{"id":855,"date":"2010-09-10T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2010-09-10T08:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elanguage.net\/blogs\/booknotices\/?p=855"},"modified":"2010-07-07T09:29:05","modified_gmt":"2010-07-07T07:29:05","slug":"an-introduction-to-applied-linguistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/?p=855","title":{"rendered":"An introduction to applied linguistics"},"content":{"rendered":"
An introduction to applied linguistics: <\/strong>From practice to theory. 2nd edn. <\/strong>By Alan Davies<\/strong>. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007. Pp. xiv, 199. ISBN 9780748633555<\/a>. $36.<\/div>\n

Reviewed by Martin R. Gitterman<\/strong><\/a>, Lehman College<\/em> and The City University of New York<\/em><\/p>\n

In this substantive and thought-provoking book aimed at defining and heightening an understanding of the domain of applied linguistics, Alan Davies makes a valuable contribution to the scholarly literature. His target audience of professional colleagues and graduate students will welcome this volume.<\/p>\n

In Ch. 1, \u2018History and \u201cdefinitions\u201d\u2019, the difficulty of satisfactorily defining the discipline of applied linguistics is made apparent. It is notable that D moves away from the previously held\u2014and quite narrowly-focused\u2014definition restricted only to language teaching. An equally complex task is teasing apart the fields of general or theoretical linguistics and applied linguistics. Ch. 2, \u2018Doing being applied linguists: The importance of experience\u2019, centers on the work applied linguists actually do. A number of case studies are outlined (e.g. workplace communication, assessing English as a lingua franca, pedagogical grammar), each of which essentially poses a problem whose solution is fostered by linguistic theory.<\/p>\n

Ch. 3, \u2018Language and language practices\u2019, provides examples to distinguish the roles of linguists and applied linguists, roles that differ even when examining the same phenomenon or situation. For example, listening to speech samples from an aboriginal community in Australia in which the first language is no longer used by many may prompt a linguist to write a grammar of that language. An applied linguist, in contrast, might focus on whether steps should be taken to help maintain that language. Discussion of gender-related language issues as well as clinical linguistics provides further illustration of the separate, although somewhat intertwined, roles of linguists and applied linguists.<\/p>\n

Ch. 4, \u2018Applied linguistics and language learning\/teaching\u2019, touches on divergent views of the breadth of subject matter contained by applied linguistics. Noted here are various subspecializations of applied linguistics, including fields such as curriculum planning, applied sociolinguistics, language-teacher training, language in the workplace, and forensic language studies. This chapter also provides insight into how the applied linguist grapples with particular problems and issues in the area of teaching and learning language.<\/p>\n

In Ch. 5, \u2018Applied linguistics and language use\u2019, additional insight is provided on the role of the applied linguist in contexts outside teaching and learning. Issues addressed include the role of the applied linguist in the courtroom, in which the testimony of the applied linguist may be a factor in determining guilt or innocence of a defendant. Ch. 6, \u2018The professionalising of applied linguists\u2019, centers on the growth of applied linguistics as a discipline and expands the concept of profession as it relates to applied linguistics.<\/p>\n

Ch. 7, \u2018Applied linguistics: No \u201cbookish theoric\u201d\u2019, analyzes applied linguistics in the context of intellectual movements or approaches such as structuralism. Recommendations for future directions of applied linguistics are touched on as well. Ch. 8, \u2018The applied linguistics challenge\u2019, provides a brief summary of the book. The eight chapters are followed by a glossary and a set of exercises.<\/p>\n

This book has many commendable features. It presents an in-depth and intellectually stimulating treatment of the discipline of applied linguistics. The interdisciplinary focus of the volume heightens its appeal. The glossary is useful, and the exercises are well designed. In short, this book is a scholarly achievement, likely to spark numerous intellectual discussions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An introduction to applied linguistics: From practice to theory. 2nd edn. By Alan Davies. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007. Pp. xiv, 199. ISBN 9780748633555. $36. Reviewed by Martin R. Gitterman, Lehman College and The City University of New York In this substantive and thought-provoking book aimed at defining and heightening an understanding of the domain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=855"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":856,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855\/revisions\/856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}