What's in a name? Degree programs and what they tell us about 'applied linguistics' in Australia

In this paper we explore the provision of applied linguistics within Australian universities. We focus on how the what of applied linguistics, as captured in scholarly definitions of the discipline, accords with the where, as captured in potential contexts of application as these are manifested in provision. In doing so, we examine the extent of any congruence or divergence between how applied linguistics is understood in the abstract and how it is realised in degree programs. Our findings, based an analysis of data collected via a survey of university websites, suggest that while the rhetoric around course offerings may suggest a wider view of the discipline, the content of applied linguistics programs generally reflects a narrower interpretation which aligns closely with observations often made as caveats to scholarly definitions and sees English language teaching as predominant. Copyright 2010 Neil Murray and Jonathan Crichton. No part of this article may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of the publisher.