In the call for papers for this special issue on second language (L2) vocabulary research, we suggested several possible themes for submis- sions, including formulaic sequences and corpus-based approaches. We are pleased to report that high-quality submissions on these topics arrived - from researchers in Canada and as far away as New Zealand - and that we also received excellent papers on many other subjects. The result is a special issue that addresses a range of topics. The embarras de richesse makes it difficult to organize the issue into neat thematic sections, but it clearly bodes well for the future of an area that was once considered neglected (Meara, 1980). What is in this issue? The issue begins with two pieces on formulaic sequences, both with a focus on speech. In the first of these, David Wood looks closely at the sequences that learners of English use in narrative retell tasks, which are not always accurate but appear to become more so over time. He identifies five key functions of formulaic sequences and demonstrates how they contribute to fluent speech. Fluent performance in real time is also the theme in Tess Fitzpatrick and Alison Wray's investigation. In this highly original study, the researchers helped learners prepare formulaic utterances for specific conversations they were planning to have and examined their ability to employ them accurately in practice and real conversations in relation to individual variables such as proficiency and aptitude. In the category of corpus-based research is Paul Nation's study of 14 new frequency lists from the recently completed British National Corpus (BNC) of 100 million words of mainly written, but also spoken, English. Corpus-based frequency lists are of great pedagogical importance, and their impact on the L2 vocabulary research of recent years can hardly be overstated. In addition to identifying the vocabulary that learners of