Essentials of SLA for L2 Teachers: A Transdisciplinary Framework

Abstract

In celebration of the Modern Language Journal’s 100th anniversary in 2016, a special issue of the journal was published in which various contributors reflected on topics related to the evolution and current state of research and teaching in second language acquisition (SLA). Within this special issue, an article appeared by the Douglas Fir Group (2016), an ensemble of 15 scholars who adopt different theoretical orientations in their approaches to exploring facets of SLA. In their piece, the Douglas Fir Group (DFG) stressed the need for increased interdisciplinary approaches for understanding the complex, multifaceted nature of L2 learning. In doing so, they drew upon their respective backgrounds in order to propose a transdisciplinary framework that included different (yet interconnected) dimensions of language learning (e.g. social, ideological, emotional) with the aim of guiding future L2 scholarship and pedagogy. Since its publication, the DFG’s transdisciplinary framework has garnered much attention within the sphere of L2 research. However, the framework has to date had less impact within the sphere of L2 pedagogy, despite its potential to do so (see Gao 2019).