Applied Linguistics & Discourse Studies

The interdisciplinary combination of Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies is Carleton’s unique approach to the study of language, bringing together several research areas that have previously had separate academic traditions.

• Applied Linguistics: in contrast to formal Linguistics with its focus on the structure of language, Applied Linguistics emphasizes language as a system of communication and a form of social action. Its areas of investigation include how languages are assessed, learned and taught.
• Discourse Studies: this field also emphasizes language as a tool for communication and action in professional and social contexts. Discourse Studies takes a “multi-modal” approach, examining how written, spoken and visual modes of communication interact in workplace and academic settings, as well as in the media and social networking.

Graduates with degrees in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies are well-placed – not simply because of their degrees but because of their training – to take jobs in language education, in government and business, in NGOs, and emerging technologies, both in Canada and abroad.

See what these grads are doing with their degrees

Research Areas in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies

Our faculty members are active in the research of the following areas: