The Cambridge introduction to applied linguistics (1.)

"Language teaching, dementia, personal identity, the training of law students - if you skim the contents of this book, you might wonder how a single field could cover such a diverse range of topics.

But all the topics in this book have a common foundation: peoples' use of language.

The way people use language can build relationships or cause interpersonal difficulties.

Language can be used to exert power over others or to resist others' exertion of power.

Language is used in different ways by different disciplines, increasing the challenge for novices in a field. And myriad social and psychological factors can affect success in learning a new language.

All of these issues, and more, are covered in the field of applied linguistics"--.