<p>In this volume a range of authors from different international contexts argue that the notion of communicative competence in English hitherto largely referenced to metropolitan native-speaker norms has to be expanded to take account of diverse contexts of use for a variety of purposes. It also discusses the popular belief that language and literacy should simply be regarded as a technical 'skill' which confers universal benefits and that it should be replaced with a social practice view that recognises situated variations and diversity. This volume we believe provides a reference point for extended research and practice in these areas that will be of interest to wide range of people engaged in language and literacy education.</p>