Alison Sealey and Bob Carter, Applied linguistics as social science. New York: Continuum, 2004. Pp. xv, 239. Pb $49.95.

Applied linguistics as social science underscores the essential association between language and society and attempts “to make a case for regarding the discipline of applied linguistics as a social science” (1). Although Sealey and Carter are not bringing up the issue for the first time (despite the impression that the book seems to be giving), highlighting and reiterating the social and cultural nature of language in general and applied language studies in particular could be considered the major contribution of the book.