ABSTRACT
The issues investigated in the 12 studies of this volume are varied. They range from the role of teacher questions in scaffolding learning to the role of interpersonal interactions in the learning of particular forms for creating peer solidarity to learner appropriation of strategies for facilitating their own and each other’s language learning. The specific language learning contexts are fairly varied as well. The sites range from elementary classrooms to adult intensive language courses, and the target languages include English, Japanese, Dutch, Hebrew, German, and French. These differences in research focus and language learning contexts notwithstanding, taken as a whole, the findings arising from these studies provide compelling evidence on particular practices for promoting the development of additional languages. Thus, they have important theoretical and pedagogical implications. My intent in this chapter is to summarize these findings and attempt to lay out a set of implications for identifying and sustaining effectual practices in classrooms serving second and foreign language students. I conclude with a discussion on implications for language teacher preparation and some suggested directions for future research on second and foreign language learning.
