The Essential Techniques Affecting the Performance of Sudanese EFL Learners in Writing: A Case Study of Three Eastern Universities of Sudan

Suad Abdelwahid Fadlallah Ali

doi:10.32996/ijllt.2021.4.6.12

Abstract

This paper explores the English language learners’ weakness in writing because most of them do not know how to combine their sentences correctly. The paper was devoted to Sentence Combining (SC) as an essential technique or method that affects EFL learners' performance in writing English. Using the case study on fourth-level students majoring in English, the descriptive-analytical method has been applied, representing the three eastern universities in Sudan: The University of Kassala, University of Gadarif and Red Sea University. The researcher used an objective test of (83) items in Sentence Combining in English. The frequency tables and percentage were used for the five areas in the students' test (pass-fail). According to the students' outcomes, they have been proved that the Sudanese learners of English at the three eastern universities lack the awareness of methods and techniques of combining English sentences. They are not well-informed of combining English sentences by means of punctuation, co-ordination, subordination, reduction and apposition. The concept of sentence combining is unconsciously neglected by the teachers themselves, who are unaware of its importance.

Highlights

1 In short, by sentence combining in different grammatical forms, the writer can specify the exact logical connections as well as create a more sophisticated style
It seems that the area of sentence-combining is either neglected by the learners or the teachers themselves are unaware of its importance and techniques
The study results confirmed a strong relationship between the EFL University students' weak performance in English writing and their weakness in using methods and techniques of English Sentence Combining in their writing

Summary

Introduction

1 In short, by sentence combining in different grammatical forms, the writer can specify the exact logical connections as well as create a more sophisticated style. Research over the past three decades indicates that methods of writing as Sentence Combining (SC) can improve the writing abilities of the elementary, secondary and college students. Palacas (1971) argued that the red comments in the margins of students’ compositions fail to teach writing because teacher observations do not provide explicit linguistic descriptions which can help students improve their writing. In working with learning English, Nutter and Safran (1984) said that we have more specific structured methods for teaching and for assessing reading than for writing

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion