Editorial introduction to the first issue

Dear EJAL Readers,
Welcome to our inaugural issue of Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics (EJAL). Why a new applied linguistics journal? That was the very question Hüseyin Öz and I had to find an answer to when we had the idea of launching a new journal. This was especially challenging and daunting in an era where there has been a literal boom of academic journals both at home and overseas. Further, publishing a journal online (if not in print) without a budget meant an incredible commitment. The answer to the first was evident in that there was an abundance of journals in applied linguistics and language teaching from second language contexts, with relatively fewer outlets for research originating from foreign language contexts. Therefore, there was an obvious need for a new journal that would accommodate good quality research and theoretical discussions from a wide range of linguistic contexts including both second and foreign language environments. The answer to our latter concern remained unsolved. We had to commit many unpaid yet well-spent hours for the preparation of this opening issue. The outcome, we hope, is worth it.