International Journal of Applied Linguistics 

About: International Journal of Applied Linguistics is an academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Applied linguistics & Language assessment. It has an ISSN identifier of 0802-6106. Over the lifetime, 787 publications have been published receiving 19300 citations. The journal is also known as: InJAL.

Closing A Conceptual Gap: The Case For A Description Of English As A Lingua Franca

Abstract: Despite momentous developments in the sociopolitics of the teaching of English worldwide, targets have generally remained tied to nativespeaker norms. This paper argues that although this orientation is often recognized as inappropriate and counter-productive, it persists because discussions about ‘global English’ on the meta-level have not been accompanied by a necessary reorientation in linguistic research: very little empirical work has so far been done on the most extensive contemporary use of English worldwide, namely English as a lingua franca, largely among ‘non-native’ speakers. The paper seeks to demonstrate that this lack of a descriptive reality precludes us from conceiving of speakers of lingua franca English as language users in their own right and thus makes it difficult to counteract the reproduction of native English dominance. To remedy this situation, a research agenda is proposed which accords lingua franca English a central place in description alongside English as a native language, and a new corpus project is described which constitutes a first step in this process. The paper concludes with a consideration of the potentially very significant impact that the availability of an alternative model for the teaching of English as a lingua franca would have for pedagogy and teacher education.

Task-based language teaching: sorting out the misunderstandings

Abstract: This paper begins by offering a definition of ‘task’ and by emphasizing that there is no single ‘task-based teaching’ approach It then evaluates a number of criticisms of TBT, drawing on recent critiques by Widdowson, Seedhouse, Sheen, and Swan It is argued that many of these criticisms stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of what a ‘task’ is, and of the theoretical rationales that inform task-based teaching These criticisms also reflect a failure to acknowledge that multiple versions of task-based teaching exist In particular, it is argued that task-based teaching need not be seen as an alternative to more traditional, form-focused approaches but can be used alongside them The paper concludes with an examination of a number of genuine problems with implementing task-based teaching, as reflected in evaluation studies

Language testing: The social dimension

Abstract: In this book, the authors foreground an aspect of language testing that is usually not much discussed and is frequently considered an “advanced” topic: the social dimension of language testing. They see various social dimensions in language testing. There are socially oriented language tests, i.e., tests which assess learners’ ability to use language in social settings. These are primarily oral proficiency interviews and tests of second language pragmatics. But the authors also understand “social” as “societal” and look at the larger-scale impact of tests on individual learners or groups of learners by discussing fairness and bias in language testing. They also broaden their view and discuss the role of language testing in a macro-social context, e.g. as accountability measures in education systems, as gatekeeping instruments for migration, and as tools for constructing and defining social groups. Their discussion is anchored in traditional and more recent views of validity theory.

Toward an appropriate EIL pedagogy: re-examining common ELT assumptions

Abstract: This article argues that the teaching of English as an international language (EIL) should be based on an entirely different set of assumptions than has typically informed English language teaching (ELT) pedagogy. To begin, several defining features of an international language are described. Because these features have altered the nature of English itself, the author maintains that the pedagogy for teaching English must also change. The author then describes how two developments – a dramatic increase in the number of second language speakers of English and a shift in the cultural basis of English – have significantly altered the nature of English. These changes challenge several common assumptions of ELT pedagogy, namely that: interest in learning of English is largely the result of linguistic imperialism; ELT research and pedagogy should be informed by native speaker models; the cultural content for ELT should be derived from the cultures of native English speakers; the culture of learning that informs communicative language teaching (CLT) provides the most productive method for ELT. The article ends by positing major assumptions that should inform a comprehensive theory of EIL pedagogy.

Academic clusters: text patterning in published and postgraduate writing

Abstract: An important component of fluent linguistic production is control of the multi-word expressions referred to as “clusters”, “chunks” or “bundles”. These are extended collocations which appear more frequently than expected by chance, helping to shape meanings and contributing to our sense of coherence in a text. Clusters seem to present considerable challenges to student writers struggling to make their texts both fluent and assured to readers in their new communities. This paper explores the forms, structures and functions of 4-word clusters in a corpus of research articles, doctoral dissertations and master's theses of 3.5 million words to show not only that clusters are central to academic discourse but that they offer an important means of differentiating genres, with implications for more evidence-based instructional practices in advanced writing contexts.