present some of the main issues dealt with by applied linguistic specialists in these fields;Part C
In this penultimate part of the book, we map applied linguistics as practised in four key and rapidly changing domains. In Chapter 10, we tackle ‘mission impossible’: the problem and practices of translating (and interpreting) ideas across mutually unintelligible languages. In Chapter 11, we examine the process of dictionary-making, the role of dictionaries in contemporary societies and other elements of the field of lexicography. Chapter 12, on forensic linguistics, deals with the role of language as a medium of the law, as legal subject matter and as evidence in civil and criminal investigations and court cases. Chapter 13 maps the territory that applied linguists cover in the diverse field of language pathology as they seek to help clients with language-related disabilities to (re)build their linguistic capacities and cope with the worlds of discourse around them.
All the chapters in Part C deal with the complex (and often invisible) interplay between social and psychological factors. The first three map specialized areas of applied linguistics which focus on potential problems related to the social manifestations of language – as barrier and bridge between individuals and groups in Chapter 10, as community resource in Chapter 11, and as a medium for group standards of behaviour in Chapter 12. In Chapter 13, we focus more closely on the language code itself, to describe how language pathologists confront problems related to what we describe as the ‘ultimate stuff of language’: the neural circuits underlying grammar and lexicon, and the motor and perceptual systems which allow us to externalize and internalize linguistic messages.
Taken collectively, the topics addressed in Part C represent some of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving areas within our field. They include areas with long traditions of practice and scholarly inquiry (translation and interpretation and, to a lesser extent, lexicography), and areas with much briefer trajectories (forensic linguistics and the study of language pathologies). Reflecting these different trajectories, we move from consideration of areas regarded as squarely within the field of applied linguistics, in the first couple of chapters, to examination of areas that have only recently been considered by applied linguists, in the second two chapters.
As we have done throughout the preceding chapters, we insist here that many complex problems faced by applied linguists can be solved only through attention to the cognitive and sociocultural dimensions of language and language users. Translating and interpreting are both psycholinguistic processes, yet have social motives and consequences; dictionaries are codified records of the shared aspects of language users’ lexical memory stores; forensic analyses of writing and speech are used by lawyers, judges and juries to draw conclusions about intentions and meanings in defendants’ minds; and many language pathologies involve cognitive impairments which impact on fundamental social processes. Recognizing these two interlocking facets of language, we stress the transdisciplinary nature of applied linguistic practice, as scholars and practitioner employ knowledge and tools developed in other fields. Similarly, as those in other fields recognize the centrality of language in their work, new problems are coming within the purview of the applied linguist, and interdisciplinary teamwork is becoming the norm.
In each chapter, we examine the contributions, limitations and promise of new forms of technology, as tools for understanding and solving problems in applied linguistics. Thus, in Chapters 10 and 11 we examine how computer and digital technologies have revolutionized the work of translators and dictionary-makers through advances in machine translation and electronic corpora, respectively. We also observe how new challenges are presented by the application of new technologies, such as voice analysis using spectrograms (Chapter 12) and the choice of whether or not profoundly deaf children should undergo cochlear implant surgery (Chapter 13).
In each chapter, we:
present some of the main issues dealt with by applied linguistic specialists in these fields;
identify and explain key concepts and terms;
exemplify and explain the different approaches proposed, and practices adopted, to tackle the problems of each domain;
describe the roles currently, and potentially, played by applied linguists.
At the end of each chapter, we supply, as usual, activities to encourage you to reflect on the issues covered, in your own contexts and those you may be preparing to work in. The activities are open-ended, encouraging you to apply the insights gained by identifying similar problems and exploring the nature of possible solutions. The suggested readings and companion website offer a wealth of resources for exploring all the issues in greater depth.