Applied linguistics is about language, its users and its uses. Without it, we can’t get what we want, whether it’s a baby crying to be fed, or international leaders trying to negotiate important international deals. At its most sophisticated, communication involves many layers of language such as grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and discourse, as well as nonverbal features such as gaze, facial expressions, and gesture. Linguists are increasingly realising that learning a second or foreign language is a complex process, and not the same as learning a first language. And yet, in today’s globalised world, the majority of us speak a second language. And by far the most important second language is English.

In this course, we’ll look at many aspects of applied linguistics and how it relates to our everyday lives, as well as specifically, how it relates to English language teaching and learning. We look at the role of language testing for instance, and its importance in some of the big decisions we make in our lives. We’ll also look at speech and pronunciation and their role not only in mutual intelligibility, but also in the image we present to each other and our sense of identity. Every year, a large number of students come and study with us here at the University of Leicester, either on campus or as distance learners.

Our aim is to help them understand more about language and how it works, how it’s learned, and how it’s taught, and how they can then apply it in their own professional context. So if you’re interested in finding out more about language and its application in our everyday lives, from the banal to the momentous, and if you’d like to know more about how to observe, and analyse, and assess language, we think you’ll find our MOOC interesting and stimulating.