This book presents theoretical and practical issues relevant to the teaching of composition to learners of English as a second language (ESL). As the subtitle implies, the book firmly grounds the purpose of teaching ESL composition in past and current research, puts emphasis on the writing process of ESL writers, and pursues pedagogical equilibrium with equal focus on theory and practice. The book approaches broad and general themes in the first few chapters and moves on to more specific pedagogical concerns in the later chapters.

Chapter 1 presents the theoretical background and its implication for teaching ESL composition, gives a summary of different approaches and trends in ESL composition, offers implications for teaching ESL composition based on contrastive rhetoric studies, and finally ends with the notion that teachers need to be aware of the individual differences of nonnative writers and how they differ from native writers. Chapter 2 is devoted to the strong relationship between reading and writing as literate skills and emphasizes the vital role of reading in the development of ESL writing proficiency.

The next two chapters are devoted to the design and implementation of actual writing classes. Chapter 3 presents the principles and procedures for designing syllabi, course outlines, and lesson plans. Chapter 4 examines principles of textbook selection and supplementation, materials development, and task design. The central rationale that underlies these two chapters is that these procedures must be based on the various needs of students, teachers, and institutions.

The remaining chapters focus on some of the pedagogical concerns that have been raised in second langauge (L2) writing. Chapter 5 presents research on teacher commentary and offers specific guidelines for providing effective comments. At the end of the chapter, some issues concerning student-teacher writing conferences are discussed. The authors conclude that feedback is most effective when provided at intermediate stages of the writing process, and that teachers should respond to student writing at all proficiency levels.

Chapter 6 examines the benefits and criticisms of peer response and suggests guidelines for conducting effective peer response activities, whereas chapter 7 investigates the polemic issue of error correction and grammar teaching in composition classes. Although researchers do not agree on whether grammar correction works at all, the authors argue that error treatment is just one of the priorities that teachers have to consider when designing writing courses that should train students to become autonomous editors.

Chapter 8 outlines the principles for classroom-based writing assessment. Holistic, analytic, and trait-based scoring are examined with an overview of portfolio assessment. The authors claim that meaningful assessment, which is an ongoing process, involves both the teachers and students and that teachers should establish clear and systematic scoring criteria. Finally, chapter 9 reviews the history of computers and technology in writing instruction. The authors suggest that computers can play an important role in the teaching of ESL composition, and that teachers should introduce them in some part of their lessons.

Questions at the beginning and the end of each chapter allow readers to reflect on their prior experiences as learners or teachers and to review some of the major points mentioned in the chapters. The authors also provide a brief summary of each chapter and hands-on application activities that instructors will find useful. Overall, this book is likely to be beneficial for pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and researchers. The double focus on theory and practice is evident, and the authentic material provided in the figures and activities will surely help teachers in designing and implementing their L2 composition classes.