There is no well established body of work thai represents the applications of
discourse analysis. Since discourse analysis is itself not a well defined field,
this is hardly surprising. What I have tried to illustrate in this chapter is the
re-emergent interest amongst both linguists and educators in analysing
connected discourse in socially important contexts. And I have argued that
linguistic approaches to discourse are beginning to provide explicit ways of
discussing aspects of language which are very relevant to the educational
process. I have no doubt that current work in discourse is a very rich source
of ideas for educational theory and practice, if it is well selected and
interpreted. Good teachers may justifiably feel that it provides only a
different slant on what they already do. A general problem with much
applied social research is that it tells practitioners, in different words, what
they know already, if only unconsciously. However, making explicit the
principles of good teaching practice is precisely one important aim of applied
discourse analysis. The systematic study of language in use provides many
ideas for teaching, from lesson plans to whole syllabuses. And just as
importantly, it provides a principled and explicit basis for work that is done,
by relating it to a coherent theory. This is what is meant by applied linguistics:
theory which suggests and illuminates good practice.