Applied Linguistics for

Language Teachers

Nancy Campbell
Achilleas Kostoulas
Thanks to David Newby for
materials.
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Class organisation

Attendance
Moodle
Exam dates
Reserved shelf

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Linguistic theory and
language teaching
“the study of language…is beset by
the difficulty that it deals with
something utterly familiar. Everybody
‘knows’ about language, because they
use it all the time, everybody ‘knows’
about society and social behaviour,
because they are members of
society.”
(Pit Corder 1973: 21)

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 Popular beliefs about
language (folk linguistics)
1. Parents teach their children to talk.
2. Children will get confused if they try
to speak more than one language.
3. Language is going downhill.
(Jackendoff 2003)

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Inkhorn terms
(16th-17th century)
Borrowings from other language regarded as showy and
pretentious:
anacephalize: to recapitulate
adnichilate: reduce to nothing, annihilate
exolete: disused, obsolete; effete, insipid; faded
fatigate: to fatigue
illecebrous: alluring, enticing, attractive.
ingent: immense, very great.
obtestate: to bear witness, call upon as witness
European Portfolio for Student
Teachers of Languages
EPOSTL
The Role of the Language Teacher (self-
assessment)
 I can draw on appropriate theories of language,
learning, culture etc. and relevant research findings
to guide my teaching.
 I can critically assess my teaching in relation to
theoretical principles.
 I can locate relevant articles, journals and research
findings relating to aspects of teaching and learning.
 I can identify and investigate specific pedagogical/
didactic issues related to my learners or my
teaching in the form of action research.
(p.17)

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Widdowson 1990

“ it is important to recognise that

language teaching is a theoretical as
well as a practical activity, that
effective teaching materials and
classroom procedures depend on
principles deriving from an
understanding of what language is
and how it is used.”

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What is theory?
A theory can be defined as a set of
hypotheses and resulting principles which
together provide a coherent framework.
Theories can be seen from three
perspectives:
 theory development – about language
and/or learning
 research – empirical studies which
evaluate theories and their applications
 implementation of theoretical principles in
language teaching

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Theory and language
teaching
intuition/’private’ knowledge
vs
evidence/theory

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Where is theory applied in the
language-teaching operation?

1. Language planning
2. Curriculum and syllabus
design
3. Classroom practice

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Language planning

 Which language(s) should we teach?

 Whose language should we teach?

 What age should children start

learning a foreign language?

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Curriculum and syllabus
design
 Influence of the CEFR on the Austrian
curriculum for English (Lehrplan)
 How does theory influence materials
design?

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Common European
Framework of Reference
Published 2001 - Council of Europe
 Language learners’ ability described in terms
of 6 reference levels: A1-C2
 Provides language professionals with
definitions, categories and examples – useful
for formulating aims, designing materials,
tests etc.
Example of transformation
drill (behaviourist influence)
Forming questions using auxiliary DO
T John has a dog.
S1 Does John have a dog?
T Mary has a new car.
S2 Does Mary have a new car?

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Classroom practice

Methodology
Information gap exercises
Task-based activities

Learner-related factors
Motivation, attitude etc.

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What kinds of linguistic theories do
teachers need?
(D.Newby)
THEORETICAL AREA INSIGHTS SOURCE
A. Language an understanding of what language is and Linguist
Description how it functions as a communication
system

Specification of content and teaching objectives; formulation of pedagogical

grammar rules; categories of syllabus design; basis for use-based methodology etc.

B. Learning Theory an understanding of acquisition Psycholinguist/

processes and of the learner’s emotional Psychologist
and functional needs
C. Methodology a knowledge of a wide range of methods FL Methodologist
and classroom techniques and how to
apply them

Selection of a coherent methodology, appropriate to the learner,

to optimise learning efficiency

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Applied Linguistics

Starting point: the question

 Which theories can help us solve
problems?
 Which research methods are
appropriate?

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Brumfit 1997

“A working definition of applied

linguistics will then be the theoretical
and empirical investigation of real-
world problems in which language is a
central issue.”

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Questions, questions,
questions
 Why do Austrian pupils experiencing
such problems pronouncing words
such as thing and this?
 Why are my pupils wonderful at
completing grammar exercises but
make so many tense errors when they
write a text?

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 Voicing

GENERAL
TERMS

PSYCHO- PHONETICS &

LINGUISTICS PHONOLOGY

SOCIO- LINGUISTICS MORPH-

LINGUISTICS
OLOGY

Register PRAGMATICS &

DISCOURSE
ANALYSIS SEMANTICS

SYNTAX/
GRAMMAR

Word
classes
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Question One

What is the difference between sounds

produced in isolation and sounds in
connected speech?

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Assimilation
(Bloomer et al 2005: 263)

single word phrase Assimilated final

consonant

ten ten balloons /n/ to /m/

hot hot potato /t/ to /p/
white white gold /t/ to /k/
mad mad cat /d/ to /g/

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Question Two
Yule 2010: 195)

A Spanish student in your class has

produced the following sentences:
It was the same size as a ball of golf.
He must wear the tie black.
We stayed at home because was
raining.
The Austrian students don’t produce
such sentences. What is going wrong?
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Question Three

In 2008 the Rwandan government

decided that all education will be carried
out in English instead of French.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7663298.stm

What issues have to be considered and

which problems need to be solved to put
this resolution into practice?

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