Running head: LINGUISTICS AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS
The Relationship Between Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Cheng L.
Pennsylvania State University
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Running head: LINGUISTICS AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS
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The Relationship Between Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
In some academic monographs, applied linguistics is defined as the teaching
of specific linguistics, or contains other areas such as language formulation,
lexicography, translation, and scientific application. Actually, numerous fields which
relate directly with the application of linguistics should be the research field of
applied linguistics. Richards, Schmidt, Platt and Schmitt (2002) define applied
linguistics as the study of language and linguistics in relation to practical problems.
However, the application of linguistics in social life is inevitably subject to the
objective situations and practical needs of other related fields. Thus to make full use
of applied linguistics within these fields, we should explore the rules of these
limitations. For instance, the purpose of a specific linguistics teaching is for the
continuity of that language and the expansion of social operation, and it will be
realized through various kinds of teaching activities. The efficiency of linguistics
teaching is subject to the disciplines of education, and the qualifications of various
educational institutions. Another case is from the research of language expression of
literary works. The relationship of spoken and written language, as well as the
requirement and characteristics of different genres should be taken into consideration
to better understand the methods of literary polishing, and literary schools of different
periods and different personal artistic styles are also important when we research the
linguistics of literature. From those above we can see that applied linguistics is a
multi-interdisciplinary integrated studies. It concerns about not only linguistics, and
the application of the theory of linguistics, but also the application of other related
Running head: LINGUISTICS AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS
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disciplines.
Applied linguistics is different with linguistics which studies the ontology of
languages. It is an academic subject area in its own right, with its own set of concerns,
its own academic journals, its own professional associations, its own academic
qualifications, and its own professional pathways (Nicholas and Jeannette, 2011: 7).
But applied linguistics must be a kind of "linguistics" at first, because without the
theory of linguistics, the application of linguistics could not be realized. In other
words, applied linguistics is not the study of ontology, but its research must derive
from the achievements of the research of linguistics ontology. It should be noted that
this process is also an examination of the achievements of linguistics, in which correct
results would be confirmed, while incomplete results would be supplemented, and
false results would be corrected.
Just imagine constructing a building according to architectural drawings.
Without the drawings the process of constructing will lose direction, however it is
impossible to construct totally basing on the drawings. Many practical problems
which we cannot expect before would occur during the constructing process. The
same is true with the relationship between applied linguistics and linguistics. With the
groundwork of linguistics, applied linguistics could better and easier solve practical
problems. But the application of language in society is infinite, while the social
situation is rather complicated, and the language users differ in thousands of ways. To
function applied linguistics at optimal level, the key points donnot lie in the scrutiny
of definition, and theory deduction of linguistics, but in investigation, examination,
Running head: LINGUISTICS AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS
conclusion and a serious of practical operation of applied linguistics.
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References
Nicholas, G., & Jeannette, L.(2011). Doing Applied Linguistics: A Guide For
Students, 7.
Richards, J.C., Schmidt, D., Platt, H. and Schmitt, M. (2002). The Longman
Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics.