Folk linguistics and language awareness: key notions for applied linguistics

Description

In some conceptions lay theories about language (incl. the so called subjective theories) have nothing to do with language awareness, in other conceptions – like the one represented here – lay theories are seen as located on a language awareness continuum which starts with attention, “noticing” etc. phenomena and finally ends with explicit theories. If taken seriously, the continuum mentioned before does not end with “lay”, but also includes “objective”, “scientific theories”.

In this paper we will try to show and explain why folk linguistics and language awareness are particularly relevant notions for applied linguistics – from many different points of view (e.g. “language awareness” in language didactics and in sociolinguistics; applied linguistics as the popularizing branch of linguistics [and therefore near to folk theories]; “awareness raising” as general “leitmotiv” in many subareas of applied linguistics).

Period	2007
Event title	Tagung Universität Erfurt Juni 2007
Event type	Unknown
Degree of Recognition	International