Debbie Nathan is a writer who used to live in Texas; now she lives in New York City. When I met her in San Antonio, we had a great talk about language stuff; she did a MA in linguistics and has a great way of writing about language. (I'm still envious of her story for the Texas Observer about the evolution of the Texas accent , it's so well done.)

In 2002 she did another article for a NYC publication about teaching ESL in the Bronx, and I'm envious of this one, too. She wrote in the style of her students' English, but the manglings are never mocking and strike many notes of compassion and humor. It starts like this:

When I first working as ESL teacher twenty year ago I was be a little nervious. In that time I am more young than now, and when I turn around to writing at blackboard, I am think the students looking at my ass. But that a long time ago. Now my ass she is nothing for look.

Today I am teach in Bronx, my students from the Rep. Dominicana, from Mexico and from others Latinoamerica nation, many in this country too many years but they still speaking too less English and that English, it is just like this. Three hour a day three day a week, it student English have it own sabor it will get inside a teacher head and duration there even after class is finish. Inmigrant English living in the teacher mind even if teacher is no want.

The full article is here.