The big global issues: Applied linguists and transdisciplinarity beyond SLA

Abstract

In an age of persistent existential crises, governments and wider society are demanding from academia tangible contributions toward tackling the “big” contemporary issues, including climate change, demographic collapse, social instability, and the risks of escalating global conflict. Since all such problems involve a linguistic dimension, applied linguists are increasingly repurposing their research skills to achieve impact in such domains, far beyond the traditional scope of their core discipline. This paper discusses doing so within the distinctive framework of the Zurich approach to transdisciplinarity. Core features of the Zurich approach are sketched, and a case is made for applied linguists working alongside scientists, engineers, lawyers, and others in transdisciplinary teams focused on wicked problems.