ESL Learners' Writing Skills: Problems, Factors and Suggestions

Abstract

Writing is an important skill for language production. However, it is considered a difficult skill, particularly in English as a second language (ESL) contexts where students face many challenges in writing. Therefore, the present study was conducted with an aim to investigate problems in Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners' writing and factors that hinder their writing skills. It also aimed at obtaining suggestions on how to improve Pakistani ESL learners' writing skills. For this purpose, focus groups of Pakistani English language teachers'and undergraduate ESL learners were conducted. Writing samples were also collected from 30 ESL undergraduate learners to find the major problems in their writing. The interviews and essays were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings reveal that the major problems in Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners' writing are insufficient linguistic proficiency (including command over grammar, syntax and vocabulary), writing anxiety, lack of ideas, reliance on L1 and weak structure organization. These challenges are influenced by various factors including untrained teachers, ineffective teaching methods and examination system, lack of reading and writing practice, large classrooms, low motivation and lack of ideas. The study also sheds light on the remedial measures such as increased reading, conscious and incidental vocabulary teaching, writing practice, trained teachers, reforms in the examination system, and writing competitions.

Contextual factors affecting university students' English writing performance: A comparative study

“…There is a gap between what happens in the school life and that in the university life as for teaching ESL. This view is supported by many researchers (e.g., Ahmed, 2010;Al-Seyabi & Tuzlukova, 2014;Fareed et al, 2016;Gonye et al, 2012;Haider, 2012;Kellogg & Raulerson, 2007;Pinetch, 2013;Rico, 2014;Sajid & Siddiqui, 2015). Due to such a gap, writing is one of the most neglected skills in both Saudi schools and Saudi universities, although controlled writing and guided writing are dominant in intermediate and secondary schools while free writing is supposed to be practiced in university classes.…”

“…The study recommended that English language courses should be tailored to match the EAP curriculum, written texts by English native speakers should be assigned to the Pakistani students to identify how the target language is written in its homeland , and content-based and taskbased academic writing should be highly focused in order to increase students' motivation and attitude towards learning English in general, and writing in English in particular. Fareed et al (2016) conducted a study aiming at examining the problems that the Pakistani undergraduates face in English writing skills, the surrounding factors that affect those students' writing skills and then proposing practical solutions for those problems. Focus group interviews as well as thematic analysis constituted the study instruments.…”

“…Those learners will still suffer from some difficulties in case they are away from the target real environment. Some researchers (e.g., Ahmed, 2010;Al-Seyabi & Tuzlukova, 2014, Castro, 2004Chen, 1994;Fareed et al, 2016;Lee, 2003;Myles, 2002;Nik, Hamza, and Rafidee (2010a); Nik, Sani, Wan Clik, Jusoff, Hasbollah (2010b); Sajid & Siddfiqui, 2015) reported factors affecting ESL learners' language acquisition in general and writing skills in particular. Nik et al, (2010a) put writing skill in focus for university students.…”

EAP alignment in EFL writing courses towards developing student’s academic writing skills

“…However, there are considerable professionalism issues in assigning teachers particularly to teach research and technical report writing courses. That is, writing courses (Basic Writing Skills, Research, and Technical Report Writing) were being exclusively taught by host department teachers who are assumed to have subject matter (content) expertise regardless of their lack of qualification and expertise in ELT, if not also in the language itself (Fareed et al, 2016;Hyland & Hamp-Lyons, 2002;Kruse, 2007;Leung, 2008;Nasser, 2018;Wahyuni & Umam, 2017). English for academic purposes refers to language research and instruction that focuses on the specific needs and practices of particular groups in academic contexts.…”

Effectiveness of Reading Aloud Strategies for Inferential Reading Comprehension Skills and Text Difficulties of Saudi Students at University Level

“…Higher level students are taught with read-aloud strategies, and the silent reading strategies be limited to half of the percent so that they become habitual for that type of reading and understanding. In contrast to that, the curriculum which is followed in Saudi universities level is taught by using silent reading strategies which should be half shifted to reading aloud strategies (Fareed, Ashraf, Bilal, & Sciences, 2016;Ionkov et al, 2014Ionkov et al, , 2019Lotfipour-Saedi, 2015).…”