The purpose of second (or foreign) language classroom research is to answer important questions about the learning and teaching of foreign languages. This kind of research collects data from genuine language classrooms or from experimental settings sometimes established to replicate what takes place in the classroom. Classroom research can focus on teachers or learners, or on the interaction between the two. Four traditions have been identified as methods employed in classroom research. These include: (1) psychometric studies; (2) interaction analysis; (3) discourse analysis; and (4) interaction analysis. Because the language classroom is specifically designed to facilitate language learning, it seems logical that more research should be carried out there. More research is needed that focuses specifically on what does and does not take place in the language classroom. (VWL)