Iraqi EFL Students’ Difficulties in Writing Composition: An Experimental Study (University of Baghdad)

Abstract

Iraqi EFL students face difficulties in writing composition, especially academic writing, which affects negatively their exam results. This study has been conducted in the Department of English at College of Education for Women, University of Baghdad, in order to identify first year EFL students’ incompetence in writing. This may enhance their achievement by some weekly writing activities. It deals with Iraqi EFL students’ difficulties in writing paragraphs such as descriptive, process, opinion, and factual paragraphs. The study aims to identify these difficulties and to suggest suitable solutions for them. The researcher perceives that it is necessary to enhance students’ skills in writing because it is an important tool in their education progress. The study proved that the distinction is considerable. However, the researcher had a group sitting for pre and post- test to assess the output of the means of students’ results.

The Current Issues of Indonesian EFL Students’ Writing Skills: Ability, Problem, and Reason in Writing Comparison and Contrast Essay

“…As a result, a good cohesive and coherence on their essay writing are not existed since they perceived the cohesive and coherence problems (Ahmed, 2010;Belkhir & Benyelles, 2017;and Ariyanti & Fitriana, 2017). Further, the grammatical problems were also experienced by the EFL students in essay writing (Ariyanti & Fitriana, 2017;Hasan & Marzuki, 2017;and Nasser, 2019) covering plural forms, articles, verbs forms, clauses, passive voice and preposition. Furthermore, the mechanics problems of punctuation, spelling, handwriting also faced by the EFL students in their essay writing (Ariyanti &Fitriana, 2017 andNasser, 2019).…”

“…Their study found that the students met difficulties in both coherence and cohesion due to the lack of reading, first language transfer and low writing practice. Nasser (2019) diagnosed the Iraqi EFL students' writing composition difficulties and revealed that the students' errors were concerned on using grammar, punctuation, spelling, and handwriting.…”

EAP alignment in EFL writing courses towards developing student’s academic writing skills

“…This idea is in line with Cahyono et al (2016), Husin and Nurbayani (2017), Jacobs (2013), Nasser (2018), andWeideman (2013). Many studies in academic writing at higher education contexts show that writing instruction must consider, among other things, the learning needs of students across disciplines and associated discourse genres (Bailey, 2009).…”

“…However, there are considerable professionalism issues in assigning teachers particularly to teach research and technical report writing courses. That is, writing courses (Basic Writing Skills, Research, and Technical Report Writing) were being exclusively taught by host department teachers who are assumed to have subject matter (content) expertise regardless of their lack of qualification and expertise in ELT, if not also in the language itself (Fareed et al, 2016;Hyland & Hamp-Lyons, 2002;Kruse, 2007;Leung, 2008;Nasser, 2018;Wahyuni & Umam, 2017). English for academic purposes refers to language research and instruction that focuses on the specific needs and practices of particular groups in academic contexts.…”

“…Yet students are not able to write in their academic projects. Lacking this competence, on the other hand, leads one to "losing touch with the joy of inquiry, the sense of intellectual curiosity, and the inestimable satisfaction of acquiring wisdom that are the touchstones of humanity" (Nasser, 2018;Sanu, 2016;Graham & Hebert, 2010). The argument here is, therefore, that where this problem is faced and a due investigation is required, it is essential that educators should assess the prime foundation and policy that guides the actual teaching-learning practice, which is the curriculum in the particular academic context.…”