Branches of Linguistics: Theoretical and Applied

Branches of Linguistics

General Versus Descriptive Linguistics

1. General Linguistics: Supplies the concepts and categories in terms of which particular languages (L1, L2, L3, etc.) are analyzed.
2. Descriptive Linguistics: Provides the data (i.e., given specific or broad aspects of L1, L2, L3, etc.) that confirm or refute the hypotheses, statements, or theories proposed by general linguists.

On the whole, General and Descriptive Linguistics are interdependent, complementary subfields within linguistics as a scientific study, i.e., as an empirical scientific study or discipline within the human (i.e., social) sciences.

Theoretical Versus Applied Linguistics

1. Theoretical Linguistics

   Studies language and languages with a view to constructing a theory of their structure and functions (both social and communicative). This is done without regarding any practical applications that the investigation of language and languages (theoretical or descriptive) may have.

2. Applied Linguistics

   It is concerned with the application of the concepts and findings of linguistics to a variety of practical tasks, including language teaching (L1 teaching, L2 teaching and learning, etc.).

   It draws on the findings and theories of both general and descriptive linguistics. It is using what we know about language, how it is learned, and how it is used in order to achieve some purpose or solve some problem in the real world. Those purposes are many, for example, language and the brain, culture, cognition, ideology, etc.

Main Goal of Theoretical Linguistics

To formulate a satisfactory theory of the structure of language in general.

Main Goal of Applied Linguistics

To provide useful and much-needed answers to practical problems, social or educational, and find effective ways to design and implement methods and approaches intended to remedy such situations.

Disciplines within Applied Linguistics

• L1 teaching: reading and writing, communication strategies (e.g., in public speech, advertising, etc.). Textbook writing (normative or descriptive?) (see Robins)
• L2 language teaching and learning (second language versus foreign language)
• National language planning / educational language planning / mono-/ bi-/ multilingualism
• Speech pathology / speech therapy for the linguistically disabled (the deaf / the mute) / sign languages (see D. Crystal’s ‘The Encyclopedia of Language’)
• Lexicography (dictionary-making) / reference grammar writing /
• Translation / interpreting: automatic machine translation / speech transmission and reception in communications engineering.