This article describes the history and continuing development of Vygotsky-inspired sociocultural theories (SCT) and their application in second and foreign language research. In particular, I emphasize the intellectual traditions out of which SCT emerged and the relation of SCT to other critical scholarship. The discussion includes long-standing as well as recent conceptual and methodological innovations in SCT research, the philosophical entailments of SCT in regard to epistemology and ethical issues, and a select review of SCT second language studies.