foundations of applied linguistics

Developing a theory of applied linguistics is a top priority for the discipline today. The emergence of a new paradigm a complex systems approach in applied linguistics presents us with a unique opportunity to give prominence to the development of a foundational framework for this design discipline. Far from being a mere philosophical exercise, such a framework will find application in the training and induction of new entrants into the discipline within the developing context of South Africa, as well as internationally. A top priority for applied linguistics Complexity theory is emerging as a new paradigm of doing applied linguistics (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron 2008; Cameron & Larsen-Freeman 2007; De Bot, Lowie & Verspoor 2007; Kramsch 2008). It is, in fact, the latest in a series of six paradigm shifts that the discipline has undergone since its inception in the middl