ABSTRACT
How well do applied linguists and second-language acquisition (SLA) researchers understand theory construction in our field? As attested by a number of books, edited collections, journal articles, and a recent conference devoted to theory construction, SLA researchers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in such matters. We have not only reached the stage where we are actively exploring what philosophy of science has to say about theory construction; we are also defining the goals of SLA research ever more precisely.
