A discussion of the field of applied linguistics looks at traditional and organizational approaches to the discipline and compares them to actual applied linguistics activity. The focus of American and British organizations for applied linguistics and the stated emphases in the field are chronicled for the last several decades, including the history of the link between applied linguistics and language teaching. Correspondences between statements about the discipline and the literature of applied linguistics are examined, and evidence of trends or patterns and procedural issues is sought. The literature reviewed includes materials in the ERIC database, a journal ("Applied Linguistics") only recently added to the ERIC system, and presentations at annual meetings of the American Association for Applied Linguistics. Strategies for increasing participation in and visibility of the field are discussed. (MSE)