English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) student writers are often labeled as having poor language proficiency skills, poor writing skills, and poor organizational skills. These labels can negatively affect teachers and students. They have become yardsticks for guiding teachers' instruction and measuring students' performance. Often, ESL writing teachers and researchers accept these labels without question, reflecting a lack of understanding about the characteristics of writing. These labels are the product of judging ESL writing by one measure only. This paper reveals a different identity for ESL student writers, looking at student English proficiency and student writing skills separately. It examines three curriculum designs (the grammar-translation method, audiolingual approach, and communicative approach), then it discusses the process oriented approach (also called the integrated or whole language approach), which treats all language activities holistically. This approach is rooted in cognitive psychology. By focusing on the process of writing rather than the product, ESL teachers and researchers can better understand their students' needs. (Contains 28 references.) (SM)