Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p> Instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) is a discipline that focuses on discovering how second languages are learned and how the learning processes can be facilitated in instructed settings. ISLA research endeavors to contribute to the real‐world second language education by, for instance, conducting quasi‐experimental studies in which the impact of a pedagogical technique on second language learning is tested. The current section of <jats:italic>the Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics</jats:italic> (2 <jats:sup> <jats:italic>nd</jats:italic> </jats:sup> <jats:italic>ed</jats:italic> ) hosts 52 entries written by world‐renowned researchers of a variety of topics who showcase the current issues and future directions of ISLA research. The current introductory entry is organized into four sections: (a) theoretical issues, (b) pedagogical issues, (c) pedagogical targets, and (d) pedagogical frameworks. In each section, the individual entries are referred to so that the reader can go to them to understand the issues further. </jats:p>