With the in-depth implementation of educational reform, college English should also keep pace with the times, focusing on reforms in theoretical and practical teaching to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of talent cultivation, enabling students to comprehensively apply their professional knowledge to related work after graduation. To promote the smooth implementation of reform, college English teachers need to conduct in-depth research on applied linguistics theory, understand its connection with college English, and improve the teaching quality of this subject by applying it to the entire process of English teaching. This paper focuses on exploring college English teaching practice from the perspective of applied linguistics theory, aiming to provide useful references for front-line teachers.