We are inundated by news everyday about new developments in artificial intelligence (A.I.) that permeate almost every aspect of our lives. The latest news headline as we write this introduction is that A.I. has gone rogue, following two recent back-to-back incidents where OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s powerful A.I. models — Sol and Mythos, respectively — improperly accessed the internet and gained unauthorized access to outside organizations (Satariano et al., 2026Satariano, A., Mozur, P., Gu, J., & Metz, C. (2026, July 29). The impending, inescapable deluge of A.I. The New York Times. https://​www​.nytimes​.com​/interactive​/2026​/07​/29​/technology​/ai​-chips​-data​-center​-boom​.html​?smid​=nytcore​-ios​-shareSatariano, A., Mozur, P., Gu, J., & Metz, C. (2026, July 29). The impending, inescapable deluge of A.I. The New York Times. https://​www​.nytimes​.com​/interactive​/2026​/07​/29​/technology​/ai​-chips​-data​-center​-boom​.html​?smid​=nytcore​-ios​-share). Not surprisingly, these alarming and worrisome incidents have resulted in growing calls for the U.S. government to create a kill switch and also slow the release of the most advanced AI models. This petition is easier said than done, however, given that we have now entered a new global race, one that is characterized by who will dominate the A.I. landscape.

Admittedly, while A.I. features widely within digital spaces — the topical focus of our special issue — we need to remember that digital spaces is a broad church, one that encompasses a slew of contexts and technologies (Stockwell & Wang, 2025Stockwell, G., & Wang, Y. (Eds.) (2025) The Cambridge handbook of technology in language teaching and learning. Cambridge. Stockwell, G., & Wang, Y. (Eds.) (2025) The Cambridge handbook of technology in language teaching and learning. Cambridge. ). And while this special issue, which comprises seven articles and two commentaries, aims to bring together timely insights on applied linguistics in digital spaces, all contributions are centered on digital spaces that relate to language education. In that respect, our collection of papers joins a growing body of work on digitally-inflected language pedagogy (e.g., González-Lloret, 2024González-Lloret, M. (2024) The future of language learning teaching in a technology-mediated 21st century. The Modern Language Journal, 108 (2), 541–547. González-Lloret, M. (2024) The future of language learning teaching in a technology-mediated 21st century. The Modern Language Journal, 108(2), 541–547. ; Green-Eneix & De Costa, 2022Green-Eneix, C., & De Costa, P. I. (2022) Sharing stories around the digital campfire. In H. Kayi-Aydar & J. Reinhardt (Eds.), Language teacher development in digital contexts (pp. 115–134). John Benjamins. Green-Eneix, C., & De Costa, P. I. (2022) Sharing stories around the digital campfire. In H. Kayi-Aydar & J. Reinhardt (Eds.), Language teacher development in digital contexts (pp. 115–134). John Benjamins. ; Mutluoğlu & Balaman, 2023Mutluoğlu, A. K., & Balaman, U. (2023) The use of video enhanced observation in video-mediated post-observation conversations on pre-service EFL teachers’ online practicum teaching. System, 118 , 103151. Mutluoğlu, A. K., & Balaman, U. (2023) The use of video enhanced observation in video-mediated post-observation conversations on pre-service EFL teachers’ online practicum teaching. System, 118, 103151. ) and language assessment (Mirhosseini & De Costa, 2020Mirhosseini, S-A., & De Costa, P. I. (Eds.) (2020) The sociopolitics of English language testing. Bloomsbury. Mirhosseini, S-A., & De Costa, P. I. (Eds.) (2020) The sociopolitics of English language testing. Bloomsbury. ; Ockey & Chukharev-Hudilainen, 2021Ockey, G. J., & Chukharev-Hudilainen, E. (2021) Human versus computer partner in the paired oral discussion test. Applied Linguistics, 42 (5), 924–944. Ockey, G. J., & Chukharev-Hudilainen, E. (2021) Human versus computer partner in the paired oral discussion test. Applied Linguistics, 42(5), 924–944. ), as well as adjacent developments in digital literacy development (e.g., Darvin & Hafner, 2022Darvin, R., & Hafner, C. A. (2022) Digital literacies in TESOL: Mapping out the terrain. TESOL Quarterly, 56 (3), 865–882. Darvin, R., & Hafner, C. A. (2022) Digital literacies in TESOL: Mapping out the terrain. TESOL Quarterly, 56(3), 865–882. ; Kalantzis & Cope, 2025Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2025) Multiliteracies since social media and artificial intelligence. Harvard Educational Review, 95 (1), 135–151. Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2025) Multiliteracies since social media and artificial intelligence. Harvard Educational Review, 95(1), 135–151. ; Kim et al., 2025Kim, N., Lee, V., Mecham, S., & De Costa, P. I. (2025) Problematizing and addressing equity issues in multiliteracies and the use of generative AI: why critical ethical literacy matters. Pedagogies: An International Journal. 21 (2), 200–213. Kim, N., Lee, V., Mecham, S., & De Costa, P. I. (2025) Problematizing and addressing equity issues in multiliteracies and the use of generative AI: why critical ethical literacy matters. Pedagogies: An International Journal. 21(2), 200–213. , 2026Kim, N., Cheung, M. M., Lee, V. W. Y., & De Costa, P. I. (2026) Centering critical digital literacy in the lives of language teaching professionals: A collaborative autoethnographic exploration. System, 137, 103930. Kim, N., Cheung, M. M., Lee, V. W. Y., & De Costa, P. I. (2026) Centering critical digital literacy in the lives of language teaching professionals: A collaborative autoethnographic exploration. System, 137, 103930. ; Lim & Nguyen, 2023Lim, F. V., & Nguyen, T. T. H. (2023) ‘If you have the freedom, you don’t need to even think hard’ — considerations in designing for student agency through digital multimodal composing in the language classroom. Language and Education, 37 (4), 409–427. Lim, F. V., & Nguyen, T. T. H. (2023) ‘If you have the freedom, you don’t need to even think hard’ — considerations in designing for student agency through digital multimodal composing in the language classroom. Language and Education, 37(4), 409–427. ). Crucially, as González-Lloret (this issue)González-Lloret, M. forthcoming). Challenges and affordances in digital spaces: Extending frontiers in applied linguistics commentary. AILA Review. González-Lloret, M. forthcoming). Challenges and affordances in digital spaces: Extending frontiers in applied linguistics commentary. AILA Review. aptly observes, what it means to be a “literate” participant in a globalized world needs to be (re)evaluated in light of the rapid evolution of digital technologies. But we also need to recognize, as emphasized by Hafner (this issue)Hafner, C. A. forthcoming). Digital spaces and language learning: Process, creativity, criticality, and power. AILA Review. Hafner, C. A. forthcoming). Digital spaces and language learning: Process, creativity, criticality, and power. AILA Review. , that digital tools and spaces function as socio-technical structures that involve ideological power struggles between platforms and their users. Put simply, such tools and spaces are not neutral. Their lack of neutrality has led to a digital backlash that has taken several forms: a ban on social media for children under 15 (France) and 16 (Australia), as well as protests against the building of A.I. data centers worldwide because of threats to the communities around these centers.

Indeed, the development of digital spaces cannot and should not be examined within a vacuum. Instead, they need to be problematized in relation to broader sociopolitical issues such as the lack of epistemic access encountered by communities in the Global South (Heugh et al., 2022Heugh, K., French, M., Arya, V., Pham, M., Tudini, V., Billinghurst, N., Tippett, N., Chang, L. C., Nichola, J., & Viljoen, J.-M. (2022) Multilingualism, translanguaging and transknowledging. AILA Review, 35 (1), 89–127. Heugh, K., French, M., Arya, V., Pham, M., Tudini, V., Billinghurst, N., Tippett, N., Chang, L. C., Nichola, J., & Viljoen, J.-M. (2022) Multilingualism, translanguaging and transknowledging. AILA Review, 35(1), 89–127. ) because curtailed access can detrimentally impact language learners (Chang & Heugh, this issueChang, L. C., & Heugh, K. forthcoming). Translation technology, translanguaging and transknowledging in multilingual students’ academic writing. AILA Review. Chang, L. C., & Heugh, K. forthcoming). Translation technology, translanguaging and transknowledging in multilingual students’ academic writing. AILA Review. ) and teachers (Hendriwanto & De Costa, 2026Hendriwanto, H., & De Costa, P. I. (2026) Decolonizing academic writing pedagogy in the age of Generative AI: A case study of a pre-service English teacher in Indonesia. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 29 (1), 51–73. Hendriwanto, H., & De Costa, P. I. (2026) Decolonizing academic writing pedagogy in the age of Generative AI: A case study of a pre-service English teacher in Indonesia. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 29(1), 51–73. ), who often do not have access to educational resources. At the same time, within language education, we are increasingly having to deal with the growing commercialization of online instruction (Curran & Jenks, 2023Curran, N. M., & Jenks, C. (2023) Gig economy teaching: On the importance and dangers of self-branding in online markets. Applied Linguistics, 44 (3), 442–461. Curran, N. M., & Jenks, C. (2023) Gig economy teaching: On the importance and dangers of self-branding in online markets. Applied Linguistics, 44(3), 442–461. ; Wang & Curran, this issueWang, J., & Curran, N. M. forthcoming). Selling language teacher identity on social media: Charting the diverse paths to monetization. AILA Review. Wang, J., & Curran, N. M. forthcoming). Selling language teacher identity on social media: Charting the diverse paths to monetization. AILA Review. ) because of the emergence of gig economy teaching, as well as the politicization and weaponization of education systems (De Costa et al., 2022De Costa, P. I., Lee, H., & Lee, V. (2022) Weaponizing and de-weaponizing antiracist discourse: Some things for language teacher educators to consider. International Journal of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education, 2 , 98–107. De Costa, P. I., Lee, H., & Lee, V. (2022) Weaponizing and de-weaponizing antiracist discourse: Some things for language teacher educators to consider. International Journal of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education, 2, 98–107. ) that in turn have resulted in fraught classrooms; such classrooms can certainly benefit from better intercultural communication and understanding (Balaman, this issueBalaman, U. forthcoming). Dealing with topics of potential cross-cultural sensitivity among transnational groups of pre-service language teachers in video-mediated virtual exchange interactions. AILA Review. Balaman, U. forthcoming). Dealing with topics of potential cross-cultural sensitivity among transnational groups of pre-service language teachers in video-mediated virtual exchange interactions. AILA Review. ). In that respect, the emergence of digital spaces does offer a glimpse of hope in helping us correct imbalances and injustices that pervade school and society. For example, in their call for digital equity, Michalovich and Darvin (this issue)Michalovich, A., & Darvin, R. forthcoming). Toward digital equity: A critical model of digital multimodal composing. AILA Review. Michalovich, A., & Darvin, R. forthcoming). Toward digital equity: A critical model of digital multimodal composing. AILA Review. put forward a critical model of digital multimodal composing (DMC) that values the repertoires of diverse learners and expands the conditions of possibility for composing.

In a similar vein, in their review of opportunities associated with emerging technologies and oral language assessment, Ockey & Aseeri’s (this issue)Ockey, G. J., & Aseeri, F. M. forthcoming). Opportunities associated with emerging technologies and oral language assessment. AILA Review. Ockey, G. J., & Aseeri, F. M. forthcoming). Opportunities associated with emerging technologies and oral language assessment. AILA Review. recommendation that large language models (LLMs) be used to create various speech varieties with different accent strengths to allow for accommodation — and thus for flexible assessment to occur — offers hope for the future. Such hope needs to be tempered with reality checks, however. As Wang and Curran (this issue)Wang, J., & Curran, N. M. forthcoming). Selling language teacher identity on social media: Charting the diverse paths to monetization. AILA Review. Wang, J., & Curran, N. M. forthcoming). Selling language teacher identity on social media: Charting the diverse paths to monetization. AILA Review. rightly alert us, we need to be wary of social media teaching content because the platformization of language teaching does not necessarily translate to greater equity; this is because the monetization of online instruction and the commercial logic that underpins it merely shifts power away from established institutions (e.g., universities) and into the hands of profit-driven platforms and their owners (Curran & Jenks, 2025Curran, N. M. & Jenks, C. (2025) Platformization of language education. Applied Linguistics Review. Curran, N. M. & Jenks, C. (2025) Platformization of language education. Applied Linguistics Review. ).

Another challenge in digital spaces that we need to contend with is the palpable threat that technology may pose to cognitive development among learners. In their survey of language instructors, Kessler et al. (this issue)Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. report on the tensions between the instructors’ perceptions of GenAI’s usefulness and their beliefs regarding its ethicality; notably, the use of GenAI tools is deemed acceptable only if they are deployed for scaffolding purposes and not production (i.e., actual academic writing). Relatedly, Chang and Heugh (this issue)Chang, L. C., & Heugh, K. forthcoming). Translation technology, translanguaging and transknowledging in multilingual students’ academic writing. AILA Review. Chang, L. C., & Heugh, K. forthcoming). Translation technology, translanguaging and transknowledging in multilingual students’ academic writing. AILA Review. remind us that while AI developments with ChatGPT and other technologies may have overtaken machine translation (MT) systems, their outputs are not yet reliable or error-free. Importantly, while they emphasize the significance of human cognition and interaction with the technology, especially in high-stakes settings, the authors strike an optimistic tone by illustrating that multilingual students do actively engage in transknowledging (i.e., reciprocal or two-way exchange and translation of knowledge), as they draw on their rich linguistic repertoires and technological capabilities to evaluate the appropriateness of translation produced by MT before making post editing decisions during academic writing. In both papers, Kessler et al. (this issue)Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. and Chang and Heugh (this issue)Chang, L. C., & Heugh, K. forthcoming). Translation technology, translanguaging and transknowledging in multilingual students’ academic writing. AILA Review. Chang, L. C., & Heugh, K. forthcoming). Translation technology, translanguaging and transknowledging in multilingual students’ academic writing. AILA Review. underscore the importance of engaging in ethical academic practices, a stance that is consistent with the wider ethical turn in applied linguistics (De Costa, 2024De Costa, P. I. (2024) What’s ethics got to do with applied linguistics?: Revisiting the past, considering the present, and predicting the future of our field. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 3 (1). De Costa, P. I. (2024) What’s ethics got to do with applied linguistics?: Revisiting the past, considering the present, and predicting the future of our field. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 3(1). ; Farangi et al., 2025Farangi, M. R., Nejadghanbar, H., & Hu, G. (2025) Use of generative AI in research: ethical considerations and emotional experiences. Ethics & Behavior, 35 (7), 527–543. Farangi, M. R., Nejadghanbar, H., & Hu, G. (2025) Use of generative AI in research: ethical considerations and emotional experiences. Ethics & Behavior, 35(7), 527–543. , Kessler et al., 2023Kessler, M., Marino, F., & Liska, D. (2023) Netnographic research ethics in applied linguistics: A systematic review of data collection and reporting practices. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2 (3), 100082. Kessler, M., Marino, F., & Liska, D. (2023) Netnographic research ethics in applied linguistics: A systematic review of data collection and reporting practices. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2(3), 100082. ). One could argue that ethics also needs to extend to how learners are assessed. In their systematic review of assessment of digital multimodal composing (DMC), Liu and Lim (this issue)Liu, Y., & Lim, F. V. forthcoming). Challenges and affordances in the assessment of digital multimodal composing: A systematic review. AILA Review. Liu, Y., & Lim, F. V. forthcoming). Challenges and affordances in the assessment of digital multimodal composing: A systematic review. AILA Review. posit that because DMC assessment depends on the co-design efforts of teachers, students, and researchers, such collaboration democratizes assessment. In the spirit of democratizing assessment, they add that a reframing of assessment rubrics is necessary; specifically, DMC assessment needs to take on a process-oriented and dynamic dimension — one that captures the multifaceted and emergent DMC learning outcomes. In short, ethics in applied linguistics matters, as several papers in this special issue illustrate.

Equally noteworthy in the papers that follow is the methodological diversity embraced by the contributing authors. In complementarity with contemporary methodologies such as netnography (De Costa et al., 2026De Costa, P. I., Kim, N., & Mecham, S. (2026) Netnography and digital ethnographic approaches. In M. Kessler (Ed.), Digital and internet-based research methods in applied linguistics (pp. 58–80). John Benjamins. De Costa, P. I., Kim, N., & Mecham, S. (2026) Netnography and digital ethnographic approaches. In M. Kessler (Ed.), Digital and internet-based research methods in applied linguistics (pp. 58–80). John Benjamins. ) that are increasingly deployed to conduct research in digital spaces, the reader is treated to a host of alternate methodologies that are adopted in the different studies; these methodologies include multimodal conversation analysis (Balaman, this issueBalaman, U. forthcoming). Dealing with topics of potential cross-cultural sensitivity among transnational groups of pre-service language teachers in video-mediated virtual exchange interactions. AILA Review. Balaman, U. forthcoming). Dealing with topics of potential cross-cultural sensitivity among transnational groups of pre-service language teachers in video-mediated virtual exchange interactions. AILA Review. ), action research (Chang & Heugh), mixed methods (Kessler et al., this issueKessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. ), systematic review (Liu & Lim, this issueLiu, Y., & Lim, F. V. forthcoming). Challenges and affordances in the assessment of digital multimodal composing: A systematic review. AILA Review. Liu, Y., & Lim, F. V. forthcoming). Challenges and affordances in the assessment of digital multimodal composing: A systematic review. AILA Review. ), and a walk-through method blended with multimodal analysis (Wang & Curran, this issueWang, J., & Curran, N. M. forthcoming). Selling language teacher identity on social media: Charting the diverse paths to monetization. AILA Review. Wang, J., & Curran, N. M. forthcoming). Selling language teacher identity on social media: Charting the diverse paths to monetization. AILA Review. ). At the same time, we also need to take note of the need to examine underrepresented populations. A case in point is the instructors of languages other than English (LOTEs) that we encounter in Kessler et al.’s (this issue)Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. ; these teachers constitute a welcome departure from a focus on teachers of English that seems to dominate applied linguistics.

As stated, seven studies make up the core of this special issue. It is to these studies that we turn briefly next. Focusing on video-mediated interactions during a six-week long virtual exchange project involving Turkish and Polish pre-service undergraduate and master’s students in English language teaching, Balaman (this issue)Balaman, U. forthcoming). Dealing with topics of potential cross-cultural sensitivity among transnational groups of pre-service language teachers in video-mediated virtual exchange interactions. AILA Review. Balaman, U. forthcoming). Dealing with topics of potential cross-cultural sensitivity among transnational groups of pre-service language teachers in video-mediated virtual exchange interactions. AILA Review. draws on multimodal conversation analysis to study how the two sets of participants successfully navigated spontaneous sensitive conversations. Notably, he illustrates how interactional resources such as smiling and choral laughter, evasive responses, and counter arguments can help interlocutors avoid contentious interactions. According to Balaman, such intercultural understanding was possible in part because of the shared history of working together through the virtual exchange project. Based on his findings, Balaman recommends that teacher educators with similar interests consider virtual exchange projects in the future in order to support critical cross-cultural interactions among their pre-service teachers.

In their review of research examining technology in oral communication assessment, Ockey and Aseeri (this issue)Ockey, G. J., & Aseeri, F. M. forthcoming). Opportunities associated with emerging technologies and oral language assessment. AILA Review. Ockey, G. J., & Aseeri, F. M. forthcoming). Opportunities associated with emerging technologies and oral language assessment. AILA Review. discuss specific technologies that have been leveraged to support oral communication assessment, namely, video-mediated tools, virtual reality, and spoken dialogue systems. Specifically, they examine the assessment of interactional competence (as opposed to other constructs such as fluency, pronunciation, etc.), which is a challenging aspect of oral communication to assess. From their review, Ockey and Aseeri illustrate how interactional competence may differ across various in-person and virtual assessment settings. Given the differences between oral communication in technology-mediated assessment and in-person assessment, they underscore the importance of attention to assessment constructs and recommend prioritizing test designers’ assessment literacy and training in selecting tools for different purposes and testing contexts.

Drawing on Southern theories of multilingualism, Chang and Heugh (this issue)Chang, L. C., & Heugh, K. forthcoming). Translation technology, translanguaging and transknowledging in multilingual students’ academic writing. AILA Review. Chang, L. C., & Heugh, K. forthcoming). Translation technology, translanguaging and transknowledging in multilingual students’ academic writing. AILA Review. connect translation processes with translanguaging and transknowledging, as well as academic integrity. In their action research micro-study, they report on an intervention with Chinese-speaking postgraduate students. Specifically, they examined the students’ use of human translation, machine translation, and post-editing. Their findings revealed that the students used various combinations of the three translation modes, especially employing translation technology to aid with comprehension and reduce similarity between their own writing and the original texts. The authors surmise that machine translation and post-editing may help students with comprehension and support them in avoiding plagiarism. Notably, they also show how translation technologies helped students deploy their existing language and knowledge while also expanding linguistic and disciplinary knowledge.

Wang and Curran (this issue)Wang, J., & Curran, N. M. forthcoming). Selling language teacher identity on social media: Charting the diverse paths to monetization. AILA Review. Wang, J., & Curran, N. M. forthcoming). Selling language teacher identity on social media: Charting the diverse paths to monetization. AILA Review. demonstrate how two self-styled English language teachers leveraged diverse monetization strategies on Douyin, and examine the impact of the teachers’ platformization on their language teaching content and teacher identities. One platform language teacher maintained some aspect of an online English teacher persona through incorporating English vocabulary lessons tailored to the product he advertised. The other teacher, however, featured English teaching related content mostly in her earlier videos, with most later videos capitalizing on her platform persona and early fame as an authoritative English language professional to market products on behalf of primarily non-language teaching related brands. As such, Wang and Curran argue that the lines between language teaching, advertisement, and entertainment are more blurred than ever.

Kessler et al. (this issue)Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. Kessler, M., Kim, J., Akay, M., & Ferronato, T. forthcoming). Generative artificial intelligence and foreign language learning: L2 teachers’ perceptions of utility and ethics. AILA Review. investigate how university instructors of languages other than English perceive GenAI tools for L2 learning. They found that a small minority (8%) considered GenAI use inherently unethical, citing plagiarism, copyright concerns, and doubts about GenAI’s educational value. In contrast, roughly 92% believed GenAI use was ethical for specific purposes. Further, while the teachers most readily endorsed GenAI uses that supported or scaffolded learning, they were skeptical of uses involving direct content production. These findings suggest that teachers closely associate a tool’s ethicality with whether it supports student learning rather than replaces student effort. The authors subsequently recommend discipline-specific classroom policies, some of which may be co-created with students, to protect learning integrity while leveraging the benefits of GenAI.

In their conceptual article, Michalovich and Darvin (this issue)Michalovich, A., & Darvin, R. forthcoming). Toward digital equity: A critical model of digital multimodal composing. AILA Review. Michalovich, A., & Darvin, R. forthcoming). Toward digital equity: A critical model of digital multimodal composing. AILA Review. review recent DMC research, noting that despite an emphasis on DMC as a resource for student empowerment, there has been a lack of explicit attention to power in DMC processes. They then introduce a critical model of DMC, drawing on Darvin and Norton’s (2015)Darvin, R., & Norton, B. (2015) Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35 , 36–56. Darvin, R., & Norton, B. (2015) Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, 36–56. investment model, that underscores the non-linear processes of DMC: gathering, imagining, integrating, reflecting, and sharing. In particular, they posit that learners using DMC might experience distribution and negotiation of their identities, constraints on access and other material considerations, and the role of ideological forces in their composition processes and materials. They subsequently call for increased critical reflexivity in order to attend to ways DMC may reinforce or interrupt unequal power relations.

Liu and Lim (this issue)Liu, Y., & Lim, F. V. forthcoming). Challenges and affordances in the assessment of digital multimodal composing: A systematic review. AILA Review. Liu, Y., & Lim, F. V. forthcoming). Challenges and affordances in the assessment of digital multimodal composing: A systematic review. AILA Review. examine how DMC is assessed in classrooms through a PRISMA-guided systematic review, where they identified 17 studies, which together yielded 20 distinct DMC assessment cases. Their findings revealed that assessments most frequently targeted language proficiency, multimodal competencies (e.g., selecting and integrating semiotic resources), and broader transversal outcomes (e.g., creativity, collaboration, and digital fluency). Liu and Lim report that most assessment schemes, which were product-oriented and summative, focused primarily on final artifacts rather than on students’ composing processes. The authors therefore call for more adaptive, process-oriented, and technology-supported assessment approaches, including learning analytics and AI-assisted feedback. They also advocate for participatory, co-designed assessment practices involving teachers, students, and researchers.

We hope that the broad scope of this special issue will appeal to you — applied linguists with a variety of interests and who are committed to developing a better understanding of digital aspects of our field. We also hope that the findings of the research presented in this special issue and the issues raised by our colleagues will help facilitate educators’ and policymakers’ evidence-based decisions, especially as we engage in and shape an enduring conversation on digital spaces in general and AI in particular (Martinez et al., 2026Martinez, R., Martinez, G., & Curle, S. (2026) Shaping an enduring conversation on AI in applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 47 (2), 191–192. Martinez, R., Martinez, G., & Curle, S. (2026) Shaping an enduring conversation on AI in applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 47(2), 191–192. ) in applied linguistics.