanation (of rules has to do with the abstract, with the
competence)

Inclusive vs. Exclusive

Profession vs. Academy

Client needs (for what purpose a man needs to use the language. English for Academic
purposes EAP) vs. Needs analysis

2.

From our point of view, the statement ‘There is a need for applied linguistics, but not for
linguistics applied’ is false because applied linguistics and linguistics applied are intertwined.
That is, there is a constant mediation between both because the linguistic expertise has to do
with the language experience. A problem in language needs a theoretical frame-work in order
to be solved. So, while We apply linguistics to provide the core theoretical framework to solve
a given problem, applied linguistics draws from other many disciplines for decision-making to
find a practical solution for the problem. In order to resolve a problem, there is a need for a
description and explanation; therefore, there is a need for the application of linguistics.
Applied linguistics is not just about finding solutions to a problem but also to inquire into how
the perception of these problems might be changed.

3.

F: as AL is focused on the practicality and LA is the theoretical model, it wouldn’t be necessary

for AL to have its own theoretical model.

T: AL may be able to develop its own theoretical model depending on the problems that might
arise, and there can be problems that LA wouldn’t be able to solve.

The given statement could be considered as true or false depending on from which point of
view is examined. Firstly, if we consider this affirmation as true: Applied linguistics, as it
conveys from other disciplines, could develop its own theoretical frame-work based on new
problems that have arisen basing. Meanwhile, linguistics that is applied cannot provide a
solution to them because its scope could not deal with them yet. Secondly, if we suppose this
statement as false, we may think that Applied linguistics does not require its own theoretical
frame-work because there is mediation between linguistics applied and Applied linguistics. The
reason is that there cannot be linguistic expertise without language experience, and a given
problem in the language could be solved by the application of linguistics and the theory from
other disciplines; meanwhile, Applied linguistics investigates how to enrich the theoretical
understanding.

Discipline: linguistics

Linguistics applied is not a discipline, but linguistics that are applied.