Linguistics, applied linguistics and research : the axis of evil for language teachers?

This paper addresses the question of whether a language teacher can be effective with little or no knowledge of linguistics, applied linguistics and related research findings. From a logical, dispassionate perspective there can be no doubt that these three domains are vital contributors to the training and development of good language teachers. But, from the perspective of many practicing teachers, these fields are treated with some suspicion and seem largely irrelevant to their daily teaching needs or even as unwelcome intrusions delivered through obligatory professional development sessions. This paper makes the case for what linguistics, applied linguistics and research have to offer language teachers and then argues for the importance of meaningful, accessible ongoing professional development that takes account of developments in linguistics, applied linguistics and research as a key component in professionalising teachers, and indeed, the language teaching profession itself.9 page(s