ABSTRACT
In this epilogue chapter, the outstanding issues and challenges are illuminated to provide future directions for research and praxis focusing on practice and automatization in second language acquisition (SLA). Drawing on the main contributions of the researchers and practitioners who have authored the chapters comprising this volume, four main themes are discussed from both theoretical and pedagogical perspectives. First, methodological and substantive issues of automatization are reviewed. Second, the role of repetition in language learning is reappraised within and across different teaching approaches and sociocultural settings. Third, the potential applicability of skill acquisition theory to different instruction contexts is discussed. Finally, after examining the concept of second language practice with respect to its five core principles (deliberate, systematic, transfer-appropriate, feedback, and desirable difficulty), I present the key outstanding issues that necessitate further research.
