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In recent work of the authors the notion of a derivation being approximately semi-inner arose as a tool for investigating (approximate) amenability questions for Banach algebras. Here we investigate this property in its own right, together with the consequent one of approximately semi-amenability. Under certain hypotheses regarding approximate identities this new notion is the same as approximate amenability, but more generally it covers some important classes of algebras which are not approximately amenable, in particular Segal algebras on amenable SIN-groups., Comment: 26 pages

We show that the tensor product of approximately amenable algebras need not be approximately amenable, and investigate conditions under which $A$ and $B$ being approximately amenable implies, or is implied by, $A\hat{\otimes}B$ or $A^{\#}\hat{\otimes} B^{\#}$ being approximately amenable. Our methods also enable us to prove that if $A\hat{\otimes}B$ is amenable, then so are $A$ and $B$, a result proved by Barry Johnson in 1996 under an additional assumption., Comment: There was a gap in one argument of the previous version and that result has been removed. Several other minor corrections have been made. 14 pages

We continue the investigation of notions of approximate amenability that were introduced in work of the second and third authors. It is shown that every boundedly approximately contractible Banach algebra has a bounded approximate identity. Among our other results, it is shown that the Fourier algebra of the free group on two generators is not approximately amenable. Further examples are obtained of ${\ell}^1$-semigroup algebras which are approximately amenable but not amenable; using these, we show that bounded approximate amenability need not imply sequential approximate amenability. Results are also given for Segal subalgebras of $L^1(G)$, where $G$ is a locally compact group, and the algebras $PF_p(\Gamma)$ of $p$-pseudofunctions on a discrete group $\Gamma$ (of which the reduced $C^*$-algebra is a special case)., Comment: 35 pages, revision of Jan '08 preprint. Abstract and MSC added; bibliograpy updated; slight tweaks to Section 4; and correction of a few typos. The final version is to appear in J. Funct. Anal