Chapter 4: Applied Linguistics and language learning/teaching

Purposes Linguistics  Linguistic change  Evidence for linguistic theory AL  To improve communication in society

Teaching and learning languages  It should be the main area of AL  Brings coherence to the field  Most research and publication is on that subject

Applied linguist (institutional problems)  To intervene  To train  To explain  To possibly solve recurring problems  School  Hospitals  Workplace  Law court  Tv studio

Steps  Institutional problem  To gather most information about it to understand the issue better  Different factors (see p.72)  Ask questions  provide an explanation of the problem  offer ways to deal with it and implication of each

PROBLEM 1: WHAT IS THE BEST AGE TO START LEARNING A FL?  How is it an institutional problem?  Common in different schools systems: to start learning a FL at an early age  The process is interrupted  Teachers and administrators always in doubt about this issue  Reseach says on one hand there is a sensitive period and on the other adults can also learn efficiently a FL  Read p  Read p.72-73

Factors (p.72-73)  Which factors will play a major role in the issue under study?  Nepal case: political one was the most important  How does the AL deal with that, according to Davies? (p.71)  What is your opinion on this?

Chapter 6  Tension of the discipline Target (problem, context, immediate) x theory (transcendental, source ) empiricism x rationalism simplifying x complexifying

Ethics  Definition:  The study of how to live, of right and wrong, moral philosophy  The code of behavior of a profession  Positivism  Neglected ethics  To balance the individual and the social  The professional offers a service, a duty NOT A GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS( P.123)  Ethics should be considered when analysing the problem to be studied, solved

Ethics issues  The status of the visiting expert /AL (language learning –teaching) native speaker? Local expert? British or American?  Division of labour among members of the team  Privacy of informants  The (good/use) of AL knowledge in society

CAL  Postmodernist view of AL  Oppose grand narratives (discourses)  Recognizes the power of larger social, economic and political forces on problems to be analyzed  Favours local, relative, contingente Pennycook “He explicitly advocates this admittedly relativist [no search for grand theories, unified theory stance for applied linguistics] on the grounds that it opens the way to a more effective involvement with the major stakeholders”. P.139

Class 14/03 take home exam due on March 28th (separate grade) 28/03 no clas April 4 seminars start In pairs Texts will be in moodle

Food for thought  Does being critical help see the problems better?  Why is davies against CAL? (chapter 7)  What is the relationship between theory and practice in both perspectives (traditional and critical)?

Aside comment  Davies disqualifies CAL saying it is a marginal perspective on AL since it tears it down due to is postmodern pressupositions  He sees as healthy positions such as ideology focuses (CDA<CAL), concern for practice,  CANNOT FORGET: FOCUS ON PROBLEMS, EXPLAINING THEM AND TRANSFERING THE EXPLANATION TO SIMILAR CONTEXTS (EXPLANATORY POWER)