Applied linguistics studies how language affects society and people’s lives. It overlaps with other fields such as sociology, psychology, communication, and multicultural studies. It applies linguistic understanding to real-world problems, such as speech therapy and language barriers. It can also be used to understand the evolution of language for various purposes.
Applied linguistics is a particular field of linguistic exploration that not only studies linguistics in a theoretical way but also examines how language has a real impact on society and people’s lives. This type of study can be conducted and used in many different ways and can overlap with research in some related fields such as sociology, psychology, communication and multicultural studies. Applied linguistics examines human language or languages and applies the understanding of human thought and behavior gained through that examination to real-world problems and applications that can be used in different ways.
One of the main ways that applied linguistics differs from other linguistic fields is that information obtained through research may be relevant to other disciplines. A linguistics student might, for example, study how different speech sounds or phonetic differences developed in a language over hundreds of years. While this may be useful for a greater understanding of linguistic evolution, it may not necessarily have direct use for someone in another field or for practical linguistic understanding. Someone working in applied linguistics, on the other hand, might study how different phonetic sounds occur in various languages and use that information in a practical way.
A speech therapist, for example, often uses concepts and knowledge gained through applied linguistics to help someone overcome an accent or speech impediment. Likewise, new developments in related fields such as psychology or sociology can occur through the research and understanding gained through applied linguistics. A psychologist might consider the choice and use of words in a letter or spoken recording to learn about a particular person’s mindset or attitude. This type of information could be used by someone to analyze a letter written to a prominent public or political figure to determine that the author of that letter may be engaging in violent behavior.
Similarly, a sociologist can use applied linguistics to understand how people who speak different languages can overcome language barriers. This can be used to assist people in learning a new language or to help ensure someone from one culture does not accidentally offend a person from another culture. Applied linguistics can also be used to understand the ongoing changes and evolution of a language for various purposes. Someone writing a new word processing computer program, for example, might use certain language concepts to make the program better in the future against new developments in language for years to come.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
