Applied Linguistics Research Articles (Page 1)

Abstract Applied linguistics has been showing increased interest in research ethics, including discussion of authors’ questionable research practices (QRPs). However, less attention has been given to how organizations may engender QRPs. To address this, here we discuss how neoliberal systems of academic publishing are implicated in QRPs. Through our collaborative autoethnography as two author-editors, we jointly explore such practices’ influences. Three key findings emerge: 1. journal reviewers’ and editors’ bias towards Anglocentric writing norms; 2. the influence organizations such as publishing houses, Ministries of Education, and universities exert over academic publication; and 3. metrification of research output leading authors to disproportionately focus on journal indexing. We argue that these factors hinder faculty ability to balance publishing, teaching, and administrative responsibilities. By widening the discussion concerning QRPs, we highlight how authors’ publication practices are influenced by external factors, pushing back on the narrative of individual responsibility for QRPs.

ABSTRACT This paper presents a Deep Learning-Based Pair Barracuda Swarm Optimization for an Arabic Text-to-Speech Synthesizer Using Applied Linguistics (DLPBSO-ATTSSAP), designed to support visually impaired individuals. Arabic text-to-speech synthesis is challenging due to linguistic complexity and contextual ambiguity. The proposed system begins with multi-level preprocessing to normalize Arabic text, followed by FastText embeddings to capture semantic and syntactic nuances. A Convolutional Variational Autoencoder (CVAE) is employed to learn latent features for accurate text classification, with hyperparameters optimized through the Pair Barracuda Swarm Optimization (PBSO) algorithm. This enhances classification accuracy and system performance. Finally, the WaveNet model converts processed text into natural, human-like speech. Experimental results show that DLPBSO-ATTSSAP outperforms existing methods across key metrics. By integrating deep learning with swarm optimization, the system provides a user-friendly, efficient, and high-quality speech synthesis solution. This work highlights the model’s ability to address language-specific challenges in Arabic and contribute to accessible communication technologies for underrepresented languages.

The growing interest in critical English language education research within the Brazilian context highlights the need for a systematic review aimed at mapping the state of the art. I used Google Scholar to identify 143 articles which discussed the topic and met the inclusion criteria. The review shows that the growing prominence of critical English language education, linked to broader educational orientations and the rise of Critical Applied Linguistics in Brazil, emphasizes discussions on “critical themes”, particularly issues affecting minority groups. The review highlights a lack of research on the systematic teaching of language, though existing studies show notable progress. The findings can support educational policymakers in reimagining approaches to teaching language for social justice, grounded in a theme-based curriculum, moving away from the current model that emphasizes skills development.

This study examines the integration of applied linguistics and digital technology in the context of multilingual communication. With the rise of machine translation technologies, the research focuses on understanding how applied linguistic theories can enhance digital communication tools, particularly in addressing the challenges of cross-cultural communication. The study aims to explore the positive effects of integrating applied linguistics with digital technologies and assess the improvements in translation accuracy and cultural relevance in global exchanges. Using a systematic review and case study approach, the research investigates current machine translation systems and their ability to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps. The findings show that while digital translation tools have improved communication across languages, challenges remain in low-resource languages and the accurate translation of culturally nuanced expressions. The study suggests the importance of developing inclusive language policies and multilingual-friendly digital tools to ensure equitable communication. In conclusion, the integration of applied linguistics with digital technologies significantly enhances multilingual communication, but continued research and development are necessary to overcome existing limitations, particularly in addressing low-resource languages and cultural sensitivity in translations.

AI's transition from theory to practice has revolutionized many fields, and scientific research is no different. AI is immensely influential in linguistics, changing language analysis, corpus development, and language learning. This paper reviews the literature and examines the potential of AI in linguistic research through its applications in corpus linguistics and applied linguistics. Also, the limitations and ethical issues inherent in AI's use are explained. This paper starts with describing traditional AI notions followed by the practical applications of AI in corpus linguistics and the impact of AI on language learning and applied linguistics, specifically its role in creating personalized learning technologies and assisting in language acquisition. Finally, this paper will cover the controversial topics of AI, including its inherent limitations and the ethical challenges it poses, concluding that while AI has potential, its responsible and knowledgeable implementation is key to advancing linguistic research and education.

Q as Methodology: Theoretical Underpinnings and Key Considerations in Its Practical Applications in Applied Linguistics and TESOL Research

The language contact between Spanish and Arabic, resulting from the 800­year period of Muslim presence in Spain, has had a considerable impact on Spanish idioms, and modes of speech and especially lexis. The aim of this study is to contribute to illuminating the phonological processes involved in the incorporation of Arabic words into Spanish, taking into consideration the deep differences between the sound systems of the two languages. The methodology consists of three core phases: gathering the data, organizing and categorizing it, and conducting a phonological analysis. The study examines the phonetic alterations that have taken place as a result of these borrowings. Deletion, epenthesis, and fricativization are among the most observed sound alterations that occurred when Spanish integrated Arabic words. It is imperative to prioritize the study of Andalusian Arabic as it was the direct source from which Spanish borrowed these terms during that period. The study highlights practical applications in historical linguistics and language teaching. It uses the Arabic influence on Spanish during Al­Andalus as a case study to explore borrowing and sound change, thereby enriching phonological studies. Additionally, it clarifies the phonological processes of Arabic loanwords in Spanish, improving pronunciation teaching for both Arabic and Spanish learners.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the discourse of collocation on Sesotho finite predicators as enacted personal names. This qualitative study underpins Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and anthroponymy theoretical designs to describe these names’ socio-cultural functions and explicate name givers’ evaluation (modality) of experiences around various birth contexts and expressed as finite predicator names. Population amounts to one hundred and fifteen. Data was collected using the participant-observation instrument and used for purposive random sampling. Findings display that collocation employs semantics concepts to describe finite-predicators as onomastica that enfold interpersonal function. The contribution is that social perspective complements the names’ linguistic description and elevates finite predicators to function as permanent identity markers. The names create discourse, extend language use, and explicate name givers’ creative potential. It is recommended that collocation on finite-predicators amplifies and emancipates the verbal group as semiotic onomastica. The study has implications for Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Language Education, Sociology and Cultural Studies.

This study seeks to identify the differences in syntactic complexity (SC) across rhetorical move-steps in the discussion section of research articles (RAs) written by Chinese and native English writers. The corpus consisted of 200 RA discussion sections from the field of Applied Linguistics. Each sample was manually annotated for rhetorical move-steps using the seven-move framework of RA discussion proposed by Yang and Allison (2003). The results revealed that distinct SC patterns across rhetorical move-steps, with differences most pronounced at the phrasal-level complexity. Chinese writers demonstrated greater SC performance in M2 Reporting results, M4S1 Interpreting results, M4S2 Comparing results with literature, and M4S3 Accounting for results, characterized by compressed noun phrases (NPs) through significantly more frequent use of pre-modifier sequences and multiple-level prepositional phrases. In contrast, native English writers presented greater SC in M3 Summarizing results, M4S4 Evaluating results, M5 Summarizing the study, M6S2 Indicating significance/advantage, M7S1 Making suggestions, and M7S2 Recommending further research, distinguished by more extensive use of complex NPs with both phrasal and clausal modifiers. Implications for L2 academic writing practice and pedagogy are discussed.

ABSTRACT This study clarifies the theoretical distinctions between translanguaging (García, O., & Lin, A. M. (2017). Translanguaging in bilingual education. In Bilingual and multilingual education (pp. 117–130); Wei, L. (2018). Translanguaging as a practical theory of language. Applied linguistics, 39(1), 9–30) and traditional code-switching – rooted in sociolinguistic frameworks such as Myers-Scotton's Markedness Model and Poplack's typology – situating the former as a Vygotskian-mediated cognitive practice rather than a mere sociolinguistic strategy. Grounded in the critique of ‘linguistic purism,’ the research constructs a cognitive scaffolding model that reimagines multilingualism as an integrated semiotic system, transcending code-switching's pragmatic focus on linguistic alternation. Through detailed analysis of classroom interactions – such as students using heritage-language idioms to unpack abstract concepts in target languages – the study demonstrates how translanguaging creates interlingual dialogic spaces for higher-order thinking via linguistic hybridisation, collaborative mediation, and metacognitive reflection. By challenging the monolingual bias in educational norms, this framework redefines multilingualism as cognitive capital, offering a theoretically rigorous and empirically grounded approach that disrupts traditional notions of ‘language competence’ and advances inclusive pedagogies for conceptual development.

This study examines how Vietnamese postgraduate students interpret (im)politeness during clinical consultations with doctors in English-speaking countries. Drawing on narrative reflective reports from 14 Vietnamese university academics who completed their doctoral studies in TESOL and Applied Linguistics abroad, the research analyzes participants’ retrospective accounts of critical medical encounters in which they evaluated native English-speaking doctors as polite or impolite. Using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework for thematic analysis, the study identifies key factors shaping these evaluations. The findings reveal that participants associated politeness with behaviors demonstrating care, empathy, respect, and a preference for communication styles that minimize imposition. Moreover, politeness was closely intertwined with perceptions of clinical professionalism, suggesting that professional conduct itself functions as a form of politeness in intercultural medical contexts. Participants’ assessments were influenced by Vietnamese cultural values, prior experiences with domestic healthcare communication, and evolving expectations formed through exposure to English-speaking cultures. The study contributes to intercultural pragmatics by illustrating how cultural frameworks shape politeness perceptions in healthcare encounters and offers practical implications for enhancing intercultural communication competence among both EFL learners and healthcare practitioners in English-speaking environments.

Archaic words (archaisms) reflect the daily life, ethnogenesis, gender relations, national-cultural customs, traditions, and values of a people, thus demonstrating specific linguocultural features. The use of archaisms in historical literary works not only forms an understanding of the social and political life and historical context of a given era in the reader’s mind but also serves to develop and enhance the national, cultural, and ethnic worldview typical of a particular nation. Correct interpretation of such culturally bound and ethnographically significant archaisms enables an effective and expressive representation of a people’s spirit, national color, culture, mentality, and worldview in translation. Achieving this, however, requires the combined application of translation studies, linguocultural studies, and linguistics, since without analyzing the national and cultural features of archaisms, it is impossible to achieve adequacy in translation. Keywords: Archaic Words, Linguocultural Translation, National Color, Cultural Adaptation, Equivalence, Translation Strategies, Functional Approach, Cultural Approach, Foreignization, Domestication.

Lexical bundles play a crucial role in conveying evaluations, opinions, and attitudes in both spoken and written communication. These recurring multiword sequences are recognized as essential components of fluent and natural linguistic expression in academic texts. However, although lexical bundles are significant in expressing personal and professional evaluations, their use in the literature review genre remains relatively underexplored. This corpus-based study analyses a self-compiled learner corpus of literature review chapters from Applied Linguistics Master’s theses using WordSmith Tools 6.0 (Scott, 2012). A total of 60 four-word lexical bundles were identified and categorized into epistemic and attitudinal functions. The findings reveal a strong reliance on impersonal epistemic bundles such as “it can be said” and “due to the fact”, indicating learners’ tendency to hedge claims and express cautious evaluations. Among attitudinal bundles, those related to ability (e.g., “to be able to”, “can be used to”) were the most frequent, suggesting an emphasis on potential and capacity rather than assertive critique. Bundles signalling importance and obligation were also common, while those expressing evaluation or contrast appeared less frequently—except “on the other hand”, which had the highest overall frequency and distribution. These findings suggest that student writers employ lexical bundles to project a measured and often tentative stance, reflecting a developing sense of criticality. The study offers pedagogical insights for academic writing instruction, particularly in fostering more confident and balanced expressions of evaluation in literature review writing.

With the development of artificial intelligence, education is changing quickly, presenting new advantages and challenges for students everywhere. AI techniques have revolutionized urban learning by increasing availability and personalization. AI tools such as ChatGPT and Meta AI are increasingly used in EFL classrooms to help students with assignments, presentations, and exam preparation. However, while AI has gained popularity in urban settings, its impact on rural education remains underexplored. This study investigates the advantages, disadvantages, and perceptions of AI use in rural EFL classrooms at the ULM. The present study investigates the advantages, disadvantages, and perceptions of AI use in rural EFL classrooms at the University of Lakki Marwat. The study attempts to find out how AI tools affect students' and teachers' experiences of using AI tools such as Chat GPT and Meta AI in EFL academic tasks like assignments, presentations, and exam preparation, and how these tools affect the learning process. To explore this, the study used a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected through questionnaires from 70 EFL students and interviews with five teachers of the department of English and Applied Linguistics, and were analyzed through descriptive statistical and thematic analysis. The findings reveal both benefits and drawbacks of AI tools. Students and teachers appreciated the role of AI in improving grammar, organizing content, easy and free access to structured academic content, improving the quality of EFL presentation, and reducing academic stress. At the same time, concerns were raised about inaccurate and irrelevant information, overdependence, plagiarism, and reduced critical thinking. The study highlights the importance of using AI tools with responsibility and teacher guidance in EFL classrooms at ULM, especially when applied to key academic tasks such as assignments, presentations, and exam preparation.

The paper examines the issue of trust in adopting open educational resources (OER) to develop multiliteracies in the field of English and Applied Linguistics. The goal is to intentionally integrate best practices in teaching, ultimately transforming educational resources to be more open, inclusive, equitable, and accessible. A mixed-method approach was employed, purposively involving 22 postgraduate English and Applied Linguistics students. Data collection methods included closed-ended questionnaires and open-ended written reflections. Participants wrote reflections that assessed the credibility of OER, contributing to a broader social understanding of their personal experiences with the phenomenon and focusing on the systemic implications that hinder social transformation and trust-building around OER. The data analysis was themed to assess and develop strategies to facilitate a radical paradigm shift in enhancing the trustworthiness of adopting and using OER across diverse learning contexts.

Abstract Building on the work of McNamara and Lo Bianco (McNamara, 2001; McNamara & Lo Bianco, 2001), this article interrogates further the institutional and intellectual factors that led to the establishment of the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (ALAA), which was officially constituted in 1976 at a conference organized at the University of Newcastle. It aims to show that, while both ALAA and the tradition of applied linguistics it fostered in Australia had certain distinctive features, the creation of the association was also reflective of a wider set of circumstances and imperatives. In order to illustrate this, the discussion looks firstly at the broader international context before considering the factors that contributed at the more local level to the formation of ALAA. In so doing, it seeks to provide an enhanced appreciation of the generic and specific influences at play in ALAA’s origin story, and of their relative importance. More generally, the study presented here contributes to the growing body of work in “Applied Linguistic Historiography,” the importance of which was advocated by Richard Smith (2016).

Abstract The journal, Australian Review of Applied Linguistics (ARAL) was first published in 1977, and in the second issue of that year, its first paper on Applied Linguistics in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts was published. Since then, forty-three articles have been published. In this study, we survey the field of Applied Linguistics in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts as represented in ARAL. We identify the main subfields — namely, language and education; bilingual education; language description; language shift, maintenance and revitalisation; language policy, planning and assessment — and within each explore the themes that have emerged. We highlight the strengths of the field, including the highly collaborative and applied nature of research, but also reflect on the narrow and uneven representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts in ARAL and observe that despite ongoing calls for greater recognition for First Nations peoples’ languages and language rights, there is still much work to be done.

The article presents an overview of a universal methodology for analyzing socio-political processes, based on the integration of the network approach (network analysis), mathematical and network modeling methods, and comprehensive linguistic analysis, which together form the basis of network linguistics - a fundamentally new research direction being developed by the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Applied Linguistics and Network Studies of Public Policy at Kuban State University. The proposed methodology is modular in nature, incorporating methods that can be applied individually or collectively to examine various aspects of socio-political interaction. Its versatility allows for adaptation depending on the research objectives and the available tools. The study explores the synergy between traditional and modern analytical methods, including the semiotic analysis of hashtags and emojis, 3-D modeling of discursive fields, analysis of discursive dynamics, and the concept-sphere core. Special attention is given to graph neural networks as tools for the automated analysis of big data and for predicting the evolution of narratives based on an investigation of the predicative network within the discursive field. The presented analytical cases confirm the objectivity of the proposed approach and illustrate the in-depth analysis of digital discourses and their dynamics in political communication. Overall, the article elucidates the prospects of network linguistics in researching socio-political processes, especially considering the increasing volume of digital data and the necessity for precise predictive analytics tools.

Abstract Beginning in 2022, the field of applied linguistics has increasingly approached the evaluation of research quality through an ethical lens, with a particular emphasis on Questionable Research Practices (QRPs). Notably, the majority of existing investigations into QRPs have concentrated on mono-method studies, especially those employing quantitative methodologies, thereby neglecting the realm of mixed methods research (MMR). The present study seeks to illuminate the problematic areas that may contribute to QRPs within MMR studies. To this end, we analyzed 60 MMR studies published between 2011 and 2020 in leading journals within the domain of applied linguistics (AL). Our findings reveal a range of issues pertaining to MMR rhetoric and references, study purpose and design, as well as the integration of methodologies, all of which pose risks to the transparency and foundational principles of MMR. This study concludes with recommendations aimed at enhancing the quality of MMR studies.

This scoping review studies the essential concepts and research methodologies best suited for exploring AI-assisted academic writing, with a focus on the context of applied linguistics and language education in Kazakhstan. The objectives included identifying key concepts, mapping methodological approaches, assessing emerging trends, revealing gaps and inconsistencies, and offering recommendations for improved practices. Using the PCC framework, the included studies involved scholars, educators, and students in Kazakhstan who addressed the use of AI tools in academic writing. Studies unrelated to academic writing, the Kazakhstani context, or the relevant fields were excluded. Searches were carried out in April 2025 across Scopus, Google Scholar, IEEE, and local databases, and conference proceedings 2021 and 2025 in English. A total of 40 relevant references were analyzed thematically and synthesized narratively. These studies focused on higher education and the use of tools like AI-driven writing assistants, grammar checkers, and plagiarism detection software in academic publishing. Findings indicated growing but cautious adoption of AI technologies, with common themes including improved writing quality, concerns over plagiarism, and the need for clear guidelines. The review underscores the importance of localized research, institutional policy development, and educator training to ensure ethical and effective AI integration in academic writing practices.