Future Research Directions for Applied Linguistics

This book provides an overview of current thinking and directions for further research in applied linguistics. The range of perspectives, original research agendas, innovative methodological approaches and productive research designs will make it a useful reference and stimulus for students, researchers and professionals.

Simone E. Pfenninger is Assistant Professor at the University of Salzburg. Her principal research areas are multilingualism, psycholinguistics and individual differences (e.g. the age factor) in SLA, especially in regard to quantitative approaches and statistical methods and techniques for language application in education. Recent books include Beyond Age Effects in Instructional L2 Learning: Revisiting the Age Factor (2017, co-authored, Multilingual Matter), The Changing English Language: Psycholinguistic Perspectives (2017, co-edited, CUP), and Future Research Directions for Applied Linguistics (2017, co-edited, Multilingual Matter). She is co-editor of the Second Language Acquisition book series for Multilingual Matters.

Judit Navracsics is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary. Her research interests are bi- and multilingual development in early childhood, the bilingual mental lexicon and bilingual processing.

Simone E. Pfenninger is Assistant Professor of Psycholinguistics and Language Acquisition at the University of Salzburg, Austria. Her research interests include multilingualism, psycholinguistics and the age factor in SLA, especially in regard to quantitative approaches and statistical methods and techniques for language application in education.

Judit Navracsics is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary. Her research interests are bi- and multilingual development in early childhood, the bilingual mental lexicon and bilingual processing.

It’s hard to predict the future in any domain but the contributors in the present volume are well placed to help shape research in applied linguistics, which makes their analyses, predictions and suggestions a rich source of inspiration for researchers around the world.

This eclectic volume offers valuable insights on a range of applied linguistic issues, with a strong focus on research methodologies, including psychological, neurolinguistic, and dynamic systems modelling. It is refreshingly multinational, and presents studies on several less-researched languages. Directions for future research are highlighted on topics ranging from age to language policy, with a strong section on bilingualism.

This is a timely collection of chapters by well-known scholars, in which an innovative research agenda and approach to applied linguistics are proposed, emphasizing its multidisciplinary character. I believe it is essential reading for all who are interested in the most recent developments in understanding what applied linguistics is and where it is going.