If you searched for definitions of applied linguistics on the Internet or in reference book, you may have been struck by how similar most of them seem to be. A typical example can be found on the website of the International organisation for Applied Linguistics, the leading professional organisation in the field. According to applied linguistics is 'an interdisciplinary field of research and practice dealing with practical problem of language and communication . Turning to printed sources, we find that Applied linguistics, one of most prestigious academic journals in the field, describes the subject as 'the study of language and language-related problems in specific situations in which people use and learn language; while the respected Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics defines applied linguistics even more concisely as 'the study of language and linguistics in relation to practical problem . All of these definitions are neatly encapsulated in perhaps the best-known and most frequently-cited definition of all, originally formulated by the eminent applied linguist Chris Brumfit.