<P>This volume presents six alternative approaches to studying second language acquisition - ''alternative'' in the sense that they contrast with and/or complement the cognitivism pervading the field. All six approaches - sociocultural, complexity theory, conversation-analytic, identity, language socialization, and sociocognitive - are described according to the same set of six headings, allowing for direct comparison across approaches.</P><P>Each chapter is authored by leading advocates for the approach described: James Lantolf for the sociocultural approach; Diane Larsen-Freeman for the complexity theory approach; Gabriele Kasper and Johannes Wagner for the conversation-analytic approach; Bonny Norton and Carolyn McKinney for the identity approach; Patricia Duff and Steven Talmy for the language socialization approach and Dwight Atkinson for the sociocognitive approach. </P><P>Introductory and commentary chapters round out this volume. The editor''s introduction descri