Evolving Role of Culture in Language Studies in the (Post)Digital Revolution Era: Reviewing Applications of Sharifian’s Cultural Linguistics

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran / Visiting Scholar at English Department, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Abstract

The study of the symbiotic relationship between language and culture, along with the call for a rigorous theory and systematic investigative framework, has been a longstanding pursuit. In the past decade or so, Sharifian’s Cultural Linguistics (CL) has demonstrated its potential as a robust theoretical framework and a sharply honed investigative, analytical instrument with a multidisciplinary origin (including English as an International Language (EIL) to explore the interplay between language and culture. The present paper aimed at reviewing the applications of the CL approach and methodology in language-related studies. Arguing for the evolving role of culture in language education and research in the era of (post)digital revolution, this paper attempted to demonstrate the insights the theoretical and analytical frameworks of CL could bring to the realm of language teaching and learning. In so doing, as a starting point, the paper provides a concise overview of the principles and practices of the relatively novel interdisciplinary field of CL. First, the theoretical frameworks of the CL approach are described. This is followed by an explanation of the analytical frameworks of the CL methodology. Finally, some critical reflections on the CL’s approach and methodology are offered. This synopsis is then followed by a state-of-the-art account of the application of CL in language-related studies in the era of (post)digital revolution. The paper concludes with the future directions in such an interdisciplinary venture.

Keywords

References

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Applied Linguistics Inquiry
Volume 2, Issue 2
September 2024
Pages 76-89

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History

  • Receive Date: 18 July 2024
  • Revise Date: 04 May 2024
  • Accept Date: 10 August 2024

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