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Article published In: Cognitive Linguistic Studies
Vol. 12:1 (2025) ► pp.23–51

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Exploring methodological issues in Applied Cognitive Linguistics teaching materials

ORCiD logo with link | Université Sorbonne Nouvelle
ORCiD logo with link | UCLouvain
Published online: 2 June 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/cogls.22016.rom
Abstract
Applied Cognitive Linguistics (ACL) has so far largely failed to concretize its potential to inform language teaching. This is evidenced by the scarcity of cognitive-pedagogical teaching materials on the market. This article contends that the problem may not lie in the theory itself as much as in the way it is being transposed in teaching materials, because novel theories are unlikely to be adopted without a proper pedagogical vehicle (Markee, N. (1997). Managing curricular innovation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). To investigate this hypothesis, this article reviews issues with the cognitive-pedagogical approach to preface a principled evaluation of textbooks tapping into the ACL framework. The article adopts an instrumental case study design and surveys a corpus of 3 published textbooks using a principled list of criteria. The data confirms that available cognitive-pedagogical teaching materials do not meet some of the minimum requirements for successful implementation in the FL classroom as defined by materials development research ( (2018). The complete guide to the theory and practice of materials development for language learning. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). The paper ends with some practical suggestions for the development of more effective teaching materials adopting a CL approach, which is hypothesized to help further the ACL agenda in the language classroom.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Methodological issues with the cognitive-pedagogical approach to language teaching
  • 3.The need for quality teaching materials
  • 4.Method
    • 4.1Case study approach
    • 4.2Data collection
    • 4.3Data analysis
    • 4.4Findings
      • 4.4.1Surface appeal
      • 4.4.2User-friendliness
      • 4.4.3SLA principle 1 (relevance)
      • 4.4.4SLA principle 2 (types of visual stimuli)
      • 4.4.5SLA principle 3 (processing)
      • 4.4.6Action-oriented approach
      • 4.4.7Summary of the findings
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Scope and limitations
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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