<p>This study aimed at investigating the challenges in three aspects of writing development process, namely conventions, punctuation, and language use (proper use of grammar) in secondary school level from students and teachers experiences. The data was collected from 30 ESL students as the student participants of this research, from the upper and lower secondary school, Form 1 to Form 5, and 10 teacher participants teaching English language for upper and lower secondary levels with different teaching experiences. A questionnaire and an essay examination were utilized as the instruments of the study. The findings revealed that Malaysian ESL students have problems in writing tasks, especially in language use (grammar) and punctuation. The first language interference was also very tangible in their writings. The study suggests some practical methods in order to cope with writing difficulties.</p><p> </p>

The present study aimed at exploring the effect of a Strategies-Based Instruction (SBI) on improving male and female students' reading comprehension ability in an ESP context. The main assumption was that SBI would be more successful in developing reading comprehension of females compared to male students through using effective strategies and skills delivered in SBI method. The participants, within the age range of 18-22, included 24 male and 26 female students who were an intact experimental group. Following a pretest, treatment (15 weeks, 2 sessions per week), and a posttest, the obtained data was analyzed using ANOVA to examine the effects of the independent variables, namely, method of instruction and gender. The results of the analysis showed that although the teaching intervention had a significant effect on students' reading comprehension, gender’s effect was not significant. The findings are discussed in relation to effective reading comprehension instruction through the use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies in ESP teaching contexts.

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Abstract-There have been remarkable improvements and modifications in TESOL methodology with the advent of post-method era; however, such changes are rarely implemented in fields like ESP. Therefore, a majority of learners and teachers are not satisfied with currently offered EAP courses. Hence, the present study aims at exploring the effect of a Learner-Centered Instruction on undergraduate students' reading attitude in an EAP context. Based on a pedagogical framework driven from Hutchinson and Waters' Learning-Centered ESP approach, it was assumed that such an approach would be effective in changing students' attitudes towards EAP reading through encouraging the use of effective strategies and learning skills. The participants aged 18 to 22, included 80 engineering students who were divided into an experimental group and a control group. Following a pretest, treatment and a posttest, the obtained data was analyzed using t-test to examine the effect of the independent variable, namely, method of instruction. The findings revealed that learning-centered EAP instruction improves reading attitude of EAP students. In addition, the findings provide implications for all EAP practitioners in general and Asian EAP practitioners in particular.

Underperformance of students in EAP reading comprehension has been an issue of concern for teachers, syllabus designers, and curriculum developers in general and for EAP practitioners in particular. In spite of the fact that considerable efforts have been made to improve reading comprehension of students through strategies instruction over past decades, EAP students however have not benefited much from learning strategies. Thus, this study intended to investigate the impact of a Strategies-Based Instruction (SBI) on undergraduate students' reading strategy use in an EAP context. Taking an instructional model from strategies taxonomy of Oxford (1990; 2001), it was assumed that in contrast to conventional EAP reading methods, SBI would be more effective in encouraging reading strategy use and as a result developing reading comprehension of EAP students through encouraging the use of effective strategies and skills. To do so, 80 freshman undergraduate students were chosen as the participants of this study who were in two intact classes. After administration of a pre-test, treatment (22 sessions, 2 sessions per week), and a post-test, the collected data was analyzed using t-test to examine the effect of the proposed method of instruction. The results of the analysis showed that the teaching intervention had a significant effect on students' reading strategy use. The findings have implications for teachers encouraging effective reading comprehension instruction through the use of strategies in EAP teaching contexts.