Applied linguistics and language use

 

Applied linguistics is a field that generally is related to problems. The way in which this area works is by looking and analyzing the different problems that may emerge from the use of language and its connection with the context, not only in geographic terms, but also in political and cultural ones. As all the other scenarios in knowledge, language is a scenario where many issues show up every day. That is why the applied linguistics are in charge of them, but not to solve them, or not expecting a magic solution, only for analyzing and understanding them better.

The problems related to language appear in diverse and varied scenarios. There are many examples that could be mentioned: The gap in communication that appears between teachers and students or between doctors and patients, is a clear one. In this case, generally when the problem seems to be only related to language and its use, there is a huge background related to the social class in which any of the sides are. If there is a work – class student who do not have enough knowledge about a language, the way to solve would not be to expect him/ her to learn better the language, but to understand how the school is organizing the language education and if the requirements of language are fair or not. In this way, it is possible to infer that applied linguistics analyze all of these situations in a real word view, instead of a laboratory view, in order to understand it and look for possible ways to proceed.

More examples that could be presented about language and its use are: old shibboleths in language, the different language used among generations, the discriminatory language, among others. These kind of problems mean a challenge for the applied linguists, because as language is changing, everyday this problems grow and even new problems appear. One of the most controversial ones is the discriminatory language, and since its position the applied linguistics is not only in charge of analyzing differences or uses of language (as linguistics would do), it is in charge or really going deeper and break down each expression, maybe not in order to say if it is right or wrong, but to analyze the effects it has, the additional problems it generates, the attitudes it promotes, etc. The applied linguists have a huge responsibility with language, with people and with societies, they have to be objective and responsible, to present accurate information and analysis that could be useful at the time to find a way out from all of these problematic situations.

The previously mentioned problems that are studied by applied linguistics generally cross very important aspects in people’s life. A very good example of it, is the case of forensic linguistics, in which applied linguists are in charge of analyzing very carefully cases in which for example, criminals are from countries in which English is not spoken and they must determine for instance if their language level corresponds to the one presented in testimonies presented by the police or if they are inconsistencies in the versions presented. In cases like these, the language and its applied study must determine things as important as freedom and culpability.

The functions and work of applied linguists extends around many other fields, lexicography and stylistics are the evidence of that. These two labors require a deep precision and exactness, in the work of doing dictionaries for example, of analyzing the meaning and sense of words and language in general, but not only the isolated language but the context in which it is used, if the political, racial or social conditions need the dictionary to behave in a particular way. It may look routine or usual for any external person, but the applied linguist know how hard his/ her job is. The analysis and study of language is one of the most crucial and necessary areas in knowledge, it permeates and is permeated by everything around, and it is why this study will last as long as humanity does.

The language grows and expands every day, sometimes the existent language do not seem to be enough for its users. That is why the “artificial languages” appear. Artificial languages are those who are not recognized by any country as a mother tongue and that were created by using invented words or bases from other languages. That is the case of languages such as: Volapuk, Esperanto and Interlingua. They were born trying to answer to different purposes and it is also a function on applied linguistics to take a look on them and their usage. However, it is not easy for them to do this analysis because languages require some aspects that support them and these artificial languages generally do not have them. Some people have accused applied linguists to take a position and favor bigger or more recognized languages, and no matter if can result true or not in some occasions, it is absolutely necessary to highlight and recognize how important their labor is and how society and knowledge need them and their area.