A concluding synthesis

The conclusion to the volume reflects on the rich epistemologies readily visible in work on multimodality in L2 research and displayed in the original empirical research contributions to the volume. We describe how “multimodality” and “second language (L2) research” were interpreted by contributors and provide an overview of the multimodal resources and L2 contexts they examined. We synthesize the epistemological diversity shown across chapters by presenting an analysis of cross-cutting epistemological themes, identifying relationships among the contexts of study (classroom versus non-classroom), sources of data (naturalistic, elicited, or experimental), and type of analyses (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed). Finally, we highlight promising directions for future research, emphasizing in particular the need for more mixed research designs with quantitative and qualitative analyses of both groups and individuals, and more naturalistic research of L2 interactions outside of classroom settings.