Undergraduate Students’ Writer’s Block in English as an Academic Language: Causes, Coping Strategies Needs

Abstract

This study aims to explore writer’s block in the tertiary education context and draws from 644 senior English language and literature students’ self-reports on producing academic texts in English. A mixed-methods survey design was used to collect data from the participants. Findings showed that both internal and external causes of writer’s block were at work, yet external causes were moderately more influential, while students produced argumentative-critical and expository essays and were influential in the drafting stage of the writing process. Findings also revealed that students pursued continue-to-write and avoid-writing strategies in different combinations to cope with writer’s block and needed to expand their knowledge and experience in drafting, planning, using academic language, coherence, and smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. Lastly, findings highlighted the need for clear instructions, studying sample texts, and feedback from teachers to overcome writer’s block. In light of these findings, several pedagogical implications were suggested.