ABSTRACT
This conclusion chapter presents the key concepts discussed in the previous chapters of this book. The book takes a stock of the general themes we have found, to be followed by the description of a number of novel approaches and principles that may contribute to the genesis of a new theoretical paradigm. It explains a slow-down, or even a standstill, in the development of new large-scale quantitative assessment instruments, and at the same time a growing interest in qualitative and mixed methods inquiry-as well as experimenting with various novel techniques and idiographic approaches. The book witnesses a general willingness, and even an enthusiasm, to acknowledge the importance of the situated nature of language learning. It proposed narrative identity as the central organizational mechanism within language learner psychology, but we have to hold up our hands and admit that our current knowledge of this area is sparse.
