Relationality, interconnectedness, and identity: A process‐focused approach to second language acquisition and teaching (SLA/T)

Abstract

Abstract This complex article has six subsections. Following a brief introduction, one team of three co‐authors and three single authors present compact statements of their distinctive individual research perspectives on second language acquisition and teaching (SLA/T): Atkinson, Mejía‐Laguna, and Ribeiro offer a sociocognitive perspective; Cappellini introduces an eclectic perspective in which online communication is analyzed multimodally; Kayi‐Aydar develops a broad‐based identity perspective; and Lowie presents a complex dynamic systems theory perspective on SLA/T. In the final subsection of this article, the six authors investigate together how their different perspectives might synergize with and complement each other. Conceptually, they develop five main points: (a) SLA/T is a process, (b) SLA/T is relational and ecological, (c) SLA/T occurs on multiple temporal dimensions and analytical levels, and (d) SLA/T is multimodal and embodied. Methodologically, they find common ground in multimethods and case‐based research approaches covering a range of different timescales. Pedagogically, they acknowledge the diversity of educational environments around the world, support local autonomy for teachers, and understand learning as emergent.