Advanced Composition for ESL Students

Advanced Composition for ESL Students (ACES) is a textbook and handbook designed to familiarize international students with the expectations of academic and other types of formal writing, especially at the college level and beyond. It focuses on the writing process, the structure of paragraphs and essays, common rhetorical forms, and the grammar and mechanics of good written communication.

ACES is targeted at internationals learning English for academic purposes and seeking a deeper understanding of American culture. Therefore, the book engages the students in high-interest topics that are current in social discourse and higher education settings. Its approach is to lead students through the writing process while at the same time exposing them to the kind of active learning expected in American schools — learning that requires students to take responsibility, to exercise critical thinking, to work cooperatively with peers, and to apply their new knowledge beyond the classroom.

As a writing textbook, ACES involves students in using the variety of traditional tools available to writers — reference books, writers’ handbooks, and library resources. It also engages students in the use of tools available through new media such as the Internet. Though primarily focused on written communication, ACES also integrates reading, speaking, and grammar activities to emphasize their relationship to good written communication.

The book is designed to support teachers and students working together in a traditional classroom environment. It also includes activities that will allow blending traditional instruction with distance learning. And, with its extensive appendices, it should serve students long after they leave the classroom.