The Routledge Handbook of Applied Linguistics serves as an introduction and reference point to key areas in the field of applied linguistics.

The five sections of the volume encompass a wide range of topics from a variety of perspectives:

• applied linguistics in action
• language learning, language education
• language, culture and identity
• perspectives on language in use
• descriptions of language for applied linguistics.

The forty-seven chapters connect knowledge about language to decision-making in the real world. The volume as a whole highlights the role of applied linguistics, which is to make insights drawn from language study relevant to such decision-making.

The chapters are written by specialists from around the world. Each one provides an overview of the history of the topic, the main current issues and possible future trajectory. Where appropriate, authors discuss the impact and use of new technology in the area. Suggestions for further reading are provided with every chapter. The Routledge Handbook of Applied Linguistics is an essential purchase for postgraduate students of applied linguistics.

Editorial board: Ronald Carter, Guy Cook, Diane Larsen-Freeman and Amy Tsui.

The flagship title in the Routledge Handbooks in Applied Linguistics series, this volume serves as an introduction and reference point to the key areas in the dynamic evolvingfield of applied linguistics.

"This is a superb collection ofchapters that illustrates the robustness of applied linguistics. The volume coherently documents the fact that the field has come a long way since its early focus on the teaching and learning of languages beyond the first. Anyone interested in understanding the scope of applied linguistics at the start of the 21st century would do well to consult this work." - James P. Lantolf, Penn State University, USA "An amazingly broad and comprehensive account of the diverse areas that make up Applied Linguistics today, giving both their history and up-to-date accounts of their state. Students and researchers will be reminded of the richness and complexity of the discipline.They will find it a useful source of information on a wide variety of topics." - Vivian Cook, University of Newcastle, UK "...an authoritative and worthwhile addition to the general literature on applied linguistics." - Jinrui Li, University of Waikato