System is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering the applications of educational technology and applied linguistics to problems of foreign language teaching and learning. It was established in 1973 and has been published by Elsevier since 1991. Until 2013, the journal published four issues per year. In 2014, it published six issues, and since 2015 it has published eight issues per year. Since October 2019 (volume 85), articles have been published electronically only.
Abstracting, indexing, and ranking The journal is abstracted and indexed in:
According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal had a 2025 impact factor of 8.0, ranking it 5th out of 312 journals in the category "Linguistics" and 16th out of 762 journals in the category "Education".
Editors , the editors-in-chief are Mairin Hennebry-Leung (University of Melbourne), Chun Lai (University of Hong Kong), Jim McKinley (University College London), and Yongyan Zheng (Fudan University).
Former editors Former editors of the journal include:
Editor Affiliation Term Norman Davies Linköping University 1973–2010 James A. Coleman Open University 2010–2013 Lluïsa Astruc Open University 2013–2017 Sarah Mercer University of Graz 2013–2017 Xuesong (Andy) Gao University of New South Wales 2014–2021 Ursula Stickler Open University 2014–2019 Lawrence Jun Zhang University of Auckland 2016–2024 Marta González-Lloret University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2017–2021 Idoia Elola Texas Tech University 2020–2025
Associate editors At different points in its history, System has appointed associate editors with responsibility for handling manuscript submissions and peer review, a role commensurate with journal editor leadership. From 2010 to 2013, James A. Coleman served as editor-in-chief with Lluïsa Astruc, Regine Hampel and, during 2013, Xuesong (Andy) Gao serving as associate editors. Following Coleman's departure, the journal adopted a co-editor structure without a separate associate-editor tier. The associate-editor role was later reintroduced as the journal's editorial structure expanded. Several associate editors, including Idoia Elola, Yongyan Zheng and Chun Lai, later became editors-in-chief.
Associate editor Term Lluïsa Astruc 2011–2013 Regine Hampel 2011–2013 Xuesong (Andy) Gao 2013 Idoia Elola 2019–2020 Vincent Greenier 2022–2025 Nathan Thomas 2023–present M. Camino Bueno-Alastuey 2024–present Xuesong (Andy) Gao 2024–present Chun Lai 2024–2025 Yongyan Zheng 2025 Phil Hiver 2025 Suhad Sonbul 2025–present Phung Dao 2025–present Meagan Driver 2026–present Joseph P. Vitta 2026–present
Student Editorial Board System established a Student Editorial Board in 2022, led by 'Student Editor', Nathan Thomas, to provide doctoral students with experience of editorial work, including manuscript reviewing and editorial decision-making under the guidance of the journal's editors. The board continues as part of the journal's editorial structure.
Book review editors The journal has had a dedicated book review editor since 1977.
Editor Affiliation Term Udo O. H. Jung University of Marburg; University of Bayreuth 1977–1996 David Little Trinity College Dublin 1996–2000 Robert Vanderplank University of Oxford 2001–2016 Jim McKinley University College London 2017–2019 Vincent Greenier University of Aberdeen 2019-2022 Pascal Matzler Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso 2022–2026 Kari Sahan University of Oxford 2026–present
See also List of linguistics journals List of education journals
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