Applied linguistics is the study of how linguistics (the scientific study of language) is applied to real-life situations. It involves the practical application of linguistic theories and methods to address issues related to language in areas such as education, language teaching, translation, language policy, and communication disorders. Applied linguists may work on developing language teaching methods, analyzing language in legal or forensic contexts, or researching language-related communication problems in various professional settings. Essentially, applied linguistics focuses on using linguistic knowledge to solve real-world problems involving language.