thescopeofappliedlinguistics应用语言学范畴

thescopeofappliedlinguistics应用语言学范畴

TheScopeofAppliedLinguistics姓名：张琦年级：14级英语语言文学学号：81420379Abstract:theaimofthepaperistodiscusssomeimportantaspectsofappliedlinguistics,includingitsscope,relationshipwithlinguistics,culturalstudies,etc.Theterm"appliedlinguistics5'wasfirstlyproposedbyPolishlinguistBaudouindeCourtenay.Hethoughttheobjectofappliedlinguisticsresearchistoapplytheoreticallinguisticknowledgetosolveproblemsofotherdisciplines.However,therearestillnoexactanswerstosuchproblemsasthescope,definition,characteristicsofappliedlinguistics.ThepapermakesacomparisonbetweenGertraudBenke，sdissertationAppliedlinguistics・ciscienceofculture?andGuyCookesbookAppliedLin^uistics.findstheircommons,introducessomeimportantconceptions,etc.Suchmethodologiesasontology,epistemologywillbetaken.Theresultofthepapershowsthatappliedlinguisticsisinterdisciplinary,whichcanextenditsscopetomanyotherfields,includinglinguisticsandculturalstudies.Thenecessityofdiscussionofimportantconceptsofappliedlinguisticsis:hasknowledgeofbasicconceptsofadisciplineisthepresuppositionoflearningit;moreover,understandingscopeanddefinitionofappliedlinguisticscanbeusefulforfurtherresearch.Keywords:appliedlinguistics;generallinguistics;concepts;scope;culturalstudies1.IntroductionAppliedlinguisticsisadevelopingscience・In1975,anationalconferenceaboutappliedlinguisticstookplaceinStuttgart,tospeciallydiscussthedefinitionofappliedlinguistics.However,expertsdidnotreachanagreementonthequality,characteristics,objectsandscopeofappliedlinguistics.(GuiShichun:9)Appliedlinguisticsisamulti-disciplinaryscience,itisdifficulttogiveexactanswerstotheseproblems・Hence,onemayask,whatisthescopeofappliedlinguistics,doesappliedlinguisticshassomekindofrelationshipwithotherdiscipline,etc?InGertraudBenke'sdissertation"appliedlinguistics-ascienceofculture”,\nhediscussedappliedlinguisticsindetails,fromthescopeofit,toitsrelationshipwithculturalstudies・Thefirsthalfofthedissertationmainlyexploreswhetherappliedlinguisticsisadiscipline.Theauthorthoughtthatappliedlinguisticsincludesmanyfieldsrelatedto"generallinguistics",andthenexplainthereasonofit;andthendiscussedtherelationshipbetweengenerallinguisticsandappliedlinguisticsfromaspectslikeinstruments,foundations,models,methodologies,theinfluenceappliedlinguisticshasonlanguagesystem;later,theauthorputforwardhisowndefinitionofappliedlinguistics,introducedstatusquooflinguisticsandappliedlinguisticsresearches:eitherignoresocialfields,orlinguisticmethodologyandconsequences,whichlosesthescopeoftheseresearches;alsotalkedabouttherelationshipbetweendiscoursestudiesandappliedlinguistics;finally,madeaconclusionthatthescopeofappliedlinguisticsisnotdiscernable・Thesecondhalfofthedissertationmainlytalksabouttherelationshipbetweenappliedlinguisticsandculturalstudies.Benkefirstlyexplainedculturalstudiesandappliedlinguistics;thentalkedabouttherelationshipbetweenthem;laterpresentedtwoexamplestotalkaboutcontributionofappliedlinguisticstoculturalstudies,thefirstexampleshowedthechangeof“neutrality"inAustrianpublicdiscoursefrom1995・1994;thesecond\nstudyisastudyongenderdifferencesingroup-workinAustrianhighschoolphysicsclasses;finally,Benkecombinedappliedlinguistics,culturalstudieswithotherfields,whichmakesappliedlinguisticsandculturalstudieswithrichmeaning・ThisessaywillhaveabriefintroductionanddiscussionaboutsomeconceptionsrelatetoappliedlinguisticsinBenke'sdissertationandGuyCook'sbook,AppliedLinguistics,andfindthecommonsbetweenthem.Beforeadiscussionaboutthescopeofappliedlinguistics,asummaryofthedissertation,aswellasintroductionstosomeconceptsrelatedtoappliedlinguisticswillbemade;thenthescopeofappliedlinguistics,itsrelationshipwithgenerallinguisticswillbediscussed;anditsrelationshipwithculturalscience・2.ThescopeofappliedlinguisticsWhatisappliedlinguistics,whattheexactlydefinitionofit?Therearenoclearanswerstothem.Benkethoughtappliedlinguisticsincludesthefieldsofpsycholinguistics,firstandsecondlanguageacquisition,textcomprehension...theseheterogeneoustopicsoperateondifferentlevels...socialareasofapplication...methodsofanalysis...theoretizedlinguisticobjects.(Benke:40)Benke'sdefinitionofappliedlinguisticsissimilartoGuyCook'sdefinitionofit:theacademicdisciplineconcerned\nwithrelationofknowledgeaboutlanguagetodecisionmakingintherealworld.(Cook:5)Whatthescopeofappliedlinguisticsisandwhyfieldsofappliedlinguisticsarerelatedtolinguistics.Firstlyisthescopeofappliedlinguistics.AccordingtoBenke(2003),duetohisexperienceinViennaasanappliedlinguist,hehasfoundthatresearchfieldsofappliedlinguisticswerealwaysininvestigatinglanguageuse.Hence,researchprojectsofappliedlinguisticsareusuallynotrestrictedtodiscursiveconfigurationofenactment,re-enactmentandcreationofsocialconfigurationswithinparticularsocialsystems.Appliedlinguisticshasevolvedfromindividualaspects(psychologicalorneuro-biologicalmodels)towiderfields.InEnglishspeakingcountry,appliedlinguisticsisoftenconcernedwithsecondlanguageacquisition(SLA).AccordingtoGuyCook(2012),therearemanyfieldsofappliedlinguistics,suchaslanguageandeducation(includingfirst-languageeducation,additional-languageeducation,clinicallinguistics...),language,work,andlaw(includingworkplacecommunication,languageplanning,forensiclinguistic),language,information,andeffect(literarystylistics,CriticalDiscourseAnalysis,translationandinterpretation,informationdesign,lexicography).(Cook:8)Fromthecomparisonofscopesofappliedlinguisticsbetween\nGertraudBenkeandGuyCook,wefindthatallthosescopesrelatedtomanyotherdisciplines,aswellastolanguageresearch.Hence,aconclusioncanbedrawn:appliedlinguisticsisamultidisciplinaryscience.Anditisascienceconcernaboutlinguistcsrelatedproblems.Thenaquestionarises:whymanyfieldsofappliedlinguisticsarerelatedtolanguage.AccordingGuyCook,appliedlinguisticssetsouttoinvestigateproblemsintheworldinwhichlanguageisimplicated-botheducationalandsocialproblems,anditconcernswiththerelationofknowledgeaboutlanguagetodecisionmakingintherealworld・(Cook:5)FromCook'sdefinitionofappliedlinguistics,onecanfindthegoalofappliedlinguisticsistohaveresearchesonlanguagerelatedproblems,asaresult,itisnormaltoextendappliedlinguisticstootherfields,whicharerelevanttosocialandeducationalproblems・AndthisisexactlywhatGertraudBenkehastalkedaboutinhisdissertationAppliedlinguistic-ascienceofculture!Inhisdissertation,Benkesaid:thusitisnotsurprisingthatdrivingtheoreticalframeworksandcontributionsto(acertainframeworkof)“appliedlinguistics^^comefrompeoplewithinstitutionalaffiliationsoutsideoflinguistics-suchas(micro-)sociology(Schegloff1991,Sacks1995,Gumperz1982),linguisticanthropology(Ochs,Gonzales,Jacoby,1993),psychology(Mckoon,Ratcliff,1992,Crawford1995).(Benke:41)Andthe\nvariousfieldsofappliedlinguisticsalltranscendtheboundariesofoneclearlydefineddiscipline.Moreover,thelackofsuchresourcesasmoney,grants,professorships,assistantshipsmakemanyscholarsaffiliatetheirfieldsofappliedlinguisticstooneoftheestablisheddiscipline.Thus,onehasonlytwooptionstogetashareofthecaketodothesekindsof“newresearch"outsidetheestablishedtraditions:eitheronehastoaffiliateoneselftooneoftheestablishedtraditions,oronehastoestablishthefieldasanewdiscipline…(GertraudBenke:42)Hence,appliedlinguisticshastoaffiliatetootherdisciplines・3・RelationshipbetweenappliedlinguisticsandlinguisticsHavingtalkedaboutthescopeofappliedlinguistics,andthereasonswhyfieldsofappliedlinguisticsarealwaysrelatedtolinguistics,therewillbeanotherproblem:whatistherelationshipbetweenappliedlinguisticsandlinguistics?Onecommonthemeoflinguisticsistheinterestinlanguage,itsfunction,itsdesign,itsenactment.(Benke:42)Linguisticsisinterestedinresearchesrelatedtolanguage,accordingtoGuyCook(2012),"linguistics-theacademicdisciplineconcernedwiththestudyoflanguageingeneral".Theirunderstandingoflinguisticsisalmostthesame-adisciplineconcernedwithlanguagerelatedproblemsingeneral.However,appliedlinguisticsisdifferent.Asappliedlinguisticsinvolves\nmanyotherfieldslikesociolinguistics,clinicallinguistics,GuyCookthoughtthatappliedlinguisticsisconcernedwithrealityofexperienceratherthangenerallinguistics(whichisinterestedingeneralitiesunderlyingactualappearances,andabstractrealizationoflanguage),whichissameasBenke'sthoughtthatappliedlinguistsareinterestedinthestructuralaspectsoflanguageanditssocialsignification,e.g.Generallinguisticsconstructsthelanguagesystem,appliedlinguisticsdeconstructsthestabilityofthissystemanddemonstratesitsfragilityandfleetingnature・(Benke:43)Inotherwords,linguisticsformasystemonwhichappliedlinguisticshasresearch・Appliedlinguisticsmakesuseofmethodologyofformallinguistics,andsharethetaskof“whatlanguageis"and“howlanguageworks".Appliedlinguisticsisinneedofitsowntheoriesanditsownmeta-theory,whichmodelshowappliedlinguisticsapproachesthesequestions.(Benke:45)Benke'sthoughtissimilartoGuyCook'sthoughtinthisaspect.Hence,anotherquestionarises:whatismethodologyofappliedlinguistics?Doesthismethodologyhavearelationwithlinguistics?BothBenkeandGuyCookdidnotintroduceclearlythemethodologyofappliedlinguistics.However,Benkethoughtappliedlinguisticsshouldhaveitsowntheoryandmethodology・Methodologyofappliedlinguisticsshouldfirstlyreflectfindingsandtheoriesoflinguistics.(Cook:10)Throughthispoint,onecanclearfind,appliedlinguisticisnotindependentoflinguistics,justlikeBenke'sthoughtIhavealreadydescribedabove,theformerdeconstructsthe\nlatter.Asaresultofit,themethodologyofappliedlinguisticsshouldapplytheoriesandfindingsoflinguistics;moreover,duetothefactthatappliedlinguisticsinvolvesinmanyotherfields,therefore,italsoneedmanyothertheoriesfromotherfields;anditshouldundertakeinvestigationandtheorizingofitsown.4.RelationshipbetweenappliedlinguisticsandculturalstudiesDoesappliedlinguisticshassomerelationshipwithotherdiscipline,forexample,theculturalstudies?InthelatterhalfofBenke'sdissertation,hedescribestherelationshipbetweencultureandappliedlinguistics.Havingtalkedaboutthescopeofappliedlinguisticsanditsrelationshipwithlinguistics,then,anotherquestionarises:doesappliedlinguisticshavesomekindofrelationshipwithculturalscience?Ifitdoes,canthescopeofappliedlinguisticsextend?Actually,accordingtoGertraudBenke(2003),appliedlinguisticshassomekindofrelationshipwithculturalstudies.Bothappliedlinguisticsandculturalstudiesareconcernedaboutsocialproblems,modernity,conditionsoftheday.Andthedifferenceliesindisciplinaryorigin.Culturalresearchtriestomakeadistinctionbetweenindividualsandsociety.Incontrast,appliedlinguisticstendstohavearesearchonsymboluse,understandingandproduction,andistheempiricalbottom-upframeworkofgenerallinguistics.Culturalstudiesontheotherhand,relatesbacktomore\nhermeneutictraditions・Thus,appliedlinguisticsistheempiricalothersideofculturalstudies・(Benke:48)Appliedlinguisticsitself,isinmanywaysaninherentlycross-culturalphenomenon.(Cook:53)Therefore,fromthispoint,onecanfindthatbothofthemhavesameideaintherelationshipbetweencultureandappliedlinguistics.Appliedlinguisticsconstructsculturalstudiesinconcretesituation,andculturalstudiesexposesandmakesclearproblemsofappliedlinguistics.Thetwodisciplinesaregreatlyrelatedwitheachother.ThenBenkeusetwoexamplestoshowhowappliedlinguisticsinfluenceculture.Infact,theuseofthesetwoexamplescancorrespondtoCook's(2012)ideathatappliedlinguisticscanraiseawarenessofthedegreetowhichthemeaningofbehaviorisculturallyrelative.Hence,therelationshipbetweenlikethatbetweenlinguisticsandappliedlinguistics:oneconstructsasystem,theotherdeconstructsthesystem.Benkeusedtwoexamplestodiscusstheirrelationship.Thefirstexampleshowsthechangesofthemeaningof“neutrality"inAustrainpublicdiscourse.Inprevioustimes,neutralitywastakenasasymbolofamediatingroleofacountry;soon,itbecomesasymbolwhichshows"acountryisforcedtodosomethingbecauseofit”；thenbecomesasymbolshows"neutralitygaveusimportanttasks";then"neutralityishelpfultous”,etc.Theprocessshowsthechangeofmeaningofneutrality,whichisa\nphenomenonofappliedlinguistics.Thechangesofthemeaningcanreflecthistorical,political,discursiveandculturalcontextofchanges・Inotherwords,thechangesshowtheculturalbackgroundofthattime.Hence,appliedlinguisticscancontributetotheunderstandingofAustriancultureandnationalidentity・Aconclusioncanbedrawn:appliedlinguisticstheorizesculture,andculturalscienceunpackingculturaltextsusinglinguisticmethods・(Benke:48)Thescopeofappliedlinguisticscanextendtoculturalstudies・Thesecondexamplewasconductedtoinvestigategirls5andboys'behaviorinphysicsclassesingroups,andtherewillnotbemorediscussionhere.5.ConclusionThroughtheanalysisofGertraudBenke'sdissertationandGuyCook'sbook,onecanfindthescopeofappliedlinguisticsisverywide,anditiscloselyrelatedwithotherdisciplines,includinglinguisticsandculturalstudies.Therewillmorefieldsforappliedlinguistics,andthescopeofappliedlinguisticscanalsoextend.Theresearchofappliedlinguisticswillhavebroaderspaceinthefurtherfuture・Therewillneitherbeaconcretedefinitionofappliedlinguistics,norcanonegiveanexactexplanationtothescopeofappliedlinguistics.Thethingonecanbearinmindis:appliedlinguisticssetsouttoinvestigateproblemsintheworldinwhichlanguageisimplicated一botheducationalandsocialproblemslikethoseinlistedabove・(GuyCook:5)Reference[l]GuyCook.AppliedLinguistics[M].上海：上海外语教育出版社，2015：1-59\nPJGertraudBenke.Appliedlinguistics-ascienceofculture?[J].Linguistikonline,2003,14(2):39-56[3]程实.《应用语言学一范畴与现状》述评[J].佳木斯教育学院学报，2013(8):102[4]刘丹.对应用语言学的几点认识[J].课程教育研究,2015(5):21[5]桂诗春.应用语言学的系统论[J].外语教学与研究，1994(4):9-16[6]张培.应用语言学质化研究发展综述[J].天津师范大学学报(社会科学版),2010(4):64-67⑺王志银.应用语言学热点及前沿问题探究[J].才智,2010(2):193-194[8]高一虹，李莉春，吕王君.中、西应用语言学研究方法发展趋势卩].外语教学与研究，1992(2):8-16