The primary distinction between linguistics and applied linguistics is that linguistics is the scientific study of the structure and development of language in general or of specific languages, while applied linguistics is the branch of linguistics that focuses on the practical applications of language studies. Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure, with various branches such as sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics, dialectology, comparative linguistics, and structural linguistics. Applied linguistics, also a branch of linguistics, examines language as it affects real-life situations.
Key Takeaways
- Linguistics is the scientific study of language, its structure, and development, encompassing subareas such as phonology, semantics, morphology, and pragmatics.
- Applied linguistics is a branch of linguistics that focuses on the practical applications of language studies, identifying, exploring, and offering solutions to language-related problems.
- The main difference between linguistics and applied linguistics is that the former is concerned with the scientific study of the structure and development of language, while the latter focuses on the practical applications of language studies.
