ESL, 'comp,' and composition: Terms, assumptions, implications, and new practices for native and nonnative English-speaking students

The fields of "mainstream" composition and English-as-a-second-language ("ESL") composition/applied linguistics have evolved from separate histories. However, they have long shared the assumption that ESL students are novices who need help from native-English-speaking peers and teachers in order to become fully functioning members of English-language communities. Where these fields have noted ESL students' competencies, they have done so as a way to gauge students' readiness to acquire static privileged or standardized forms. But these assumptions and practices are questionable in light of the evolution of English as an international lingua franca---a phenomenon that often brings to light the increasingly intercultural and multimodal nature of English-language use as well as the expertise of multilingual users of English. I present my own observations and Grounded Theory analysis of oral, written, and online student interactions that point to ESL students' overlooked linguistic and rhetorical talents. I argue that the field of composition should reorient itself to these talents if it is to teach all students how to use English as a living language critically and effectively.