In applied linguistics and critical theory, identity has become an important theoretical and analytical concept. Work with multilingual identity texts has been developed in Canada by teachers and researchers in cooperation to creating opportunities for students’ identity development academically, intellectually and personally. The focus in the article is on student engagement and negotiation of identities. Results are presented from an ethnographically inspired action research where students in grade four where inspired to use their multiple language resources. Through participant observation and interviews material was created during the project. Students’ talk of how they navigate in multilingual environments outside school and of how they try to extend their linguistic repertoire by learning from each other challenge traditional views of mother tongue and home country. The work with identity texts made students’ varied and complex linguistic resources visible while opportunities to negotiate identities were offered, creating space for changing roles and for discussions about emotions related to language. The project showed that changes in classroom practices by including different languages put high demands on teachers, on development of the cooperation with mother tongue teachers, study guidance assistants in the mother tongue and parents, and on organizational support. The multilingual writing increased students’ engagement while also increasing linguistic awareness among students and teachers.