ESL Writers: A Guide for Writing Center Tutors (2004)

In this chapter, we discuss the part of a writing center conference that is at the center of the conferencing process—the reading of the writer' draft. Although the process of reading may be the least visible part of the conference, it is one of the most important because it is during this process that tutors begin to formulate their initial responses to the text. In many cases, reading texts written by ESL writers is not radically different from reading those written by native-English-speaking (NES) writers; tutors can use many of the same principles and strategies they use in reading NES texts. Yet, because ESL writers often come from different linguistic, cultural and educational backgrounds, some aspects of ESL writers' texts may stand out, especially to the eyes of native English speakers who do not have extensive background in working with ESL writers.

Matsuda, P. K., & Cox, M. (2004). Reading an ESL writer's text. In S. Bruce and B. Rafoth (Eds.), ESL writers: A guide for writing center tutors (pp. 39-47). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Heinemann.