Shared Foundation:
* Study of Language: Both disciplines are fundamentally concerned with the study of language.
* Theoretical Frameworks: Both draw upon theoretical frameworks developed in linguistics, such as phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
* Empirical Methods: Both rely on empirical methods for data collection and analysis, such as observation, experimentation, and corpus analysis.
Key Differences:
Linguistics:
* Focus: Concerned with the structure and function of language in its entirety.
* Goal: To understand how language works, develop theoretical models, and explain language phenomena.
* Applications: Research-driven, with findings often published in academic journals and books.
Applied Linguistics:
* Focus: Applies linguistic principles and knowledge to real-world problems and situations.
* Goal: To solve practical issues related to language use, learning, and teaching.
* Applications: Diverse, ranging from language teaching and assessment to speech therapy, translation, and language policy.
In essence:
* Linguistics is the foundation, providing the theoretical knowledge about language.
* Applied linguistics builds upon this foundation, using it to address practical concerns.
A useful analogy:
Think of linguistics as the study of how cars are built and how they work. Applied linguistics is like using that knowledge to design new cars, fix broken ones, or teach people how to drive.
Examples:
* Linguistics: Studying the sound system of a language (phonetics) or how words are formed (morphology).
* Applied Linguistics: Developing new teaching methods for language learners or analyzing the language used in political speeches.
Collaboration:
While distinct, linguistics and applied linguistics often collaborate. Applied linguists draw on theoretical insights from linguistics, while linguistic research can be inspired by real-world problems addressed by applied linguists.