Now and Then: Reading and Writing about the American Immigrant Experience

Now and Then encourages students to read and respond to stories by and about others who have lived the American immigrant experience. Featuring both published literature and student essays, Now and Then teaches ESL students to refer to their individual experiences as they learn basic writing techniques and apply these techniques to academic writing. Intended for high-intermediate and advanced students in college and high school, Now and Then presents thematically organized high-interest material in a user-friendly format. With its emphasis on the process approach to writing and the transition from personal writing to academic writing, Now and Then guides students through the exploration of literature to an understanding of how to analyze and write about it. Students analyze the work of professional and student writers and produce their own full-length essays. In this way, the thought-provoking readings in this text build on the reading-writing connection and develop students' writing competence.