The Weaknesses of English Writing Skills among Undergraduate Saudi Students Majoring in English at Qassim University: A Perspective of English Faculty

The main aim of this study is to highlight the writing errors made by Saudi students majoring in English. The study selected a sample of two groups of female Saudi students residing in two Saudi regions: Tabuk and Hafr Al Batin. The students were requested to write approximately three to four paragraphs about one of three topics related to Saudi Arabia: social media and its effects on Saudi social life, marriage customs in Saudi Arabia, or the economy of Saudi Arabia. In analyzing the collected writing data, the students’ writing errors were identified and classified into four categories: grammar type, syntax type, mechanics type, and lexical type errors. Then, the frequency and error percentages of each subcategory were calculated for both groups. The findings show that both groups produced most errors in the subcategory of spelling followed by tenses subcategory even though the students from the University of Hafr Al Batin made overall higher percentages of errors than the errors’ percentages made by the students from the University of Tabuk. Further investigation reveals that all students in both regions hardly practice English writing and that Arabic interference contributes to the students’ English writing errors. The findings also imply that the curricula specialists at the Saudi ministry of education might consider including more educational material to improve the English writing skills of Saudi university students.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of error correction in writing process

Vietnam Journal of Education ◽

10.52296/vje.2019.42 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 45-51

Author(s):

Cuong Phu Nguyen

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Error Correction ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Writing Process ◽

Writing Skills ◽

Mutual Understanding ◽

English Writing ◽

The World ◽

Popular Language ◽

Giving Feedback

It is obvious that English has become a popular language in many countries in the world. As a means of communication, English guarantees better mutual understanding and has become indispensable for most of people around the world. Thus, it is necessary to find out an appropriate and effective methods of giving feedback to help university students improve their English writing skills. The result of this study indicates that using indirect coded feedback in error correction help students make noticeable progress. The students’ positive attitude towards teacher’s feedback (indirect coded feedback) means that they enjoyed using error codes to find and correct their errors. Moreover, their confidence was boosted because error codes motivated them.

Download Full-text

Enjoying Learning Writing through Facebook Group

Lingua Cultura ◽

10.21512/lc.v13i1.5513 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 115

Author(s):

Zulfadli Abdul Aziz ◽

Husnul Khatimah

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Writing Skills ◽

Situational Interest ◽

Individual Interest ◽

English Writing ◽

Research Findings ◽

Efl Students ◽

Interactive Feedback ◽

Group 1

This research showed many English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in Aceh struggle in learning English writing as they had a lack of interest in it. This descriptive qualitative study aimed to find out in what ways Facebook Group might facilitate the enjoyment of the students in learning this skill. The data were collected using interviews and was analyzed through thematic analysis. The interview was done one by one at a time. Ten students from UIN Ar-Raniry were purposely chosen for the interviews in this research. The research findings show that there are four themes found that caused the participants enjoyment of the learning writing in the group: (1) it provides unlimited timing; (2) it facilitates the participants’ freedom and creativity; (3) it provides the interactive feedback; and (4) it helps them in brainstorming the ideas. These four themes directly enhance the students’ situational interest in learning writing that related to an environmental factor, but it results in the development of their individual interest. This research suggests that the teacher should combine the learning process in the classroom with the Facebook group media to fasten the enhancement of the learners’ writing skills. For the learners, it is suggested that they should utilize their social media such as Facebook group not only as their communication media but also for developing their learning in writing.

Download Full-text

Effects of Explicit Instruction on Text Structure in Process Writing

10.37546/jaltpcp2019-50 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2019 (1) ◽

pp. 433

Author(s):

Sachi Oshima

Keyword(s):

Explicit Instruction ◽

Writing Skills ◽

Text Structure ◽

Self Report ◽

Process Writing ◽

Advanced Level ◽

English Writing ◽

Proficiency Levels ◽

Research Questions ◽

Efl College Students

This study investigates the effectiveness of explicit instruction on text structure in the development of Japanese EFL college students’ English writing skills by examining two research questions: (1) How does students’ writing change after being given lessons on explicit instruction and process writing?; and (2) How do students’ perceptions of English writing change due to process writing and explicit instruction on text structure? Two groups of students were given four lessons on process writing and explicit instruction. While one group of advanced-level students wrote an argumentative essay, the other group with beginner-level students wrote a descriptive essay. The results suggest that explicit instruction on text structure can be a useful means of developing English writing skills regardless of students’ English proficiency levels. Students self-report indicated that their ability to organize ideas was highly improved, and they exhibited positive changes in writing in terms of organization and awareness of readers. 本研究では、EFL環境下にある日本人大学生を対象に、文章構成（text structure）の明示的指導がライティングにどのような効果を有するかを、次の2点について考察し、検証した。（1）プロセスライティングと文章構成の明示的指導により、学習者の英語ライティングはどのように変化するか。（2）プロセスライティングと文章構成の明示的指導により、学習者の英語ライティングに対する認識はどのように変化するか。2グループの学生に対しプロセスライティングと文章構成に関する明示的な指導を4レッスンずつ行った。英語上級者のグループにはargumentative essay（議論型エッセイ）を、初級者のグループにはdescriptive essay（記述型エッセイ）を書かせた。結果、文章構成の明示的指導は、学習者の英語運用能力に関わらず、英語ライティングの向上に効果的であることが分かった。学習者は文章構成力が最も上がったと回答しており、ドラフトにも文章構成力の向上や読み手を意識した文章への変容といった効果が表れた。

Download Full-text

English Writing Formative Assessment in Indonesia

10.31219/osf.io/rxp4q ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Musa

Keyword(s):

Formative Assessment ◽

Classroom Observation ◽

Writing Skills ◽

Narrative Text ◽

Performance Tasks ◽

English Writing ◽

Short Answer ◽

Assessment Tasks ◽

Assessment Techniques ◽

Construction Task

This study aimed to investigate the assessment techniques used by a teacher in assessing students’ writing skills, the reason in implementing the techniques, and the students’ responses toward the implementation of the techniques. The collected data in this study included classroom observation that had been held in three times, interview, and written document. The following is the conclusions based on the data analysis. Since formative assessment of writing skill is the main focus of this study, the teacher implemented five writing performance tasks suggested by Brown (2010) namely dicto-comp, picture-cued task, short answer task, guided question and answer, and paragraph construction task. From the teaching process done by the teacher, the assessment tasks were implemented for formative purposes, that is, to monitor students’ progress in comprehending the lesson that is about narrative text. The teacher implemented some assessment tasks in an informal way to monitor students’ ongoing progress without recording the result of the performance, while the other tasks were implemented in a formal way to record students’ progress and to give them an appraisal of their progress and achievement.

Download Full-text

The Effect on Learning Objectives and Outcomes of Students’ Inability to Develop Language Competencies for Appropriate Communication at the Undergraduate Level

English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies ◽

10.22158/eltls.v2n3p64 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. p64

Author(s):

Casimir Adjoe ◽

Rosemary Kimani

Keyword(s):

Learning Outcomes ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Random Sampling ◽

Writing Skills ◽

Learning Objectives ◽

Communication Studies ◽

Undergraduate Level ◽

English Writing ◽

Linguistic Ethnography ◽

Language Competencies

The ability to communicate is a skill needed for beneficial learning outcomes. It is likewise needed for functioning in our connected world and spaces. However, undergraduate writing still gives the impression of poor English writing skills and inadequate communication. The paper takes a linguistic ethnography approach to examine the effects of poor English writing skills on the learning objectives and communication of undergraduate students. Using a random sampling of 37 examination scripts of Communication Studies students and their analysis through a revised version of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, the study suggests that poor English writing skills and the inability to communicate are likely among the effects of the inability of undergraduate students to acquire competence at the comprehension, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation tasks needed to enable them compose knowledge and meaningful messages as well as to communicate them. The study, therefore, suggests the need for investigating practical steps that can be taken to assist students with poor English writing competencies and skills to access knowledge and be able to produce knowledge in their learning situations, and further still, be able to communicate their knowledge as competently as possible without an overemphasis on grammatical correctness as the goal.

Download Full-text

PENERAPAN DIALOGUE JOURNALS PADA PEMBELAJARAN MENULIS BAHASA INGGRIS UNTUK MENINGKATKAN MOTIVASI MENULIS DAN KETERAMPILAN MENULIS SISWA ENGLISH AS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL) KELAS 4 DI AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL (AIS) [THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DIALOGUE JOURNALS IN ENGLISH WRITING LEARNING TO INCREASE THE WRITING MOTIVATION AND WRITING SKILLS OF GRADE 4 ENGLISH AS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL) STUDENTS AT AN AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL (AIS)]

Jurnal Teropong Pendidikan ◽

10.19166/jtp.v1i1.3129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Dwi Endah Puspitowati

Keyword(s):

Time Management ◽

Writing Skills ◽

Independent School ◽

Implementation Process ◽

Dialogue Journals ◽

Observation Study ◽

Writing Improvement ◽

English Writing ◽

Writing Motivation ◽

Development Of Students

Writing in English takes place intensively but students’ writing motivation was low and their writing improvement didn’t meet the expectation. This situation raised concerns which led to improvement planning that aimed to 1) describe the implementation process of Dialogue Journals, 2) analyze the development of students’ writing motivation, 3) analyze the development of students’ writing skills, and 4) identify obstacles faced during the process of implementation and solutions to overcome them. This research used a classroom action research which consisted of three cycles and was conducted at Australian Independent School with six grade 4 EAL students involved. Resources of data collection were based on class observation, study of documentation, and measurement of students’ writing motivation and writing skills using writing motivation and writing rubric. The results of the research showed that 1) Dialogue Journals were applied based of suggestive steps and plans, 2) 5 out of 6 students’ writing motivation raised , 3) 5 out 6 students’ writing skills improved, 4) obstacles had been identified which included students’ absence, emotional, and behavioural problems which needed immediate solution, and teacher time management to reply to students, and learning tool availability and access. Solutions to the related obstacles were arranged and applied.BAHASA INDONESIA ABSTRACT: Kegiatan menulis bahasa Inggris siswa EAL kelas 4 berlangsung secara intensif namun motivasi menulis siswa rendah dan perkembangan keterampilan menulis siswa tidak sesuai harapan. Kondisi ini merisaukan. Bermula dari kerisauan ini, guru melakukan tindakan perbaikan dengan penerapan Dialogue Journals yang bertujuan: 1) mendeskripsikan proses penerapan Dialogue Journals, 2) menganalisis perkembangan motivasi menulis bahasa Inggris, 3) menganalisis perkembangan keterampilan menulis bahasa Inggris, dan 4) mengidentifikasi kendala yang dihadapi selama proses penerapan berlangsung dan solusinya. Penelitian ini menggunakan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK). Penelitian dilaksanakan dalam tiga siklus di Australian Independent School (AIS). Subyek penelitian terdiri dari enam orang siswa dan siswi kelas 4. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui observasi, studi dokumentasi dan penilaian dengan menggunakan rubrik, serta dianalisis secara kualitatif deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan: 1) penerapan Dialogue Journals sesuai dengan langkah-langkah yang disarankan dan direncanakan, 2) motivasi menulis 5 dari 6 orang siswa meningkat, 3) keterampilan menulis 5 dari 6 siswa meningkat dan 4) kendala dalam proses penerapan diantaranya ketidakhadiran siswa, masalah sikap yang timbul yang perlu penanganan segera, manajemen waktu guru, penggunaan dan ketersediaan fasilitas alat bantu. Solusi berupa penyediaan strategi manajemen emosi dan sikap, mengatur waktu dan mendorong siswa belajar secara mandiri.

Download Full-text