My impression is that applied linguistics receives a very small percentage of both state-funded and industry-funded research grants. Given its potential for helping society (e.g. clinical linguistics, socio-linguistics and corpus-based studies of media bias and gender bias), it should be able to receive a higher proportion of research grants outside the STEM subjects. At the same time, it has applications that should make it attractive to certain providers of industry grants, including advertisers, and publishers involved in foreign language teaching and translation. Why is it not getting a bigger share of the cake? Is it because applied linguistics needs to produce a greater amount of research that has clear societal and or business applications? Or is it a question of marketing, of making the practical potential of applied linguistics clearer to fund-givers?
Applied Linguistics needs more promotion in the academic media to show its importance. If it is not seen in this media as important then it is not important as I have learnt recently.
Best regards,
Debra
Applied Linguistics needs more promotion in the academic media to show its importance. If it is not seen in this media as important then it is not important as I have learnt recently.
Best regards,
Debra
Hello
I agree with you dear Chris Turner. The reason as I think is the outdated views that other theoretical types of linguistics are more important and worth to be studied and consider than applied linguistics. Learners need to be convinced that applied linguistics is fundamental in EFL and ESL contexts.
Liqaa
A lot of public sensitization needs to be carried out. The great essence of applied linguistics to multidisciplinary areas must be highlighted in research expeditions. Experts must sacrifice now for the global academic community to realize the archetypical roles that this very important field of study plays and position it in the academic spotlight. Sooner than you think, funding agencies would start gaining interest in supporting studies in applied linguistics. My greatest wish is that this must be realized soon to speed up the progress in global social science research! Best regards
Dickson
FL teaching is not generally regarded as applied linguistics (strange if you come to think of it)
Hi Natalia,
I disagree. Language teaching, including foreign language teaching is included in the vast majority of definitions of the scope of applied linguistics-see links below. The problem is not that language teaching is not considered part of applied linguistics, but that some people attempt to reduce the scope of applied linguistics to language teaching when it in fact involves many other areas.
-https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/applied_linguistics
-http://slideplayer.com/slide/2128480/
-https://sontajayanti.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/definitions-and-scope-of-applied-linguistic/
- https://jice.um.edu.my/index.php/JML/article/download/.../1493
I sincerely believe that most scholars would be willing to have a decent working knowledge in linguistics in general and in applied linguistics in particular. This could be a viable starting point. Because, in order to truthfully promote any given body of knowledge; one has to be aware of it. I highly applaud the idea of proper sensitization expressed in another post. This should be the starting point. I would suggest any initial presentation be done by people who not only know the subject matter but also are passionate about it, and are leaders in the field, meaning that they can inspire others to embark. Finally, finding the proper media and platform or even technological tools to spread the word can be vital. Knowing linguistics and applied linguistics may offer the possibility of debunking many myths about languages and more importantly about language speakers.
We have to make sure that there is practical implications for the research so that it will be significant for the society. The study should be based on true observable issues in the society, a phenomenon that captures the interest of educators whereby the results of the study could offer possible solutions to the issues.
The question is very interesting but complex to answer. I'd say that it's not a matter of marginalisation of applied linguistics per se, but a problem of the so-called "Social Sciences and Humanities" (see ERC research domains) that are considered as one third of the overall domains, whereas the other two STEM domains cover 2/3. This subdivision clearly implies that STEM get higher funding. Not only this: SSH generally receive a lower amount of funding even proportionally and in most research schemes. The problem is cultural and social and can be very broadly summarised with the neoliberal tenet that research matters only if produces profit. STEM research more easily and straightforwardly produces profit - or "impact on society" as is more opaquely defined in official documentation for research grants and funding. Basic and applied research also receive unbalanced funding. And funding more or less refects social consideration and to my knowledge social consideration for SHH has never been so low.
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