ABSTRACT
Most writing theorists and instructors would agree that processoriented pedagogies have greatly enhanced the outcomes of both L1 and L2 composition instruction. However, although students may be much better at idea generation and revision than they once were, ESL student papers may nonetheless contain exces sive grammatical and lexical inaccuracies by the standards of English-speaking academic readers. Among ESL professionals it is understood that L2 acquisition is a process that takes time and that an expectation of perfect papers, even from advanced stu dents, is unrealistic. Other readers of ESL student writing, how ever, often demand a high level of formal accuracy. Because of these realities and because ESL teachers will not always be there to assist their students, writing instructors need to help their stu dents develop and improve their editing skills.
