Applied Linguistics by Guy Cook
Have you ever heard an opinion that linguistics as a science has no practical use? Applied Linguistics written by Guy Cook dispels this myth on its core. In the book a professor of King 's College London gives a definition of science, presents the field of study, major challenges, problems and concerns of the science.
The first chapter begins with the words «Language is at the heart of human life». The phrase not only reflects the author 's attitude to language, but also shows the essence of applied linguistics. Without language, much of human activity would be impossible. The ability to speak is given to us by nature, and there is no complexity or mystery in that. However, there are rather contradictory aspects of language and linguistics that require discussion and resolution: Should everyone learn a foreign language? What language skills should children attain beyond basic literacy? What does «language skill» mean? The questions concern not only education, but also society as a whole: Should the growth of English as the international lingua franca be welcomed or deplored? Which language should be used in law courts and official documents in countries with several official languages? These and other problems are solved within the framework of applied linguistics. I would like to quote Cook 's words: «Applied linguistics concerts with the relation of knowledge about language to decision making in the real world».
The author of the book identifies four areas of interest of applied linguists: language and education, language and law, language and information. The following chapters are devoted to a more detailed discussion of these fields and related areas.