A Proposal to Center Relevance in Applied Linguistics Research: The Relevance-to-Practice (RTP) Framework

Abstract

Considering applied linguistics as a problem-centered discipline, we address an enduring challenge in the field: the need to ensure that research provides findings that can contribute to solving everyday challenges faced by language practitioners. Traditionally, the field's focus has been on meeting rigorous methodological standards and constructing theories and validating generalizations across diverse individuals and groups. This approach, however, often marginalizes the specific needs and contexts of practitioners in applied linguistics broadly and language education specifically. As a result, research quality in applied linguistics is typically assessed by researcher-centered criteria, while its practical impact potential for practitioners has been overlooked. In response to this challenge, we advocate for a broader conceptualization of research quality-one that centers practitioner relevance as an additional criterion for quality. We argue that research should be designed to generate useful guidance that can inform practitioners' local decision-making in addition to ensuring reliable and valid evidence. This dual focus is essential for fulfilling the field's ethical obligation as publicly funded knowledge producers and for justifying the social contract between academia and society. We introduce a framework with four key components-transformability, impetus, implementability, and (practitioner) implications-to guide research toward greater and practical impacts. Transformability emphasizes empowering practitioners to apply and adapt findings in their specific contexts, while impetus calls for research questions that matter to those working in the field. Implementability highlights the need for pedagogical procedures that are feasible within the constraints of everyday practice, and practitioner implications stress the importance of clear, actionable communication of research outcomes.