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Theory and Practice in English Studies 3 (2005): Proceedings from the Eighth Conference of British, American and Canadian Studies. Brno: Masarykova univerzita

What Do We Teach: Applied Linguistics or Language Teaching Methodology?
Teodor Hrehov ík
Faculty of Arts, University of Prešov, Slovakia

_____________________________________________________________________ In recent years we havewitnessed a considerable disunity in using the term applied linguistics for designating academic courses at universities or teacher training institutions. The designation is often used for the programmes intended to provide teacher trainees with the necessary knowledge and skills for their future work as classroom language teachers. There are, however, courses more academically oriented also usingthe same label. This contribution discusses how the term is perceived nowadays and makes an argument for its distinction from other related terms. _____________________________________________________________________ Introduction A random survey of university websites promoting or describing the content of their academic programmes gives some indication of how the term is perceived and interpretedby individual institutions or academics. Two examples, one from the UK and one from the US, will illustrate two different tendencies. Example 1 The Sheffield University MA degree programme in Applied Linguistics consists of four core and four optional modules. The four core modules are Introduction to Language and Linguistics; English Grammar; Language Teaching Methodology; and Research Methods.Teodor Hrehov ík

Four optional modules are selected from a menu, which may vary from year to year: Language and Mind; Language Programme Design; English for Specific Purposes; Theory and Practice of Language Teaching; Language Planning in Education; Second Language Acquisition; Phonetics and Phonology for Language Teaching; History of English; Language Testing; Discourse and Genre Analysis;Advanced Research Methods; Folklore in English Literature and Culture. (http://www.shef.ac.uk/language/prospectivepg/masters/appliedlinguistics.html) Example 2 The MA degree program in Applied Linguistics at Boston Graduate School of Arts and Sciences also requires taking four core courses. They are, however, divided into groups: Obligatory: Phonetics & Phonology; and Syntax I. One course inlanguage structure and linguistic theory: Semantics or Morphology; or Discourse Analysis. One course that provides an introduction to a major area of applied linguistics: Language Acquisition and Linguistic Theory; Sociolinguistics; Psycholinguistics; or Introduction to Speech and Language Disorders Plus additional specialised courses, e.g.: Language Acquisition; Neurolinguistics and LanguageDisorders; Language Structure and Linguistic Theory; Sign Language Linguistics and Acquisition; Bilingualism and Language Teaching; Language and Literacy in the Classroom. (http://search.bc.edu/) Two major observations may be made based on the study of the above lists of courses. First of all, in both programmes typically “linguistic” courses are included in the core of applied linguistic programmes. InExample 1, Introduction to Language and Linguistics and English Grammar, and in Example 2, Phonetics & Phonology; Syntax I; Semantics and Morphology. Another observation concerns the position of language teaching methodology in the programmes. In Example 1, a course in language teaching methodology belongs to the core modules and is defined as the module reviewing “the principles, thinking andhistory underlying contemporary language teaching processes. It explores what we know of the processes involved in language production and reception in a second language and the implications for teaching the language skills. It also reviews and assesses developments in the teaching of the grammar and vocabulary of a foreign language”. Several other optional courses listed in the menu support this...