Writing Difficulties Research Articles

Academic Writing Difficulties Among EFL Kurdish Undergraduates: A Qualitative Inquiry

Mastering writing in a foreign language remains one of the most formidable challenges for language learners. This study mainly seeks to elucidate the difficulties Kurdish English-majoring undergraduates encounter in academic writing. Although academic writing is a pivotal skill demonstrating students' ability to communicate ideas effectively and engage in critical thinking, EFL students often encounter significant difficulties in this domain. Utilizing thematic analysis, this investigation employed a qualitative method and used one-on-one interviews with 10 university instructors. The findings revealed that students' challenges predominantly stem from linguistic, cultural, and psychological factors. Further, the difficulties were caused by the impact of educational background and psychological and motivational barriers, in response, instructors have proposed solutions including targeted instruction and practice, expanding vocabulary stock and the necessity for Feedback. This article discusses the implications of these findings for teaching and learning academic writing in the EFL Kurdish context and provides seminal recommendations for future research.

초등학교 5학년 일반 학생과 발달성 난독 학생의 영어 수행력 프로파일링

Objectives Most Korean students learn English as a second language from 3rd grade in public school curriculum. Despite receiving the same instruction in schools, there are concerns about the individual differences in English abilities among Korean students. Students with developmental dyslexia, who have difficulties in reading and writ-ing in their native language, also struggle with reading and writing in English. This study aimed to confirm the strengths and weaknesses of students through individual profiling of English abilties. Methods This study focused on two typical development students(TD who are A and B) and two developmental dyslexic students(DD who are C and D) in 5th grade. We developed the tests to profile English abilities, focusing on word reading, word writing, vocabulary, and meta-linguistic awareness abilities. Results In word reading and word writing, the TD showed higher performance than DD. In vocabulary, A, B, and C showed similar high performance, while D showed lower performance. In meta-linguistic awareness abilities, including phonological awareness(PA), syntactic awareness(SA), and orthographical awareness(OA), TD showed high performance in all abilities. Among the DD, C had weaknesses in SA compared to PA and OA, while D showed weaknesses in all abilities. Conclusions This study highlights the profiling of diverse English abilities among four 5th grade students. While DD showed different profiles in this study, they commonly demonstrated lower performance in reading and writing compared to TD, as well as lower metalinguistic awareness. It suggests that DD may require individualized educa-tion plan(IEP) based on their strengths and weaknesses.

Understanding Writing Difficulty and Writing Process Among Pre-University Students

Numerous research findings reveal that a substantial proportion of pre-university students face challenges in developing proficient writing skills as they encounter difficulties in mastering this capability throughout the writing process. Therefore, this research examined how learners perceived their writing challenges and processes in academic writing in three distinct stages: before writing, during writing and during revising. Specifically, the study focused on the writing process and the challenges students encountered in crafting essays for the Extended Writing section of the Malaysian University English Test. This was to explore the strategies used during the writing process at each stage to highlight effective approaches that educators can use to foster a supportive writing environment. This quantitative study utilised purposive sampling and a survey analysed using SPSS Version 29 for descriptive analysis. The survey, adapted from Petric and Czalr (2003) and Flower and Hayes (1981) and created by Yunos et al. (2023), involved 169 pre-university students from the Centre of Foundation Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA. The study revealed that pre-university students faced challenges in academic writing particularly in the prewriting stage, where difficulties in outlining essays and constructing thesis statements were prominent. This emphasized the importance of addressing challenges specifically in the prewriting phase. The results of the study can help pinpoint the specific issues that students face when writing essays. This knowledge can help create personalised interventions and support plans to address specific writing obstacles and enhance overall writing proficiency.

Metacognitive strategies, writing self-efficacy and writing anxiety in different learning modes: A two-wave longitudinal model

Writing difficulties stemming from cognitive and emotional factors contribute to heightened levels of writing anxiety. Studies have highlighted the pivotal roles of metacognitive strategies and writing self-efficacy in predicting writing anxiety, particularly in cross-sectional analyses. However, how these constructs interact with writing anxiety in longitudinal studies remains relatively understudied. Therefore, it is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of metacognitive strategies and self-efficacy to effectively mitigate writing anxiety for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. We administered three questionnaires on metacognitive strategies use, writing self-efficacy, and writing anxiety to 301 participants across online and offline learning modes. We employed a two-wave longitudinal model to explore the possible temporal correlations. The findings indicated negative reciprocal correlations between the metacognitive strategies use in writing context and writing anxiety. Writing self-efficacy positively predicted metacognitive strategies use and negatively predicted writing anxiety. Writing self-efficacy did not act as a moderator in the relationship between metacognitive strategies use and writing anxiety, implying that the impact of metacognitive strategies use on anxiety levels remains consistent regardless of learners' self-efficacy. The current study offers valuable insights to EFL educators on integrating metacognitive strategies and self-efficacy to mitigate learners' writing anxiety.

Major Writing Difficulties Faced by Kurdish Learners of EFL in Academic Writing Classes

Writing in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) contexts has been claimed to be one of the most challenging tasks required from EFL learners. Many Kurdish learners of EFL face difficulties producing well-developed paragraphs and essays in their courses of study in higher education. This study aims at investigating such difficulties that could hinder students’ overall progress and success. A mixed-method research design was used to explore the issue under investigation fully. The data collection tools used is a (5-point Likert Scale) questionnaire and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Two hundred English major students from four public universities of Kurdistan Region of Iraq answered the questionnaire. Also, ten EFL university instructors were interviewed. Analysis of the findings revealed that Kurdish learners of EFL faced various difficulties such as writing anxiety, mechanics of writing (grammar, punctuation, spelling), word choice, and negative language transfer in their writing courses. Discussions and implications of these findings are presented.

Kurdish EFL Undergraduates’ Academic Writing: Discussing the Main Writing Difficulties and Potential Solutions

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lecturers in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq (KRI) often report poor academic essay quality among Kurdish EFL undergraduates. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the challenges and difficulties Kurdish English-majoring undergraduates encounter in their academic writing. Through writing 60 essays by the undergraduates in three public universities in KRI and interviewing 12 lecturers, we explored writing difficulties and potential suggestions to enhance undergraduates’ writing skills. We found that students made numerous grammatical, spelling, and capitalization errors. Additionally, many of the students also struggled to write proper introduction and conclusion paragraphs in their essays. The outcomes of this article suggest that students need to read more frequently and organize their ideas for effective writing. Suggesting university programmes, various ways of teaching by lecturers in EFL classes, and writing modules were the most repetitive recommendations by the interviewees meant to enhance students’ academic writing skills. Practical implications, Limitations, further research considerations, and implications are discussed in the article.

Online Paraphrasing Tools in Language Learning: Students’ Perceptions to Overcome the Difficulties in Academic Writing

Online Paraphrasing Tools in Language Learning: Students’ Perceptions to Overcome the Difficulties in Academic Writing

Students’ Difficulties in Writing in English Language

English language is no doubt one of the most used and influential languages around the world. In Albania, English language learning starts since 6-year-old age. Therefore, many studies and research have been done concerning English language and competences. When studying a foreign language, writing is considered as the most demanding and crucial competence. Based on previous studies in Albania, students tend to face difficulties during the writing process. They lack the necessary writing skills needed to have a successful writing performance and they claim that further attention and importance should be given to the writing process by teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the most common errors that Albanian students make in writing and what difficulties they have when it comes to it. The data is provided through a writing task in the form of an essay to second year English language students. There were 47 students of English Language at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Tirana, taking part in the research. Based on the study data, students mostly made grammatical and vocabulary mistakes. They were aware of the patterns used in different writing types and they made less mistakes compared to other errors considered in the study. Even though they tend to be careful not to think in Albanian, its influence is obvious in their writing, especially when it comes to the word order of clauses and sentences. Considering the findings, some practical recommendations have been made in the end.

Research Writing Difficulties of Senior High School Students

Research Writing Difficulties of Senior High School Students

From Novice to Expert: Masters’ ELT Students’ Voices on the Emotional Geography in Thesis Proposal Writing Difficulties

Research on the emotions felt by master’s students in the face of difficulties during the process of writing a thesis proposal has been scarce in higher education. This study adopted a qualitative approach, while the type of research was a narrative inquiry. This study used semi-structured interviews to explore three masters' ELT students’ emotional geography in writing thesis proposals at a university in Indonesia and using thematic analysis to analyze the data. This study was framed by Emotional Geography (EG) as a means for understanding masters' ELT students' voices in thesis proposal writing. This result revealed that masters’ ELT students experienced various emotions, such as positive and negative emotions, that arise through their relationship and interaction with their thesis supervisor, which influenced the writing of their thesis proposal. As such, EG has provided insight about the role of emotional aspects which thesis supervisors can apply as a strategy for building relationships with students that support the proposal writing process.

An Investigation on Scientific Writing Difficulties & Writing Process

An Investigation on Scientific Writing Difficulties & Writing Process

Teacher-Students Collaboration: Using Guided-Writing Instruction to Assist Learners with Writing Difficulties and Low Motivation to Write

Despite the complex nature of writing, many students are hesitant to tackle difficult subjects. To help those facing writing difficulties and increase their motivation, this study examines the effect of teacher-student collaboration through guided-writing instruction. A two-group quasi-experimental design was used with a pre-treatment-post-tests format. The participants in this study were 50 11th-grade students (aged 17–24; 28 male and 22 female) from Data Sana Memorial School in Wolaita Sodo City, South Ethiopia. Writing skill tests and questionnaires about writing motivation were used to collect data, which was then analyzed using independent smples t-test analysis to determine the effectiveness of guided-writing on students’ writing improvement and motivation. Although the pre-test results did not show a significant difference between the mean scores of the control and experimental groups, the post-test results of the writing skill tests showed a statistically significant difference between the means of the experimental and control groups. Additionally, the results of the writing motivation questionnaires revealed that the mean score of the experimental group increased significantly in the post-test compared to the pre-test. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of guided-writing instruction in assisting students with writing difficulties and motivation. In conclusion, the findings have implications for teaching writing through guided-writing instruction and it is recommended to help students struggling with writing and a lack of motivation. Moreover, further research into writing instruction through guided-writing in various ecological aspects and grade levels is required.

An Investigation of the Difficulties in Academic Writing with the First-year English-majored Students: The Case of a University in Vietnam

Writing is considered one of the four key abilities in English that enhances the achievement of language learners. Therefore, English major students have challenges in the learning process when trying to enhance their writing skills. This research, titled “An Investigation of the Difficulties in Academic Writing with the First-year English-majored Students: The Case of a University in Vietnam,” aims to uncover challenges faced by first-year English students in writing and propose solutions to address these issues. The research is being carried out at Nam Can Tho University. The research approach employed is descriptive research. 51 English language first-years were chosen by a simple random sampling method. They will be required to complete a questionnaire. The aim is to pinpoint the issues and errors that students may encounter in English writing. The research findings will be examined to identify common faults in writing pertaining to vocabulary, grammatical structures, and background knowledge.

Exploring Writing Difficulties in the Composing Process: A Case Study of ESL Writing

Exploring Writing Difficulties in the Composing Process: A Case Study of ESL Writing

AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING PARAPHRASE AT ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING PARAPHRASE AT ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Analysis of Learning Difficulties in Reading and Writing in Class III Students at SDN Batok Bali

This research was motivated by the researcher's observations regarding difficulties in learning to read and write among students in class III which occurred at SDN Batok Bali. This research aims to obtain information or a clear picture of how difficult it is to learn to read and write which is carried out at the SDN Batok Bali school with the learning outcomes achieved by class III students. The research population included all class III students consisting of one class with 41 students. This type of research is qualitative research using a descriptive approach research method, where data collection uses interview, observation and documentation techniques. Based on the results of this research, several difficulties experienced by students were found, including: (a) Difficulty recognizing letters when reading, (b) Difficulty with spelling and unclear reading pronunciation among students, (c) Many errors in reading among students, (d) Difficulty distinguishing several letters when writing, (e) Lack of letters when writing words, (f) The time required to write is too long, and several solutions that can be done to overcome difficulties in learning to read and write in students that have been found in class III at SDN Batok Bali.

Undergraduate Students' Self-Perceived Difficulties in Academic Writing

Undergraduate Students' Self-Perceived Difficulties in Academic Writing

Investigating students’ perceptions of dificulty in argumentative writing: a study in gender perspective

Writing difficulty and constraints have gained much attention and research locally and overseas. However, the writing difficulty EFL male and female writers perceived in developing argumentative essays was still little in literature. To fill the void, this concurrent mixed method study aimed to scrutinize the variation and frequency and explore the perceptions of being argumentative writers among 113 EFL university students in Jakarta, Indonesia. Through a survey and the framework of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), online questionnaires were distributed, and the interviews were conducted concurrently. The findings illustrated that EFL male and female writers experience similar major difficulties, including argumentative text genre, language use, difficulty in source/reference, problems in the cognitive process, and other technical challenges. Further, to be argumentative writers, female writers tend to feel various combinations of feelings and apply more learning strategies. In contrast, male writers express more on the cognitive process of essay completion. However, either male or female writers become more aware of their weaknesses in the English language, such as reading skills.

Students’ Difficulties in English Writing at Tenth Grade in Senior High School

This research discussed about students’ difficulties in writing recount text at tenth grade SMAN 1 Selesai Kab. Langkat. The problem of this research were the students’ difficulties in writing recount text and factors that cause students’ difficulties in writing recount. The objective of this research was to find out the students’ difficulties in writing recount text and to describe the factors that make students have difficulties writing recount text. This research was qualitative descriptive. The source of the data of this research was tenth grade SMAN 1 Selesai Kab. Langkat. Total of the were 24 students. The researcher used test and gave a questionnaire as the instruments. The researcher analysed the data by editing the data, reducing the data, tabulating the data and the last taking conclusion. The researcher found some facts in the field. First, it was found that the answer that students’ difficulties in writing recount text were difficulties in developing the content, organization, vocabulary, language, and mechanics. The data were got from students’ test that had been analysed. Beside that, the causes of the students’ difficulties in writing recount text were grammatical weakness, knowledge and understanding, less practice, and educational background

Intervention on my LD Learner’s Spelling and Writing Difficulties through spelling instruction and ICTs

The purpose of this article is to develop a lesson plan enhancing my learner’s spelling skills after the non- standardized test that assessed her spelling/ written expression. The lesson will be taught to a group of learners and not only to an individual, as any intervention can be really successful when applied to an inclusive class that accepts all learners regardless of their strengths or weaknesses (Sandmel & Graham, 2011). In the first part, there is a short description of the LD learner’s learning profile and then, there is a description of the teaching context. Moreover, there is a presentation of the aims set in the particular lesson in order to improve the learner’s spelling skills. Then, in the second part, there is a presentation of the actual lesson and a justification upon choices. Finally, there is a conclusion, summarizing all the theoretical concepts mentioned in the previous sections.