Applied linguists look at how language is created, modified, and used in society. As with any major field of scientific inquiry, there is usually a tangible “product” or “products” that each discipline creates. For applied linguistics, one such “product” is the dictionary – actually different types of dictionary for various uses and applications. In the fall of 2013, the ALDS 1001 (Introduction to Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies) class, taught by Eva Kartchava, created a slang dictionary , where each student had to collect and compile information he/she collected from interviewing real-life informants and consulting published resources. This hands–on project allowed students to get a glimpse into what some applied linguists do on a regular basis and even dedicate their lives to. The project was a success, with some students wanting to share their entries with others – enjoy!
Photo Credit: Graffiti photo, by Anthony22 under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0. Retrieved 21 January 2014.