Politics and Change in Research in Applied Linguistics

Bibliographic Data

ID22871050
AuthorsBen Rampton (0000-0002-2437-1944, University of West London, corresponding author)
Year1995
Volume16
Issue2
Pages233-256
Publication date1995-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueApplied Linguistics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0142-6001 • E-ISSN: 1477-450X
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/applin/16.2.233
OpenAlexW1999517387
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited1

This paper begins by noting the way in which social processes, sociology, anthropology, and media studies recently seem to have replaced pedagogy, linguistics, and psychology as the major preoccupations in British applied linguistics (AL) To try to make sense of this shift, it first borrows Street's (1984) notions of ‘autonomous’ and ‘ideological’ models of literacy and extends them to other branches of applied linguistics It then tries to situate this move from ’autonomous‘ to ’ideological‘ applied linguistics within two fairly recent political processes (a) the switch of focus from overseas to UK language education occurring in the late 1980s, (b) the more general redefinition and critique of liberalism With the grounds for an ideological (socio-cultural/ ecological) interpretation of applied linguistics established, the paper then sketches out four positions that AL research can occupy in an emerging political order characterized by free-market economics and cultural authoritarianism service to the state, competition on the market, independent analysis and critique, and new social movements it illustrates and discusses the implications of these options for applied linguistics in general and for AL PhDs in particular

Applied linguistics · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Law · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy

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