367 Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching Department of English Studies, Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz SSLLT 5 (3). 2015. 367-369 doi: 10.14746/ssllt.2015.5.3.1 http://www.ssllt.amu.edu.pl Editorial This is the second of two special issues of Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching emerging from the first Psychology in Language Learning (PLL) conference, which took place in May 2014 at the University of Graz, Austria. In the first special issue, we observed how much research into the psychology of language learning and teaching is expanding both thematically and methodo- logically. In this second special issue, we hone in on some of the core issues that we believe are likely to feature prominently on the future research agenda, namely, emotions, the self, and contexts. In the first paper in this collection, Rebecca Oxford presents a powerful case for the relevance of theories of emotion to the study of language learning. In her paper, she describes several theories of emotion, eclectically drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, and philosophy to explain how those theories may apply to language learning. In fact, Oxford goes beyond merely suggesting a greater role for understanding emotion in accounts of language learning; her scholarly and eloquently argued paper implies that discussions of language learner psychology that exclude emotions are inherently deficient. Ox- ford’s call is echoed by Anne Chateau and Peggy Candas, who investigate the connections between emotions and autonomy. Autonomy is one of the most established and widely discussed psychological constructs in language learning, yet Chateau and Candas identify an absence of an emotional component in dis- cussions of autonomy. Their analysis of the logbooks of learners of English at a French university explores how traces of emotion affect processes of autono- mization in those learners. Remaining in the area of autonomy, Leena Karlsson investigates the identity development of learners on an autonomous learning programme at a Finnish university, focusing on one student’s search for an Eng- lish-using self. Through an analysis of the learner’s diary, the study highlights a range of interconnections between learner autonomy, learner identity, and the construction of an L2-using self. The next two papers are very much concerned 368 with the development of the self in context. Virag Csillagh’s study looks at learn- ers of English in the multilingual Swiss learning context. In addition to a highly informative account of the Swiss learning context, her paper offers a thought- provoking sub-narrative that almost represents a separate ethnographic study in its own right; in her study, Csillagh starts out by following a relatively conven- tional path using established concepts and methods, yet these prove not to be sufficiently sensitive for the specific demands of the Swiss context and she ends her paper by calling for fresh approaches to research and methodological inno- vation. Joanna Rokita-Jaśkow’s paper moves away from the university learning context to provide a much needed consideration of young language learners. In particular, the study examines the family context and the role of parental aspi- rations in the identity formation of these young learners. In the final empirical paper, Carol Griffiths and Gökhan Cansiz offer a timely historical perspective. Using the 40th anniversary of Joan Rubin’s influential ‘good language learner’ article as a reference point, they provide a real sense of just how much things have changed over the past forty years, while at the same time, revealing how we are still battling with many of the same fundamental issues. Their paper ex- amines the complex and sometimes controversial issue of language learners’ use of strategies, which is seen as representing a key interface between the in- ner mental world of learners and actual behaviour. In their study, they first look, from a quantitative perspective, at the strategy use of a number of proficient users of English from around the world, and follow this with a qualitative inves- tigation of the strategy use of one particular individual. Their paper ends with a call for greater methodological plurality in future strategies research. All of the empirical papers in this special issue focus on the psychology of the learner, so we are delighted that the final paper in this collection, Masako Kumazawa’s review of Magdalena Kubanyiova’s Teacher Development in Action turns the spotlight on to the psychology of teachers, and in particular concep- tual change within language teachers. The review serves as an important re- minder that if we wish to explore ‘psychology in language learning’, this must include the psychology of the teachers and not just that of the learners. A key theme running through the Graz conference was the recognition that even the best designed materials and pedagogical practices will fail if we do not bear in mind the inherently social, emotional and very human dimen- sions to language learning. We hope that the various papers in this special issue and the proceeding one have remained true to the spirit of the conference and have expanded on some of the key emerging themes. We also very much hope that these papers will stimulate interest in the second PLL conference scheduled to take place in Finland in August 2016 (https://www.jyu.fi/en/congress/pll2016). We believe this conference will provide an exciting opportunity to be a part of 369 a major shift in how we think about language learning, the central role of psy- chology in language learning, and the methodological challenges and options available for the task of understanding those processes. We hope to see many of you there and look forward to hearing about your own experiences and ideas about research. Sarah Mercer University of Graz, Austria sarah.mercer@uni-graz.at Stephen Ryan Senshu University, Tokyo, Japan ryan@isc.senshu-u.ac.jp