Cambodia University For

Specialties
Faculty of Arts, Humanity and Linguistics

Master Degree of English Literature

Introduction to Applied Linguistics

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 1

 Course Contents
1- History and ‘definitions’
2- Doing being applied linguists: the importance of
experience
3- Language and language practices
4- Applied linguistics and language learning/teaching
5- Applied linguistics and language use
6- The professionalizing of applied linguists
7- Applied linguistics
8- The applied linguistics challenge

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 2

Linguistics: is a science that studies languages
and has some subfields:
 Phonetics – it deals with the sounds of language, how they
are produced (physical properties).
 Phonology - it deals with how the sounds are organized
(abstract).
 Morphology – it deals with how sounds are put together to
form word, and everything related to word formation.
 Semantics - it deals with the meaning of words,
sentences, and texts.
 Syntax – it deals with how sentences are formed.
 Pragmatics – studies how people comprehend and
produce a communication act or speech act in a concrete
speech situation.
Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 3
 Applied Linguistics

 Applied linguistics can be applied to all aspects of

language use.
 It deals with mother tongue, foreign, second language
acquisition.
 It examined the relationship between language and such
areas as law, communication, media, social and
educational psychology and education in general.
 Domain or area of applied linguistics - approaches to text,
language, literacy, research, language teaching and
learning and translation.

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 4

 Defining “Applied linguistics” is not an easy task.
There are some reasons making defining
“Applied Linguistics” difficult. What are they?
 Some scholar suggested that it is difficult to do so (
Davies, 1990)
 AL means many things to many people (Cook, 2006)
 The reason why people view applied linguistics in rather
different ways is because applied linguistics has its origin
in different places in the world.
 The studies of applied linguists were seen, most notably, in
three countries – the United States of America, the United
Kingdom, and the Australia (Davies & Elder, 2004).

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 5

1) The American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) is
a professional society whose members use a wide variety of
theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches to
address a broad range of language-related issues that affect
individuals and society. The mission of AAAL is to facilitate the
advancement and dissemination of knowledge and understanding
regarding these language related issues in order to improve the
lives of individuals and conditions in society.
2) British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) is a
professional association based in the UK, which provides a forum
for people interested in language and the applications of
linguistics.
3) The Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (ALAA) is
the national organization for applied linguistics in Australia
which aims to provide leadership in applied linguistics and
supports the development of teaching, learning and research in
the field
Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 6
Defining “Applied linguistics” is not an easy
task. There are some reasons making defining
“Applied Linguistics” difficult. What are they?
(Conti.)
The AAAL, The BAAL, and the ALAA are society,
association and national organization respectively.
They describe “Applied Linguistics "in rather different
ways, but place more similar emphasis on “Applied
Linguistics”.

What is it?
To not define the term of “Applied Linguistics”

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 7

There is a confusing concept between
“Linguistics” and “Applied Linguistics”. Point
out the difference between the two terms.
 Linguistics: the study of language in general or of
some of particular language or languages.
 It is the science of language including phonology,
morphology, syntax, and semantics etc.
 It is the study of the structure, development,
changes, etc, of a particular language and its
relationship to other languages

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 8

There is a confusing concept between
“Linguistics” and “Applied Linguistics”. Point
out the difference between the two terms.
 Applied Linguistics: an interdisciplinary field of
research and practice dealing with practical problems
of language and communication that can be identified,
analyzed or solved by applying available theories,
methods and results of linguistics or by developing
new theoritical and methodological frameworks in
Linguistics to work on these problems.
Ex. Lexicography, critical discourse analysis.

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 9

What do you understand by the phrase
“language pedagogy”?

 Meaning of AL is broad with all language- related

issues. Hence, we need to focus on Language
Pedagogy or Teaching.

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 10

 Describe “Applied Linguistics” as a
subject.
 AL as a subject: providing teacher trainees
knowledge about language, some linguistic
theories, language learning and teaching theories,
among others, for them to draw upon when they
teach language.

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 11

Describe “Applied Linguistics” as a body of
theoretical knowledge.

 In restrictive sense, AL is regarded as a body of

theoretical knowledge upon which language
teachers draw to help them teach either a foreign or
second language effectively, with appropriate
modifications to fit their immediate contexts.

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 12

Reference:

 Cook, G. (2003). Applied Linguistics. Hong Kong:

Oxford University Press.
 Davies, A. & Elder, C. (eds.). (2004). The Handbook of
Applied Linguistics. UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
 Davies, A. (1999). An Introduction to Applied
Linguistics: From Practices to Theory. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press Ltd.

Lectured by: Ngo Sitha, M.ed & MBA 13