Following Atkinson’s (2002) proposal for what a sociocognitive approach to instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) should focus on to consider L2 learners not merely as an input receptacle but as members of their social context, this chapter contrasts the levels of critical language awareness (CLA) between L2-Spanish learners enrolled in Tier-I and II courses. It is a first attempt at eliciting data from L2 learners about CLA in the larger context of L2 advancedness. We have seen that some awareness begins to emerge after taking content courses, but our results only show trends. Future studies should continue this line of research in two ways: 1) by gathering multi-site data of current Spanish curricula to gauge what the state of our advanced students is in regard to CLA and general identity as L2 learners and L2 speakers; and 2) by following up the first set of data collection with a redesign of their Spanish programs, marking that as the starting point of a longitudinal study that could chronicle changes in both students’ CLA levels and in the construction of their identities as L2 learners.

The present chapter provides an overview of the book by introducing its main tenet, advancedness, a term coined by Ortega and Brynes (2008), in the context of higher education. It also conceptualizes L2 learners as actors on a global stage, emphasizing the importance of their views of language use and of their own identity as L2 learners. It then provides an overview of the book. Through quantitative and qualitative analyses, Part I examines L2 Spanish learners’ beliefs about, and assessment of, advanced-level oral Spanish in social and cognitive contexts, and posits hypotheses about L2 learner identity. Part II taps into language ideologies of professionals working in the field of foreign/second languages in higher education. Quantitative and qualitative analyses yield individual as well as institutional biases about bilingualism and the “ideal” L2 speaker. Finally, Part III addresses assessment of advancedness through the lens of critical language awareness and L2 learner identity using mixed methodologies. The book’s last chapter presents conclusions based on the findings of its studies and makes a call to continue investigating advancedness from a sociocognitive perspective.