I started writing this book about 20 years ago although I did not know it at the time. In my experience as a L2 learner, first, and instructor, later, I experienced and observed a recurring concern among learners, particularly during speaking tasks, as to how to improve the overall intelligibilityIntelligibility and (perceived) proficiency in their L2 outputL2 output. As an L2 instructor I struggled to provide clear, pedagogically sound advice on how learners could enhance their performance so that it evidenced standards of intelligibility and proficiency in the mastery of their second language. These experiences, along with a desire to provide more pedagogically sound support to L2 learner performance, inspired me to undertake a deeper exploration of discourse competence in L2 learning, leading to the publication of this book.