BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE: LINGUISTIC PRINCIPLES IN THE EFL CLASSROOM

Abstract

The persistent gap between linguistic theory and classroom practice represents one of the most enduring challenges in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. While scholars have generated rich theoretical frameworks in areas ranging from typology and contrastive linguistics to phraseology, assessment literacy, and discourse analysis, the translation of these frameworks into principled, evidence-based pedagogical decisions remains uneven. This article examines how key linguistic principles drawn from grammatical theory, lexicology, sociolinguistics, discourse studies, and applied linguistics can be systematically integrated into the EFL classroom. Drawing on a wide body of contemporary scholarship, primarily from Central Asian and international research contexts, the article argues that theory-informed practice is not a luxury but a professional necessity for teachers who aim to develop learners' communicative, academic, and critical capacities in English. Concrete pedagogical implications are identified for each theoretical domain discussed, and the article concludes with a framework for reflective, theory-aware EFL teaching