Twelve academics from the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia contribute 12 essays exploring group and individual identity negotiation within the complexities of multilingual settings, where language practices are tied to relations of authority and power and to larger socioeconomic and sociopolitical processes. Spanning five continents and numerous languages, the studies examine identity options available in particular contexts; how options are valued by competing ideologies, particularly the dominant ones; which options are/are not negotiable; where, when, why, and how identities become contested; who negotiates and how they do it; the role of language structures, forms, and practices in the process; and how power relations between the parties effect outcomes. Distributed by UTP Distribution. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)