Martin Bygate (born 1950) is a British

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

. He is currently an

honorary professor Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...

at the Department of Linguistics and English Language of

Lancaster University Lancaster University (legally The University of Lancaster) is a public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several pla ...

, United Kingdom. His research focuses on

applied linguistics Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field which identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, psychology, communication rese ...

with a special focus on

tandem language learning Tandem language learning is a method of language learning based on mutual language exchange between tandem partners, where ideally each learner is a native speaker in the language the other person wants to learn. The tandem language learning exper ...

, pedagogical grammar and

task-based language learning Task-based language teaching (TBLT), also known as task-based instruction (TBI), focuses on the use of authentic language to complete meaningful tasks in the target language. Such tasks can include visiting a doctor, conducting an interview, or cal ...

Career

Bygate was a lecturer at the University of Reading between 1986 and 1994 and at the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

between 1994 and 2003. He was an Advisory Professor to the English Department of

Hong Kong Institute of Education The Education University of Hong KongUniversity title ...

between 2003 and 2004. Between 1989 and 1995 Bygate served as the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) Meetings Secretary and the Publications Secretary between 1988 and 1989. Between 2006 and 2009 he was the coordinator of the BAAL 'Language Learning and Teaching' Special Interest Group. Between 1998 and 2004 Bygate served as the co-editor for the

Applied Linguistics Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field which identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, psychology, communication rese ...

and he has been a member of the editorial boards of Applied Linguistics,

Language Teaching Research ''Language Teaching Research'' is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research within the area of second or foreign language teaching. Although articles are written in English, the journal welcomes studies dealing with the teaching of languages ...

, and

Language Teaching Language education – the process and practice of teaching a second or foreign language – is primarily a branch of applied linguistics, but can be an interdisciplinary field. There are four main learning categories for language education: ...

. In September 2003 he was appointed as a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education at the Department of Linguistics and English Language at

. In 2008 he was elected as a President of AILA (Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquee),

International Association of Applied Linguistics The International Association of Applied Linguistics (french: Association Internationale de Linguistique Appliquée), or AILA, was formed in 1964 as an association of various national organizations for applied linguistics. AILA has more than 8,000 m ...

in English, for a 3-year term. On 9 June 2011, Bygate gave a plenary at Sorbonne Nouvelle conference in Paris. In 2011 Bygate presided over the 16th AILA World Congress in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Research

Bygate argued that the most significant trend in

is the emergence of the field as a generic discipline, involving several subareas, all characterised by the aim of developing theoretical and empirical studies of language as a key element in real world problems. Bygate brought together a wide-ranging set of papers, each from a quite distinct area of

in article published in

. Bygate in an article, published in The Language Learning Journal, provided an outline of the origins, the current shape and the potential directions of task-based language teaching (TBLT) as an approach to

language pedagogy Language pedagogy is the discipline concerned with the theories and techniques of teaching language. It has been described as a type of teaching wherein the teacher draws from his prior knowledge and actual experience in teaching language. The appr ...

Publications

Bygate has publications in several major journals such as

, AILA Review, and The Language Learning Journal.

Bibliography

Books

*Bygate, M., Van den Branden, K. (Ed.), Bygate, M. (Ed.), & Norris, J. (Ed.) (2009). Task-based language teaching : a reader. (Task-Based Language Teaching). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishers. *Samuda, V., & Bygate, M. (2008). Tasks in second language learning. (Research and practice in applied linguistics). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Articles

*Bygate, M. (2004). Some current trends in applied linguistics: towards a generic view. '' AILA Review, 17''(1), 6–22. do

*Bygate, M. (2005). Applied linguistics: a pragmatic discipline? A generic discipline? ''

, 26''(4), 568–581. do

*Bygate, M. (2016). Sources, developments and directions of task-based language teaching. ''

Language Learning Journal Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

, 44''(4), 381–400. do

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bygate, Martin 1950 births Living people Applied linguists Linguists from the United Kingdom Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University Presidents of the International Association of Applied Linguistics