In ESL Composition Tales, the leading voices in L2 writing speak openly and honestly about their careers, conveying a sense of collective history, a history of second language teaching, and the evolution of ESL. Important insights into teaching and learning are embedded in each story as the authors not only confront the expectations and fears of new teachers but also provoke the assumptions and practices of their more seasoned colleagues. ESL Composition Tales provides real and practical advice--and inspiration--for writing teachers of all levels of experience. Among the topics in this book are: a discussion of the teacher's role as cultural worker and participant in social justice past and current pedagogical debates in the field the importance of blending theory and practice the pursuit and development of a consistently critical and interrogative attitude toward L2 teaching