Chapter 4: Applied

Linguistics and language

learning/teaching
Focus

Broad view Strict view

 Language learning and teaching  Language learning and teaching
 lexicography
 Style
 Forensic speech analysis
 Theory of Reading
“[T]he study of the uses that man makes
of the language endowment and of
the problems that he encounters in
doing so is the subject matter of applied
linguistics.” (Wilkins, 1994:162)
AL and language teaching methods

 “What applied linguistics offers, where its coherence (…) lies is in its
recognition that the question to ask is not how to improve the
learning, but what is it that is not being improved, in other words
what it is that is supposed to be being learned. The ‘how to improve’
question comes from a teacher training tradition where solutions are
understandably method directed(…)” p.64
AL and linguistics

 Learning –teaching
 Linguistic knowledge
 Vocational perspective
 language teaching

 ≠ linguistics course
Applied linguist (institutional problems)

 To intervene
 To train
 To explain
 To possibly solve recurring problems
 School
 Hospitals
 Workplace
 Law court
 Tv studio
AL
 “Applied linguistics as an enterprise is therefore a
research and development activity that sets out
to make use of theoretical insights and collect
empirical data which can be of use in dealing with
institutional language problems.”p.68
 Applied linguistics as an enterprise is therefore a
research and development activity that sets out
to make use of theoretical insights and collect
empirical data which can be of use in dealing with
institutional language problems.” p.68
Steps
 Institutional problem
 To gather information about it to understand the issue
better
 Different factors (see p.68)
 To ask questions
 To provide an explanation of the problem
 To offer ways to deal with it and implication of each

 Save this page for later comparison with Pennycook

PROBLEM 1: WHAT IS THE BEST AGE TO
START LEARNING A FL?
 How is it an institutional problem?
 Common in different schools systems: to start learning a FL at an early age
 The process is interrupted
 Teachers and administrators always in doubt about this issue
 Research says that on one hand there is a sensitive period and on the other
hand that adults can also learn efficiently a FL
 Read p.70
 Read p.70-71
Factors (p.72-74)

 Which factors will play a major role in the issue under

study?
 Nepal case: political one was the most important
 How does AL deal with that according to Davies?
 What is your opinion on this?
Davies´ position

“In all cases therefore the applied linguist attempts to bring together the
language, the learner and the situation. That is the challenge and that is
the value of applied linguistics to language teaching and language
learning. But there is another aspect too and that is the role of the
applied linguist as critic. Here I am not thinking so much of the critical
applied linguistics (…). Rather I am thinking more traditionally of the
proper role of the academic which is always and everywhere to be
sceptical.” p.83
Chapter 6
 Tension of the discipline
Target (TESOL, language-related problems) x source (linguistics,
other disciplines )
empiricism x rationalism
“ reason cannot of its own provide us with knowledge of reality without
reference to sense experience and the use of our sense organs” (Angeles
1981: 75)
“reality is knowable … independently of observation, experience and the
use of empirical methods; reason is the principal organ of knowledge and
science is basically a rationally conceived deductive system only
indirectly concerned with sense experience” (ibid:236)
Coherence in the field

 Core concept of the field

language use
language learning
investigation of the use and the learning
 Balance between source and target
 Check the list of important journals in the field
Professionalization

 Weak
No recognized qualification licensing

Doctors, psychologists, lawyers

↓
Ethics
 Definition:
 The study of how to live, of right and wrong, moral philosophy
 The code of behavior of a profession
 Positivism
 Neglected ethics
 To balance the individual and the social
 The professional offers a service, a duty NOT A GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS(
P.123)
 Ethics should be considered when analysing the problem to be studied, solved
Code of ethics
“Most of this document is organised around the different work relationships that
applied linguists engage in, and within these, it offers a checklist of important
issues, cross-referencing to other guidelines where these may be of value. This
document isn’t designed as a set of criteria for professional accreditation in
applied linguistics, and it doesn’t provide any recipes for professional decision-
making. In a changing climate of teaching and research, its suggestions are
intended to help applied linguists to maintain high standards and to respond
flexibly to new oppor tunities, acting in the spirit of good equal opportunities
practice and showing due respect to all participants, to the values of truth,
fairness and open democracy, and to the integrity of applied linguistics as a body
of knowledge and a mode of inquiry. (BAAL 1994: 2)
 Be ethical in contracts
 Level of freedom AL has to act
 Rights and obligations of the parts (institution and AL)

“What the professional offers is service or duty, to be

professional, to act professionally rather than to be
successful, since success cannot be guaranteed.” p.125
Code of ethics :Language-programme
evaluation in South India
 “When working away from one’s own locality, it is
important to consider the interests of local scholars and
researchers. In locations away from the UK, matters such
as the disparity of resources or access to publications may
need to be handled with sensitivity. The status of “visiting
expert” can also be problematic, although seeking the
active involvement of local applied linguists may help to
avoid this” (BAAL 1994: 2.5)
Second-language literacy study

“[W]hen working in collaborative or team research with

other researchers, research assistants, clerical staff or
students, applied linguists should make everyone’s ethical
and professional obligations clear. Care should be taken to
clarify the roles,rights and obligations of team members in
relation to: the division of labour and responsibilities; access
and rights in data and fieldnotes; access to travel and
conference expenses; publications; co-authorship in
publication”. ibid: 2.4)
Pedagogical grammar

“It is important to take account of equal opportunities

issues, to be alert to issues arising from inequalities of
power between teachers and students, and to ensure that
students are treated on the basis of their abilities and
potential, regardless of their gender, “race”, religion, sexual
orientation, physical disability, family circumstances or
other irrelevant factors” (ibid: 3).
AL associations having particular
interests
 Is this ethical?
 Who wins and who loses?

 ALAB BAAL AAAL

 Does it have a code of ethics?
 How is it acting upon the world?
 What is the definition of AL adopted?
hw
Answer this question : use the website, jornal RBLA, conferences promoted (program,
main issues of the conference) (choose the date)
4.4.7 p.128

 Read this part and discuss after reading Pennycook CAL

CAL
 Postmodernist view of AL
 Oppose grand narratives (discourses)
 Recognizes the power of larger social, economic and political forces on problems
to be analyzed
 Favours local, relative, contingente
Pennycook
“He explicitly advocates this admittedly relativist [no search for grand theories, unified
theory stance for applied linguistics] on the grounds that it opens the way to a more
effective involvement with the major stakeholders”. P.139
HW

 Read chapter 1 CAL (Xerox place)

 Outline or sumarize it

Seminars (April 17 and 24)