The editorial team welcomes you to AILA Review’s 1st issue of the 38th volume, which showcases the disciplinary breadth of our field. Although applied linguistic research has a history of diversity in theoretical perspectives and empirical foci, the field was in its early years predominately concerned with second language acquisition and classroom teaching and learning. This interest in pedagogy and language development can be found in AILA Review, which has a long track record of publishing work that examines what goes on in classrooms: for instance, special issues in the early years of the Journal were published on themes in second language acquisition (Bardovi-Harlig & Dörnyei, 2006Bardovi-Harlig, K. & Dörnyei, Z. (2006) Themes in SLA research. AILA Review, 19. Bardovi-Harlig, K. & Dörnyei, Z. (2006) Themes in SLA research. AILA Review, 19. ) and content-language instruction in higher education (Smit & Dafouz, 2010Smit, U. & Dafouz, E. (2010) Integrating content and language in higher education: Gaining insights into English-medium instruction at European universities. AILA Review, 25.Smit, U. & Dafouz, E. (2010) Integrating content and language in higher education: Gaining insights into English-medium instruction at European universities. AILA Review, 25.).

The field, as well as AILA Review, has since evolved into a truly interdisciplinary body of work that draws from scholarship in allied fields, such as education, sociology, and anthropology. While such work reflects natural, if not obvious, interdisciplinary bridges, applied linguists have in recent years branched out to other areas of study, including biology, economics, law, and even physics. Such work is a testament to applied linguists’ commitment to investigating social issues in which language is a central issue (Brumfit, 1995Brumfit, Brumfit C. J. (1995) Teacher professionalism and research. In G. Cook & B. Seidlhofer (Eds.), Principle and practice in applied linguistics (pp. 27–41). Oxford University Press.Brumfit, Brumfit C. J. (1995) Teacher professionalism and research. In G. Cook & B. Seidlhofer (Eds.), Principle and practice in applied linguistics (pp. 27–41). Oxford University Press.). This diversity in perspectives and interests is expected given how societies continue to mature into an interconnected global community dependent on technology, mutual political and economic interests, and human migration, to name a few.

Interdisciplinarity is indeed core to applied linguistic research: this observation is most evident in the community outreach and transformational studies that have been published over the years. In such works, the needs of the research participants, exogenous theories, or disciplinary interests that exist outside of applied linguistics are used to guide the empirical process (see, for example, Pennycook’s 2018Pennycook, A. (2018) Applied linguistics as epistemic assemblage. AILA Review, 31(1), 113–134. Pennycook, A. (2018) Applied linguistics as epistemic assemblage. AILA Review, 31(1), 113–134. work in this journal). It can be said that applied linguistic research is most impactful when its empirical interests are aligned with, and evolve alongside, the individuals and communities that represent the foci of our investigations (cf. circular applied linguistics; see Jenks, 2024Jenks, C. J. (2024) Circular applied linguistics: A model for impactful, inclusive, and sustainable research. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 35(1), 420–435. Jenks, C. J. (2024) Circular applied linguistics: A model for impactful, inclusive, and sustainable research. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 35(1), 420–435. ). Furthermore, while applied linguists have much to contribute in the way of understanding language and communication, the field can only advance when it utilizes the frameworks and theories developed in other disciplines.

To this end, the four contributions in this issue provide a glimpse into the empirical diversity that exists within, and the interdisciplinary nature of, applied linguistics.

The first paper by Zainab Mohammad Gaffas explores the linguistic challenges faced by Saudi Arabian medical students in English-medium instruction (EMI) contexts. EMI-based programs are becoming increasingly common in global higher education, and therefore the paper adds to the growing body of important work that maps out the challenges of teaching content through English. Grounded in cognitive load theory (Sweller et al., 2011Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011) Cognitive load theory. Springer. Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011) Cognitive load theory. Springer. ), the research investigates how variations in English proficiency influences students’ cognitive load and academic performance. The study draws on the EMI challenges scale (Aizawa et al., 2023Aizawa, I., Rose, H., Thompson, G., & Curle, S. (2023) Beyond the threshold: Exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English medium instruction programme. Language Teaching Research, 27(4), 837–861. Aizawa, I., Rose, H., Thompson, G., & Curle, S. (2023) Beyond the threshold: Exploring English language proficiency, linguistic challenges, and academic language skills of Japanese students in an English medium instruction programme. Language Teaching Research, 27(4), 837–861. ) to examine the linguistic challenges that exist within the four language skills and across gender, academic discipline, and year of study. This paper adds to the under-researched area of EMI in medical education in the Middle East context (Alanazi & Curle, 2024Alanazi, K., & Curle, S. (2024) Challenges experienced by students studying medicine through English medium instruction. Frontiers in Education, 9.Alanazi, K., & Curle, S. (2024) Challenges experienced by students studying medicine through English medium instruction. Frontiers in Education, 9.). The authors’ findings underscore the need for targeted language support programs, including further training in English for medical purposes (EMP), and to tackle cognitive overload and support academic achievement in EMI settings. The study is promising in its provision of grounded evidence for syllabi planners and educators to reconsider the structure of EMI programs in non-Anglophone university contexts. This is achieved thanks to the focus on students’ self-perceived language challenges, and how this psychological variable impacts academic success.

The second paper by Joseph Siegel, Masako Kumazawa, and Beatrice Zuaro emerges from a collaborative workshop held at the AILA 2024 World Congress. The paper calls for increased cross-contextual studies on EMI issues, drawing from research in Japan, Sweden, and Italy. The authors highlight the challenges of comparing EMI programs across studies and institutional contexts, and promote the adoption of shared analytical tools, such as the ROAD-MAPPING framework (Dafouz & Smit, 2020Dafouz, E., & Smit, U. (2020) ROAD-MAPPING English medium education in the internationalised university. Palgrave. Dafouz, E., & Smit, U. (2020) ROAD-MAPPING English medium education in the internationalised university. Palgrave. ). Three categories of comparison are explored: policy, people, and practices and processes. By demonstrating the potential of comparative analysis, this paper shows that shared frameworks do not simplify contextual particularities but rather shed light upon them. This constitutes an innovative approach in EMI research that enables more nuanced cross-cultural analyses. In addition, the paper identifies five pressing issues in EMI scholarship: the relationship between EMI and internationalization, quality and ethics in language policy, justice and equity in access to EMI, the criteria of “success” in EMI, and the commodification of education (Aizawa & Rose, 2019Aizawa, I., & Rose, H. (2019) An analysis of Japan’s English as medium of instruction initiatives within higher education: The gap between meso-level policy and micro-level practice. Higher Education, 77, 1125–1142. Aizawa, I., & Rose, H. (2019) An analysis of Japan’s English as medium of instruction initiatives within higher education: The gap between meso-level policy and micro-level practice. Higher Education, 77, 1125–1142. ). In so doing, the authors place EMI research within broader discussions of neoliberal global trends and emergent social issues.

In the third paper, Michael Yeldham and Rainbow Tsai-Hung Chen present a novel, quantitative perspective on the examination of reactivity in second language listener verbal reports (VRs). Comparing the listening comprehension between Mandarin second language learners of English completing VRs and those in a control group with recall protocols, the authors discover a lack of significant reactive effects for L2 listener VRs. This finding bears implications for academic investigations of listening comprehension, suggesting that verbal reports constitute an appropriate examination tool for studies focusing on L2 listener behaviors. Additionally, the authors found some effect of VR’s style on the degree of comprehension; however, the lack of a control group in the study means that no conclusions regarding reactivity can be made. Of course, this is not a criticism, but rather an opportunity for future research to build on current understandings of listening comprehension.

The last paper by Akshay Mendhakar, Katarzyna Sierak, Kirren Chana, and Helmut Leder investigates the impact of media on reading behavior. The authors compare the reading of 80 university students across different digital media (a PC screen, a handheld e-reader, and an iPad) and print books using eye-tracking measurements. The authors discovered a number of noteworthy differences between digital and print media, including the tendency to read less on PC platforms. Other notable findings include the observation that e-reading behaviors resemble print reading practices. Such findings build on the larger body of work within the field of human-computer interaction that is dedicated to showing how technological tools can be exploited for the benefit of research praxis. Similarly, the contribution made in the fourth paper lies in its systematic comparison of different reading practices across a range of media types using sophisticated eye tracking tools that uncover the extent to which technology assists in the mundane task of reading.