Identity, Agency and the Acquisition of Professional Language and Culture

Ping Deters is a Professor at the English Language Institute, Seneca College, Toronto, Canada.

• 1. Globalization and the migration of professionals; 2. Social perspectives on identity and agency in SLA research; 3. Qualitative research methods in the study of professional acculturation; 4. Affordances and constraints in the acquisition of professional language and culture; 5. Professional acculturation journeys; 6. Professional integration in two contexts; 7. The lived professional acculturation experiences of a teacher from Hong Kong; 8. From local to global: research findings and their applications; Bibliography; Index.

This is a most interesting book, which addresses an important issue for societies that embrace immigration. It is beautifully written, and the clear logical presentation of information makes it a pleasure to read. The work rests on a solid data collection with large sample sizes, in depth interviews, and longitudinal case studies. In this book, Ping Deters brings together literature from different academic traditions, (psychoanalysis, sociology, cultural theory, narrative) and carefully explores the ways in which one tradition can illuminate another. The blending of insights from sociocultural theory with the community of practice literature allows for a richer understanding of the ways in which identity is socially constructed. Deters achieves some real insights into the complex and dynamic relationships between individuals and the societies they join. Her discussions of the socially constructed nature of agency and identity are rich and thoughtful and they help to illuminate our understanding of this complex topic.