What are applied linguistics?

This paper articulates (and evaluates) several different conceptualizations of applied linguistics, ranging from “applications of linguistic theory” to alternative paradigms for studying language that extend and complement generative grammar as a theory of language. It is shown that these different conceptualizations imply substantive, fundamental differences in goals, methods, and priorities of language study, leading to a dynamic tension between the formally‐oriented linguistic theory and other paradigms for the study of language.