Greetings everyone!

We, your new coeditors, Olga and Jana, are pleased to present you with this latest edition of AL Forum (31.2). As you may have noticed from the previous edition, there are changes in the air: new editors, a new format, and some new directions for the Forum. In this issue we are presenting news from the 2011 TESOL Convention in New Orleans, articles from the 2010 TESOL Convention in Boston, and proposals for new Forum directions. We will also introduce the new ALIS Leadership Team so you can learn who they are and what they do.

Be sure to check out the articles in this edition from the 2010 convention in Boston. These articles pertain to different areas within the field of applied linguistics and allow us to have a glimpse of some of the research occurring within our community.

The first article by Nick Andon raises new issues of task-based language teaching (TBLT). While TBLT has been in the field of language learning for some time, how teachers actually “do” these tasks with learners and the planning that goes into the lessons has not been researched in detail. Nick researched and analyzed the work of four teachers as they juggled the concept of TBLT. His article highlights the differences between research and teaching.

The next article, by Barburhan Uzum and Bedrettin Yazam, investigates learner motivation and corrective feedback. Their approach is a unique one in that they attempt to not only establish a relationship between motivation and feedback but also investigate the idea that the one may be able to predict the other.

Many tools exist to help with transcription, and Karen Price’s article presents a succinct account of the different software programs that can be used. Whether you are an experienced transcriber or a beginner and want to know what is out there to help with this aspect of research, her article is very informative.

The final article for this issue, from Priyanvada Abeywickrama, presents research on the topic of nonnative speech in test-taking situations. There are many high-risk tests, such as the TOEFL and TOEIC, and this article presents some interesting findings concerning test takers’ attitudes and performance concerning native, nonnative, and various accents in English by test speakers.

We hope you will take the time to not only read the articles presented by our members but also check out the new directions in which we, your new coeditors, would like to take the Forum. Your feedback and ideas are always welcome.