One on One with Second Language Writers

One-on-one encounters with writers often contribute more to the development of student writing abilities than any classroom activity because they are personalized and responsive to individual needs. For the encounters to be successful, the writing tutor, teacher, or consultant must be prepared, must be knowledgeable of what it means to write and the factors that make writing more and less effective, and must also know the students.

This guide focuses on the body of knowledge those conferencing with second language writers need in order to be able to think on their feet, recognize needs, and steer conversations in productive directions. It provides tips about activities that can be adapted to individual contexts, authentic writing samples to use for practice, a glossary, a list of useful resources, and a checklist of things to remember.

The book is appropriate for use in university and secondary school writing or learning centers, teacher training programs for both general composition and ESOL instructors, and as an individual reference tool. The book uses non-technical language where possible, but terminology is introduced where it might be useful when conferencing with students.