The Scopes of Applied Linguistics

AL, according to Corder 1974 is the utilization of the knowledge about the
nature of language achieved by linguistics research for the improvement of
the efficiency of some practical task in which language isa central
component.
I. Language and Teaching

Approaches & Methods

 Grammar Translation Method (GTM): Classes are conducted in the
mother tongue. This method depends on memorization of lists of new
vocabulary in isolation (i.e no context provided).
Great attention is paid to grammatical rules.

 The Series Method: Ls are exposed to a series of connected

sentences (in FL) that are easy tounderstand.

 The Direct Method: It depends on the oral interaction using the FL

inside the classroom. It isbased on the belief that language should be
learned the way we learned our mother tongue.

 The Audio-lingual Method (ALM): It is based on the idea of over-

learning and repetition. NewMaterial is presented in a form of
dialogues, broken into pieces.

 Cognitive Code Learning Method (CCL): It is a more student-oriented

method as it focuses onhis/her mentality and the complicated
processes that take place as learning progresses.

 The Designer Methods:1.

1. Community Language Learning (CLL): It focuses on

establishing interpersonalrelationships between Ls in order to
make the classroom a family-like environment
 2. Suggestopedia: It is based on the idea that the human mind can learn
anything if asuitable atmosphere (e.g: music, visuals, imagination,
meditation, relaxation ...) isprovided.
3. The Silent Way: It focuses on the learner s independence. Ls should
struggle to learn.Visuals are very much used to compensate for the
teacher s silence.4.
4. The Total Physical Response (TPR): It is based in actions in learning
new language.
5. The Natural Approach: It focuses on how humans learn their first
language unintentionally. Simple and comprehensible content is
provided, getting harder as Ls goon the learning process.
6. Community Language Teaching (CLT): It focuses on helping Ls to
communicate in FL byimproving their communicative competence. It
also pays attention to fluency, not alwaysaccuracy.

II. Language and Society

This branch is also called sociolinguistics. It studies the relationship
between the society and language. Itanswers questions like how society
affects the language, what are the varieties of a language, what thediglossic
countries are, what is the relationship between language and gender, what
are some examplesof terms of taboo and euphemism and why they should be
used, what are the social factors of languageshift, why people resort to
code switching, how languages die and how they are revived.

III. Language and Education/Learning

1. language education

In this section, linguists try to answer the question: how infants learn/
acquire their mother tongue. Parents do not teach their children to speak.
They correct their falsehoods when they misbehave rather than correcting
their language mistakes. First-language acquisition is innate, meaning that we
are born with a set of language rules which Chomsky refers to as the
Universal
Grammar. These rules, Chomsky, who belongs to the Mentalists School,
argues that these rules enable children to make new utterances of their
own, i.e. they produce new language not only copy or repeat what they
hear. Chomsky calls this idea Language Acquisition Device.

2. Additional language education

 Second-language education
Second-language education is a young field that started systematically in
1950s and1960s. It is the study of how non-primary language learning takes
place. The majority of the community can use the SL, but it is not the
mother tongue. For example 232 millionIndians use English along with Hindi.
Unlike the innate principles of first-education, the second-language
education is based on cognitive mechanism. The 1st language is acquired,
whereas the 2nd language is learned.
 Foreign language education
FL differs from the SL in that FL is not a language of communication in the
learners country. For example, Egyptians speak English as an FL not an SL.
3. linical linguistics
Crystal defines clinical linguistics as the application of the linguistic
sciences to the study of language disability in all its forms (Crystal,
2001:673).
4. Language testing
“Language Testing is the practice and study of evaluating the proficiency of
an individual in using a particular language effectively.”
(Priscilla Allen, University of Washington)
The purpose of a language test is to determine a person s knowledge and/or
ability in the language and to discriminate that person’s ability from that of
others. (Alan Davies, University of Edinburgh) This branch is also called
“language assessment”. This assessment may test listening reading, speaking
and writing. The test pays attention to both knowledge, which is
the theoretical understandingof a language and proficiency, which is the
practical use of a language.
IV. Language, Work and Law

1. Workplace communication
It answers the questions what are the different techniques of
communication in the workplace,what should be said in what situations at
what time...etc.

2. Language planning
Language planning is bases on some principles. First of all, it is a
multidimensional activity, thatis to say, it should include all the communities
and faculties that participate in the languageplanning process. Second, the
idea that a nation has one language only is a myth. Third, theprocess of
language planning should not be the responsibility of the education sector
alone.Fourth, in order that this process is to be successful, there should be
continuous revision,evaluation and implementation.
 3. Forensic linguistics
It is defined as the application of the theory of linguistics to the law
including the language of legislation and the evaluation of written
evidence. Some examples of this application may bethe analysis of spoken
statements (confessions), analysis of court room language (lawyers, judges,
witnesses ) voice identification, interpretation of the language of the law
and legalwritings and so on.

V. Language, Information and Effect

1. Literary stylistics
It studies the different styles of authors. For example, one can feel the
sarcastic style of theEgyptian writer Belal Fadl by only reading the title or
one or two lines. We also have our ownstyles while speaking. The Egyptians
use idiomatic expressions all the time while they speak.Nearly half of our
speech is not literal.

2. (CDA) Critical Discourse Analysis

The terms Critical Linguistics (CL) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) can
be used interchangeably. CDA pays great attention to the context of the
text (Wodak, 2000c; Benke,2000). CDA deals with `language as social
practice' (Fairclough and Wodak, 1997). It also considers the institutional,
political, gender and media discourses .As Krings argues, CDA is the practical
linking of `social and political engagement' with `asociologically informed
construction of society' (Krings et al., 1973: 808), while recognizing ,in
Fairclough's words `that, in human matters, interconnections and chains of
cause and effectmay be distorted out of vision. Hence ``critique'' is
essentially making visible theinterconnectedness of things' (Fairclough,
1985: 747; see also Connerton, 1976: 11±39 and seebelow).

3. Translation and interpretation

Translation sometimes is not as easy as it is believed. Specialized

translators and interpretershave more complicated task. For instance, if the
text is about Genetic Engineering, a translatorshould read about the topic in
both languages [the source language (SL) and the target language(TL)]. Some
types of texts of translation are:

 financial translation and interpretation

 legal translation and interpretation
  literary translation
 medical translation and interpretation
 scientific translation and interpretation
 technical translation and interpretation
Types of translation may be machine translation, machine-assisted
translation, screen translation,sight translation and localization. Types
of interpretations are consecutive interpretation (consec)
andsimultaneous interpretation (simul).

4. Information design

It studies how the message should be delivered, how the layout should be
like, what font type,color and size should be used, in attempt to convey the
information clearly and optimally useful. In other words, this branch deals
with the typography or the shaping and design of the message. For example,
Constantia is recommended for a PowerPoint slideshow.
5. Lexicography
This branch is divided into two sections: practical and theoretical. The
practical section of lexicography involves compiling or editing dictionaries,
whereas the theoretical section involvesthe analysis of the vocabulary itself
paying attention to semantics and pragmatics and therelationship between
the different forms.