[Review] Siân Preece (2016) The Routledge Handbook of Language and Identity

Like others in the same series, the The Routledge Handbook of Language and Identity offers a timely review of a major sub-discipline within applied linguistics. The book is marketed as a reference tool for a general academic readership from (Applied) Linguistics, Education and TESOL, a breadth that is reflected in the range of its contributor backgrounds. The Handbook is organised in five parts: theoretical perspectives on language and identity (seven chapters); social determinants (eight chapters); research approaches and considerations (five chapters); case studies (eleven chapters); and discussions around future trends (six chapters). Most of the contributors take either a social constructionist or poststructuralist approach to understanding identity, which is defined by Joseph in the opening chapter as ‘who individuals are, understood in terms of the group to which they belong’ (p. 25).