The 2024 Albert Valdman Award

As readers know, this special issue represents a long overdue milestone for both the journal and field because it is the first to bring together a series of replication studies about second language acquisition (SLA).In doing so, this collection showcases exemplary standards in replication study design and reporting to strengthen and benefit the field for years to come.The special issue also serves as an excellent pedagogical resource for teaching and learning about the place and importance of replication studies in the field.My introduction counters pervasive myths that continue to harm and weaken the discipline (i.e., false claims that replications lack originality and innovation), while also laying the groundwork for new developments that are key to the conduct of high-quality replication studies (e.g., questions about study selection, variable modification, and the replicability of effects).Of course, this work would not have been possible without the solid contributions of the authors whose work is published in the special issue.Their contributions are immense, and it has been an honour for me to work with them in bringing this work to publication.At the same time, discussions of replication in SLA are not new.I want to acknowledge the significant contributions of many others who have been at forefront of these discussions over the years, especially Graeme Porte.Graeme's pioneering work has drawn attention to the need for replication studies in the field and his journal has been at the forefront of disseminating high-quality replications for years.If all journals took replication studies as seriously as Language Teaching and SSLA, then the discipline would be in a much better state.