EFL STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN ACADEMIC WRITING

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 35 - 50, 22.12.2018

Bayan Mohammad Alnıjres

Abstract

The aim of this research was to explore the writing
strategies used by ELT students and the difficulties they experience in
academic writing. A questionnaire was used to collect the data that was
obtained from 34 second-year students, studying at the English Language
Teaching Department of Education Faculty at a foundation university in
Istanbul, Turkey in 2017-2018 academic year. The results of the present
research revealed that the participants of the study are aware of the
importance of using metacognitive writing strategies in the completion of
quality writing assignments. It also became clear that the participants pay
attention to the identification of what they specifically want to say at the
pre-writing stage. That is, they use brainstorming techniques and prepare an
outline before they begin to write their first drafts on a given topic. The
participants favor peer feedback at the pre-writing stage but not at the
post-writing stage. The most frequently used writing strategy was found to be
revising strategy. However, it also became clear that the participants prefer
self-revision or teacher feedback for the improvement of their papers. Finally,
the findings of the study indicated that the participants experience many
difficulties in writing, such as finding relevant references, choosing a
significant topic, paraphrasing, referencing and citation, expressing own
voice, coherence and cohesion, using conjunctive cohesive devices
appropriately, and language use, respectively.

Keywords: Academic writing difficulties, writing strategies. 

Keywords

Academic writing difficulties

References

• Abdul-Rahman, S. (2011). An Investigation into the English Academic Writing Strategies Employed by Students of HE in the NE of England with Particular Reference to their Nationalities and Gender. Published Ph.D. University of Sunderland. Al Badi, I. (2015). Academic writing difficulties of ESL learners. The West East Institute. Al Fadda, H. (2012). Difficulties in academic writing: From the perspective of King Saud University postgraduate students. English Language Teaching, 5(3),123-130.