Bruce, S. B., & Raforth, B. (Eds.). (2009). ESL writers: A guide for writing center tutors (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 256 pp., paperback.

From the introductory to the closing sections of the book, the authors and editors provide their readers with an array of useful insights on numerous issues that English language learners face in an English-speaking context. Although the information and suggestions that are presented are by no means exhaustive, they are essential considerations for all those interested or involved in tutoring English language learners. Those who possess this information are more likely to make more informed decisions relevant to their different roles in an ESL writing center. The materials in the book are thoughtfully organized and presented in three parts: “Cultural Contexts,” “ESL Tutoring Session,” and “A Broader View.” These three sections of the book can be likened to a three-legged stool that can be used to assess whether or not an ESL tutoring center is operating on uneven ground.

The preliminary chapters compiled under part one address the effects of culture on students’ language acquisition abilities and the variety of challenges that domestic and international English-language-learning students face as they seek to develop oral and written proficiency in English. In this section, the authors provide helpful insights about the demographics of many of the users of writing centers and caution tutors and other academic stakeholders not to characterize or classify nonnative-English-speaking English language learners as one and the same but to recognize the uniqueness of each student. In their attempt to reinforce and to ensure that tutors develop a good understanding of the ESL population they serve, the writers carefully draw attention to the fact that students who use writing centers are not necessarily newcomers to the United States but often include students who have had several years of schooling in the American education system. Other pertinent areas of discussion in part one include discussions surrounding some of the socioaffective issues that many multilingual students face in the English-speaking context, the theories related to second language acquisition, and ideas on how to read and assess the writings of English language learners and to retain their thoughts and ideas instead of that of the teacher or tutor.

One of the salient features of the book is the layman language approach that the authors assume. They make the information more consumable as it is void of much of the technical language that usually accompanies theoretical discourses. Another is the variety of authentic examples that are presented by the authors of different chapters to illustrate their points, such as the example that the author uses in discussing Krashen’s learning/acquisition theory on page 23 of the book. Throughout the book, each author engages the reader in discussions from a variety of perspectives expressed in extant ESL literature and experience. However, rather than just dumping information on the reader, each author presents a synthesis of the prevailing thoughts on the topic or issue.

In part two, the nucleus of the text, the authors’ focus shifts to helping tutors discover how to deal with specific aspects of tutoring students whose mother tongue is not English. Some of the areas addressed are preparation for tutoring; providing the appropriate response to the ESL writer’s work; assisting English language learners with how to clearly articulate their thoughts; and determining when to treat the ESL writer’s work as a whole versus when to address word-and sentence-level concerns. The inclusion of two chapters of discussion relating to online tutoring is invaluable, considering the increasing number of institutions offering online education. All together, this section of the book constitutes a chest of helpful tools and tips that ESL tutors can use to revamp routine tutoring activities.

The final section of the book is a strong capstone for the book because it provides a rich supplement to the earlier sections as the focus shifts to the operations of overseas writing centers. The inclusion of the chapters in this section draws attention to the strong qualitative features of the book as the testimonies of tutors who have experienced working both locally and overseas as well as students—the other partners in the ESL tutoring relationship—are clearly documented. The discussions in the section reveal the many similarities between the tutoring practices of ESL writing centers, here and abroad, as well as students’ perspectives or attitudes toward writing centers in general.

ESL Writers elucidates the practical role of writing tutors and is a valuable addition to the literature on second language learning. The material packaged in this book is ideal for training both ESL teachers and tutors at any level or anyone who wants to learn how to communicate more effectively with nonnative English speakers. Existing writing centers can use it as a standard against which they can measure themselves. This would be an ideal book to be used in any ESL teacher preparation program.

Dr. Marcia Livingston, malivingston@oru.edu, is a full-time professor at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She currently serves as coordinator of the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program in the College of Education at the university. Her research interest is in the area of identifying learning strategies that will help English language learners develop strong metacognitive and cognitive academic language skills.