ESL Writers

Book excerpt: Finally, a book written for writing center tutors who assist ESL students. Combining practical tutoring advice with insights that build cultural bridges, ESL Writers helps tutors create a more meaningful and effective exchange between themselves and nonnative English speakers. ESL Writers is divided into three parts: Cultural Contexts examines many of the challenges students face as they become proficient speakers and writers of English. The ESL Tutoring Session focuses on individual meetings with students whose primary language is not English. Packed with helpful tips and new perspectives on familiar routines, this section demonstrates strategies likely to be effective with nonnative speakers. A Broader View adds depth and breadth to the discussion by demonstrating how writing centers abroad operate, offering insights into the rules and conventions of English, and sharing the stories of ESL students who visit the writing center. For tutors, this indispensable guide gives them the know-how to make better informed choices as they conduct sessions with ESL students. For writing center directors, ESL Writers is the perfect training text, and its examples and scenarios are the ideal jumping-off point for staff meetings and group problem-solving sessions.