Definitions
Definitions of applied linguistics may take the form of a short statement, such as: “the theoretical and empirical investigation of real-world problems in which language is a central issue” (Brumfit, 1997, p. 93)
History
A symposium held at the American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL) in St Louis in 2001 considered the history of applied linguistics in four different countries. Angelis, discussing the USA, proposed a four-fold division of time over the period since the 1920s. What this division indicates is a gradual move away from the central focus on linguistics until post 1990 we have what he terms “the proliferation of language activities with minimal direct ties to linguistics”.
An Ethical Profession
Applied Linguistics has grown quickly and is now flourishing, with academic positions, academic departments, international journals, an international association (Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée [AILA]).
L-A and A-L
We have distinguished between two traditions, that of applied linguistics and that of applications of linguistics. Widdowson presents the question in terms of linguistics applied and applied linguistics:
The differences between these modes of intervention is that in the case of linguistics applied the assumption is that the problem can be reformulated by the direct and unilateral application of concepts and terms deriving from linguistic enquiry itself. That is to say, language problems are amenable to linguistics solutions. In the case of applied linguistics, intervention is crucially a matter of mediation applied linguistics has to relate and reconcile different representations of reality, including that of linguistics without excluding others. (Widdowson, 2000, p. 5)
