Note: This post was first featured on Swansea University's Applied Linguistics Blog: When Linguistics is Applied: Reflections from the 58th BAAL Conference by Daniel Strogen – English Language, Applied Linguistics, and TESOL Blog.

When Linguistics is Applied

"Applied linguistics is using what we know about (a) language, (b) how it is learned and (c) how it is used, in order to achieve some purpose or solve some problem in the real world." — Schmitt and Celce-Murcia, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics (2020, p. 1). 

This definition, while seemingly simple, encapsulates one of academia's most enduring debates. The key phrase here is "in order to achieve some purpose or solve some problem in the real world". It's this final clause that highlights an uncomfortable but often relevant question that follows every research finding: So what? Should research advance human knowledge for its own sake, or should it solve immediate real-world problems? Some argue that the pursuit of knowledge needs no justification beyond human understanding, while others contend that in a world facing urgent challenges, research has an obligation to address human needs directly. Of course, this apparent dichotomy may be a false one: curiosity-driven inquiry often produces the very insights that later transform practice, just as applied work regularly reshapes the questions that theory must answer. Within this debate, applied linguistics tends to adopt a clearer stance. It does not dismiss the value of theoretical inquiry, but it insists that understanding language—arguably humanity's most defining characteristic—carries with it a responsibility to put that knowledge to work.

The Conference

This year’s conference for the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) was hosted by the University of Glasgow, under the theme "applied linguistics in the face of global challenges and local needs". This was the first time I attended a BAAL conference, and I was immediately struck by how this theme wasn't just rhetoric. It's applications were tangible. Here were linguists whose work was addressing social problems at both global and local scales: how humans orient ourselves to Artificial Intelligence, a challenge with worldwide implications for communication and trust (see the work of Dr. Spencer Hazel: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/ecls/people/profile/spencerhazel.html); how LGBTQ+ youths negotiate their positionality amid rising hostility from right-wing populist discourse, a deeply local experience yet one that resonates across many societies (see Professor Lucy Jones’ work: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/people/lucy.jones); and how terror can act as a form of governance in relation to language, linking local experiences of fear with global structures of power (see the work of Dr. Kamran Khan: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/education/khan-kamran).

The plenaries powerfully demonstrated the field’s potential for addressing major societal issues, and this sense of relevance carried through the rest of the conference. The wealth of SIG sessions (smaller, focused gatherings on specific research areas), presentations, and posters showed how the theme of “global challenges and local needs” resonated across every subdiscipline of applied linguistics. The launch of the new RICH (“Research Involving Children”) SIG stood out as especially resonant with the conference’s theme. With Maria Dimitropolou exploring parents’ perceptions of their children speaking Irish—a local, community-based concern—and Ceri Morgan examining creativity in family-based foreign language learning, the SIG underscored how applied linguistics can connect global educational debates with everyday family practices. Other sessions also demonstrated this breadth, from Patricia Duff’s reflections on Generative AI in qualitative research to Ursula Lanvers and Tetyana Lunyova’s analysis of language policies in Ukraine’s higher education sector.

Presenting my Poster

As a “new hand” to conferencing, the first feeling I had when reading this year’s theme and preparing my submission was doubt. Primarily, I doubted whether I would interpret the theme correctly. Then, when I reminded myself that the theme was intentionally broad to allow a wide range of research to be featured, I doubted whether my interpretation would be “academic enough.” As a first-year PhD student, you get used to navigating this kind of uncertainty—what’s often called imposter syndrome. But the truth is, that nervousness isn’t unique to PhD students. It’s something many of us encounter at different points in academia: undergraduates giving their first seminar presentation, lecturers fielding unexpected questions from students, or researchers stepping into a new conference for the first time.

That’s why the poster session turned out to be the perfect antidote to overthinking. Unlike formal presentations, poster sessions are conversational, immediate, and interactive. There’s no hiding behind prepared remarks—you have to articulate your research’s relevance clearly and convincingly to whoever stops by. In that sense, it reminded me of the best kind of classroom discussion: unpredictable, collaborative, and full of insights that emerge in the moment.

I found myself receiving detailed methodological suggestions from researchers who had faced similar challenges, getting reading recommendations I would never have found through literature searches, and making connections that extended well beyond the conference itself. Perhaps most valuable was discovering scholars asking parallel questions in entirely different contexts—whether among Māori communities in New Zealand, Sami populations in northern Europe, or colleagues back at their institutions. These weren’t just polite exchanges; they were substantive conversations that revealed how linguistics operates as a global network of interconnected research. Insights gained in one setting illuminated challenges in another.

What the poster session really demonstrated is something that underpins all of academic life, whether you’re an undergrad, a lecturer, or a researcher: knowledge is built collaboratively. The problems we’re trying to solve are usually too complex and too important for any one person, class, or method to tackle alone. And while the nerves never quite disappear, neither does the opportunity to grow through dialogue. Presenting, in any context, isn’t about having all the answers beforehand—it’s about joining the conversation.

Exploring Glasgow

This was also my first time visiting Scotland, and Glasgow University’s campus was impressive. The Gothic Revival buildings, with their tall spires and detailed stonework, looked as though they had been lifted straight from the Harry Potter films. There’s something special about having academic discussions in buildings that have been home to researchers for centuries.

The conference dinner was a particular highlight. We experienced live traditional Scottish music and were taught how to dance the cèilidh. It was entertaining to watch a room full of linguists from around the world—many who had spent the day presenting complex research on language and society—learn traditional Scottish dances together.. What struck me that evening was how quickly barriers dissolved. Researchers from across the world were sharing in the same cultural experience, laughing at the same surprises, and making connections across languages and backgrounds.

Final Reflections

The conference reinforced what that opening definition from Schmitt and Celce-Murcia really means in practice: applied linguistics isn't just about studying language—it's about taking that knowledge and putting it to work. Whether that's helping refugee communities integrate, developing better language learning tools, or supporting marginalised voices. The field demonstrates that research can and should matter beyond academia. For any student wrestling with the "so what?" question that follows so much academic work, BAAL offered a compelling answer: when we understand how language works, how it's learned, and how it's used, we gain tools to address some of humanity's most pressing challenges. The key is working out how to use them.

As I packed up my newly bought tartan and headed home, I realised that the most valuable things I was taking from Glasgow were new connections, methodological insights, and a renewed sense of purpose about why applied linguistics matters, and confidence that even as a first-year PhD student, my research could contribute to something larger than myself even if it doesn't change the world.

Find out more...

• Learn more about BAAL and upcoming conferences: https://www.baal.org.uk/

• The RICH SIG (Research Involving Children): https://www.linkedin.com/posts/baal-rich-sig_what-a-rich-start-thanks-to-all-of-you-activity-7340674494971150337-cMbn/

• Schmitt, N., & Celce-Murcia, M. (2020). An introduction to applied linguistics (3rd ed.). Routledge.