Soveltava kielitiede tutkimuksellisia siltoja rakentamassa

From time to time, the question arises as to the nature of applied linguistics. Whatever the answers are, applied linguistics is positioned between research and different contexts of action, which allows for a wide range of research topics and settings, as well as cooperation between different actors. The theme of the annual AFinLA Autumn Symposium 2023 and the yearbook 2024 is Building bridges through research. Building bridges through research points to a variety of connections at all levels of research, be it research methods, data types, theoretical approaches, paradigms, language conceptions and disciplines. In this introductory article, the theme will be discussed on the basis of the articles selected for publication. The purpose of this yearbook is to contribute to the debate on the nature of applied linguistics. It aims to broaden and diversify research in applied linguistics and to encourage new and creative approaches to the interaction between language and the social environment.