scholarly journals Strategies for Teaching Academic Writing to Saudi L2 Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Syed Sarwar Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Writing Strategies ◽  
King Saud University ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Study Participants

Of all English Language skills, writing poses the greatest challenge for students due to the demands of style, structure and vocabulary. Even if second language learners (L2 learners) can speak the language well enough for everyday activities - shopping, traveling, and so on, producing an academic write-up that is precise, accurate, objective and fully referenced is still quite a task. This study aimed to determine the academic writing strategies used in ESP classrooms. Along with this, the study determined the perceived proficiency of L2 learners in academic writing, based on their ESP test course. The study also reports the needs of L2 learners in academic writing, and how English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructors can help to improve the writing skills of L2 learners. The study participants consisted of 60 L2 learners from various departments in King Saud University. A questionnaire was used to gather the responses of participants. The data was analyzed using SPSS 20.0 software. The results are displayed in descriptive statistics - frequencies and percentages. Inferences were made from the quantitative data, which formed the bases of discussion of the results of the study. The study found that L2 learners consider their academic writing skills to be adequate. This was reported as perceived proficiency since previous studies have reported discrepancies between the perception of teachers and students. L2 learners also revealed that they need to improve on grammar, vocabulary and punctuation as well as the use of academic writing strategies. The study revealed that majority of the respondents use strategies such as outlining and brainstorming. L2 learners performed above average when they use these writing strategies. However, L2 learners want EAP instructors to improve on core ESP topics including grammar, vocabulary and the use of writing strategies. Still, others want EAP instructors to improve on their teaching methods, as well as create an all-inclusive environment for students.

The Impact of Weblog on Omani Learners' Writing Skills in the English Language

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yahya Ashour Mohammed Alkhoudary
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Writing Quality ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of utilizing weblog on facilitating teaching writing at Buraimi University College (BUC) and to explore the extent to which a blog as a computer-mediated tool enhances learners' writing skills in English as a foreign language e(EFL), English as a second language (ESL). Vygotsky's model will be adopted in this study. Furthermore, a process approach is employed to involve students in writing. A mixed-method of qualitative and quantitative was embraced. Three instruments were used to answer the research questions of the study. The participants consisting of 60 students, were placed into two groups: 30 students for experimental group (Ex.G.) and 30 for the controlled group (Cont. G.). Also, 30 EFL teachers (15 males and 15 females) were selected randomly. Pre-and post-tests were assigned to both groups before and after incorporating weblog as a teaching tool. Questionnaires were distributed to (Ex. G) to check the effect of using a weblog on students' writing quality. Interviews were also conducted with both teachers and students. The findings reveal that the students of weblog group significantly outperform their counterparts. This study concludes that integrating weblogs in teaching is of paramount importance to language learners and a promising tool in higher education.

scholarly journals Students' Writing Errors and What Lies Beyond Them

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Fahmy Imaniar
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Error Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Common Error ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Writing Errors

Writing in second language is demanding that leads learners to make errors in their performance. Fortunately, the view of error has changed into a way of understanding second language acquisition and its practice. Error analysis is an approach of SLA to learn the errors made by the second language learners. However, knowing the errors made is not enough, therefore, it is important to see the factors beyond the errors. This present study aims at knowing what writing errors the learners make and what the most common error occurs are. Furthermore, this study explored what factor lies beyond those errors. Through mixed method design as well as Error Analysis (EA) approach, this study was conducted in one learning course in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia. Through this study, it was revealed that omission was the type of error mostly made. Furthermore, intralingual and interlingual factors were the ones beyond the errors. It is expected that this study will contribute to the knowledge and practice on the fields of not only Second Language Acquisition (SLA) but also English Language Teaching (ELT) involving teachers and students.   

scholarly journals ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES

2020 ◽  
pp. 40-57
Author(s):  
Olga Ilchenko ◽  
Natalia Kramar
Keyword(s):  
Writing Instruction ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Academic Publishing ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Methodological Principles

English language education, especially in light of the status of English as present-day lingua franca, has become a prolific field of research, and no less prolific area of practical application internationally. Through a critical literature review, the current study addresses one of its most prominent subfields – English for Academic Purposes – with special emphasis on academic writing. We briefly touch upon its evolution and identify the terminological ambiguities involved in EAP conceptualization within the broader framework of ESP (English for Specific Purposes). By examining the changes that academic English is undergoing today due to the overwhelming influence of L2 speakers’ varieties (termed “similects” by Anna Mauranen), we elucidate how English as a Lingua Franca movement can benefit and enrich EAP pedagogic practice. We also discuss how EAP fits within the latest CEFR guidelines, paying close attention to mediating skills, critical thinking and integrative thinking skills, which, as we argue, need to be more extensively incorporated into academic writing instruction. We discuss the rationale and the methodological principles of English for Research Publication Purposes as a new offshoot of EAP, which combines genre-based instruction with the exploration of multiple non-linguistic issues, involved in academic publishing, such as interaction with editors and gatekeepers, choosing a suitable journal, navigating the review process. We hope to demonstrate that EAP teaching, and especially academic writing instruction, is in need of major revision to overcome the yawning gap that currently exists between theory and practice.

scholarly journals International Postgraduate Students’ Perception of Challenges in Academic Writing in Malaysian Public Universities

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Sedigheh Shakib Kotamjani ◽  
Arshad Abd Samad ◽  
Mehrnaz Fahimirad
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Lexical Phrases

The purpose of this study is to investigate international postgraduate students’ perceptions of difficulty with academic writing in Malaysian public universities. A survey was used to collect students’ perceptions of difficulties and challenges in general academic writing skills and language-related skills. The results revealed that students perceived greater difficulty in language-related problems than general academic writing skills. In terms of language-related skills, they ranked writing coherent paragraph, summarizing and paraphrasing, applying appropriate lexical phrases, utilizing proper academic language and vocabulary respectively as the most difficult areas in writing. However, with respect to general academic writing skills, they perceived the most difficulties in reviewing and criticizing the literature, writing introduction and research gap. The results of this study implied that international postgraduate students who graduated from non-English medium instruction universities should be supported in terms of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), critical thinking skills and language-related skills to become self-directed in learning to write.

scholarly journals What to Accommodate to Develop Students' Academic Writing? Need Analysis for a Research-Based Textbook Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-98
Author(s):  
Rizka Safriyani ◽  
Rakhmawati Rakhmawati ◽  
Lisanul Uswah Sadieda
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Writing Strategies ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Teaching Context ◽  
Need Analysis ◽  
The World ◽  
Good Article

The development of research-based learning proliferates throughout the world, and it depicts the growth of an academic article's publication globally. To strengthen the paper's quality, particularly in Indonesia, the students need a guideline on writing an academic article. This qualitative and quantitative research would portray the needs analysis in developing a research-based textbook in academic writing. Fifty students and thirty lecturers were involved in the interview, documentation, and survey. The result shows that the skills needed to accommodate are referencing skills, writing the research's significance, and writing the conclusion. This study also suggested nine units of an Academic Writing Textbook needed by the students to produce a good article, namely  Introduction to Academic Article Writing, Strategies in avoiding plagiarism, Writing an introduction, writing a literature review, writing a research method, Presenting Findings and Discussion, Writing a conclusion, Tips on Referencing, choosing the title, and writing an abstract. These findings strengthen the previous studies, which states writing a conclusion of an academic article is challenging, particularly in the English Language Teaching context.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Saudi and International Journals of Applied Linguistics: The Move–Bundle Connection Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-30
Author(s):  
Basim Alamri
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Writing For Publication ◽  
Lexical Bundles ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Novice Writers ◽  
Rhetorical Structures

The present study implemented a genre-based approach to analyze the rhetorical structure of English language research articles (RAs): specifically, the Introduction-Methods-Results-Discussion-Conclusion (I-M-R-D-C) sections. Next, lexical bundles (LBs) associated with patterns of moves were identified by applying a corpus-driven approach. The study analyzed two corpora of 30 RAs purposely selected from 16 peer-reviewed journals of applied linguistics published in Saudi Arabia and internationally during the years of 2011-2016. First, a genre-based approach was used to identify the move structures of RAs through analyzing different RA sections by different models. Next, lexical bundles associated with each identified move in each IMRDC section were analyzed using a corpus-driven approach, based on structural and functional taxonomies. The study findings showed that both corpora share similarities and differences related to rhetorical structures and lexical bundles. These findings have pedagogical implications for novice writers, graduate students, and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction, including raising awareness of rhetorical structures and LBs in academic writing for publication, which could help produce more successful publishable research articles.

scholarly journals ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL COMPENENCE OF PHARMACEUTICAL STUDENTS IN THE ACADEMIC ENGLISH COURSE

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (18) ◽  
pp. 84-89
Author(s):  
Oksana Kovalenko ◽  
Olga Afanasenko
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Academic English ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
Selection For

The paper presents the ideas on integration of English language academic writing into the training of Mater of Pharmacy students. The academic literature demonstrates a powerful didactic potential for the development of both language and professional competence of students majoring in pharmacy. This fact is evidenced by the empirical study that demonstrates the finding reflected in students’ graduation academic project performance. As a measurement tools we employed assessment rubrics of the graduate project, content analysis and questionnaire on teachers’ feedback. The participants of the study were students from the Pharmacy faculty and teachers of English for Academic Purposes in cooperation with teachers of pharmacy. Together they outlined the criteria for the texts selection. According to the results, students mastered not only academic writing skills, but also the skills of information processing and evaluation, critical thinking, presentation of information and academic integrity. The paper also presents methodological recommendations on academic texts selection for pharmaceutical students and forms of teachingacademic writing to students of non-linguistic specialties. The results of the study allow to draw the conclusion academic writing course will enhance professional competence and reduce students’ misinterpreting of academic language.

scholarly journals The attitudes of Teachers of Learning Disabilities in English Language Toward Using Virtual classes to Teach English Writing

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
Mohamad Ahmad Saleem Khasawneh
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
English Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Intensive Training ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Virtual Classes ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Teachers Attitudes

This study investigated the attitudes of teachers of learning disabilities in English toward the use of virtual classrooms and e-learning in teaching writing skills to students with learning disabilities. The study adopted the descriptive approach and was applied to a sample of 65 teachers from Irbid city, Jordan. A questionnaire was developed to achieve this purpose after being checked for validity and reliability. The results showed that teachers’ attitudes toward virtual classes varied between high and moderate. For the realm of e-learning in general, the attitudes were high while for the realm of the effect of virtual classes in teaching writing skills were moderate. The study recommended providing intensive training to teachers of LDs in English language on the usages of e-learning and supporting teachers and students with the appropriate tools

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of the Challenges and Solutions of ESL Students‟ Academic Writing

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5C) ◽  
pp. 1169-1171
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
English Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Learning Collaborative ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Malaysian Students

Research studies on ESL writing are more interested in providing operational writing strategies for academic writing. However, there are not many studies on challenges faced by students and their solutions. The main aim of this paper is to provide a systematic literature review of academic writing studies which focused on investigating students’ academic writing challenges and their solutions. The papers used in this study were published from 2010 until 2019. A systematic search of literature proposed in this paper employs the exploratory approach for identifying and evaluating twenty-seven articles published in the authentic Journals. The themes of the review are divided into two categories, one which is related to ESL Malaysian students and another category is regarding non-Malaysians, this is due to the context of the study which will be conducted in Malaysia and therefore a review of studies done on Malaysian student academic writing is justified. The review shows there is a broader context of ESL students’ academic writing challenges and factors influencing students’ academic writing skills. In addition, as mentioned above, the review clearly shows the highlight of previous studies was on strategies which help improve students writing skills. As a conclusion, the review signifies that there are three major enormous challenges faced by ESL students in academic writing, such as teaching methods, students’ attitude towards English, and language ability. And the solutions to the challenges are to employ active learning English language teaching methods, for example, Task-Based learning (TBL), Blended learning, Collaborative learning and cognitive approach, in teaching writing.

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