A. The definition of Applied Linguistics
1. - Zoltán Dörnyei (Professor of Psycholinguistics, University of Nottingham)
‘Applied linguistics’ (AL) is one of several academic disciplines focusing on how language is acquired and used in the modern world. It is a somewhat eclectic field that accommodates diverse theoretical approaches, and its interdisciplinary scope includes linguistic, psychological and educational topics. Although the field’s original focus was the study of foreign/second languages, this has been extended to cover first language issues, and nowadays many scholars would consider sociolinguistics and pragmatics to be part of the AL rubric. Recently, AL conferences and journals have reflected the growing influence of psychology-based approaches, which in turn is a reflection of the increasing prevalence of cognitive(neuro)science in the study of human mental functions.
2. -Susan Hunston (Head of Department of English, University of Birmingham)
One answer to this question is that it is the study of language in order to address real-world concerns. Another is that it is the study of language, and language-related topics, in specified situations. The real-world concerns include language learning and teaching but also other issues such as professional communication, literacies, translationpractices, language and legal or health issues, and many more. Applied linguistics is practically-oriented, but it is also theory-drivenand interdisciplinary. Models of how languages are learned and stored, for example, are ‘applied linguistics’, as are descriptions of individual language varieties that prioritise actual and contextualised language use.
3. - Juliane House Professor of Foreign Language Teaching, Universität Hamburg
Applied linguistics is a broadly interdisciplinary field concerned with promoting our understanding of the role language plays in human life. At its centre are theoretical and empirical investigations of real-world issues in which language plays a leading role. Applied linguistics focuses on the relationship between theory and practice, using the insights gained from thetheory-practice interface for solving language-related problems in a principled way. Applied linguistics is not ‘linguistics applied’, because it deals with many more issues than purely linguistic ones, and because disciplines such as psychology, sociology, ethnography, anthropology, educationaresearch, communication and media studies also inform applied linguistic research. The result is a broad spectrum of themes in applied linguistics such as first, second and folanguage learning and teaching, bilingualism and multilingualism, discourse analysis,translation and interpreting, language policy and language planning, researchmethodology, language testing, stylistics, literature, rhetoric, literacy and other areas.
B. The differences and similarities among those three definition
1. The similarities
- According to those three definition of Applied Linguistics we know that Applied Linguistics is focusing on how language is aquire and use in the real life.
- Applied Linguistics is a study of language and it's usage in specific situation.
- Applied Linguistics is interdiciplinary scope, this statement came from Zoltán Dörnyei (Professor of Psycholinguistics, University of Nottingham) and Susan Hunston (Head of Department of English, University of Birmingham), both of them stated that interdiciplinary scope includes linguistic, psychological and educational topics, professional communication, literacies, translationpractices, language and legal or health issues, and many more.
- Applied Linguistics also focusing on how language and communication contribute to interaction between people in actual and contextual language use.
- Applied Linguistics is practically-oriented according to their statement.
2. The diffreneces
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