Dear Readers,

Welcome to the fall issue of AL Forum, newsletter for the Applied Linguistics Interest Section! First and foremost, we hope that you are all doing well whether you find yourself in a virtual, in-person, or hybrid educational context. Second, we are excited to bring you three engaging perspectives on the application of research in educational settings, the very heart of the ALIS community! Each article offers a vision of how research intersects with our pedagogical choices, and we hope that you draw inspiration from these authors as you enact your pedagogical and research choices over the upcoming months.

We begin with an article by Greta Perris and Sandra Zappa-Hollman, which demonstrates how language learners and their educators can apply the theoretical framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to conduct text analysis to uncover language features that make a particular text “sound academic.” Next, Masatoshi Sato, Shawn Loewen, and YouJin Kim discuss the relationship between researchers and classroom educators, encouraging collaborations between the two types of professionals as they journey toward the shared goal of increasing student learning. In the final article, Masato Takenokoshi offers an insightful book review of Positioning Theory in Applied Linguistics: Research Design and Applications, by Kayi-Aydar (2019), noting how Positioning Theory can serve as a useful lens for examining teacher education and language classroom contexts. Together, this collection of articles grapples with the intersection of research and practice as the means of creating optimal learning environments.

In leadership updates, in their letter, our chair Anna Joaquin and chair-elect Sun-Young Shin remind us of the professional development options provided by ALIS under their leadership. Please check out their letter for information on three webinars on Translanguaging. Their letter also introduces us to the Academic Session for TESOL 2022, which is being co-sponsored by the Teacher Education Interest Section.

Also, we are delighted to introduce you to our expanded leadership team in our “Leaders’ Corner” letters! First, you can find tips for engaging with the ALIS Community in the letter by ALIS Community Manager, Rashad Ahmed, and Social Media Coordinator, Raydel Hernández. Second, ALIS Member-at-Large representative, Jennifer Lacroix, uses her letter to introduce herself and invite you to connect with her over real-world challenges. We are excited to have them join the team under the leadership of Anna Joaquin.

We hope you enjoy this issue and wish you a smooth transition into Fall 2021!

Cheers,

Natalia, Heather, and Ben

Note: To provide feedback on this newsletter, please click the below graphic on the side bar, which links to a TESOL survey.