Analyzing Essential Aspects of Developing English Paragraphs Based on Comparing Levels Five and Nine of EFL Students
Abstract
Across all levels of study, many college and university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduate students find it difficult to write paragraphs in English. Indeed, many EFL teachers expect their students to easily create well-written paragraphs; however, after only a few hours of instruction, teachers tend to find that many students simply do not meet such expectations. Thus, this study investigated EFL undergraduate students at two different levels of their college education and explored their perspectives on essential writing components in the construction of well-structured paragraphs, including grammar, vocabulary, and organization. The study also discussed the least important writing aspects that may not at all impact the comprehensibility of written paragraphs. Additionally, the study investigated the strengths and weaknesses of EFL students’ English writing. The participants were selected using the convenience sampling method. The final sample included 15 level five college students with an intermediate level of English and 15 level nine students with a high level of English, totaling 30 students. All participants belonged to the Department of Applied Linguistics. Data were collected through mixed-method research. The participants received both online and descriptive surveys. The researcher analyzed the quantitative data by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics version 25) and thematic analysis for the qualitative data. The results of the present study showed minor differences in students’ perspectives regarding the most and least important aspects of writing across the two student levels. However, there were significant differences in the respective areas for improvement, including grammar and mechanics. This paper concludes that regardless of the students’ college level, students shared similar perceptions about the most and least important components of English writing. They all considered grammar the most important aspect of writing and mechanics the least important. Accordingly, the researcher recommends that curriculum designers and EFL instructors analyze their students' needs and weaknesses to design appropriate materials and teaching methods.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.11.23
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abbas, M. F. F., & Herdi, H. (2018). Investigating EFL learners’ ability in applying writing mechanics in an argumentative essay. Proceedings of ISELT FBS Universitas Negeri Padang, 6, 45-50. https://ejournal.unp.ac.id/index.php/selt/article/view/100143
Agustiana, V. (2016). Combining product and process-based approaches to teaching writing discussion texts. Journal of English Education, 4(2), 195-208. https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE
Ahmed, F. E. Y. (2019). Errors of unity and coherence in Saudi Arabian EFL university students’ written paragraph-a case study of College of Science & Arts, Tanumah, King Khalid University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. European Journal of English Language Teaching, 4(3), 125-155. http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.321555
Aksoy, H. (2021). The relationship between grammar and vocabulary levels and their writing skills of those who learn Turkish as a foreign language. Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Language,1(1), 18-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.20375/0000-000D-FEA9-7
Aldabbus, S., & Almansouri, E. (2022). Academic writing difficulties encountered by university EFL learners. British Journal of English Linguistics, 10(3), 1-11. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shaban-Aldabbus/publication/362821826_Academic_Writing_Difficulties_Encountered_by_University_EFL_Learners/links/630c688dacd814437fe4897c/Academic-Writing-Difficulties-Encountered-by-University-EFL-Learners.pdf
Alghammas, A., & Alhuwaydi, A. (2020). The weaknesses of English writing skills among undergraduate Saudi students majoring in English at Qassim University: A perspective of English faculty. The Asian ESP Journal, 16(2.1), 297-308. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342065474
Alharbi, M. A. (2019). EFL university students’ voice on challenges and solution in learning academic writing. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(3), 577-588. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i3.15276
Alisha, F., Safitri, N., & Santoso, I. (2019). Students’ difficulties in writing EFL. Professional Journal of English Education, 2(1), 20-25. https://ofertaformativa.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Writing-difficulties.pdf
Al-Jarf, R. (2022). Role of instructor qualifications, assessment and pedagogical practices in EFL students’ grammar and writing proficiency. Journal of World Englishes and Educational Practices, 4(2), 6-17. https://doi.org/10.32996/jweep.2022.4.2.2
Alkodimi, K. A., & Al-Ahdal, A. A. M. H. (2021). Strategies of teaching writing at Saudi tertiary-level institutions: Reality and expectations. Arab World English Journal, 12 (2) 399- 413. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol12no2.27
Almalki, A. (2020). Writing difficulties faced by Saudi EFL learners: A review of literature. 1-5.
Al Shamalat, R. Y. S., & Abdul Ghani, C. A. B. A. (2020). The effect of using conjunction as cohesive device on the undergraduates’ quality of writing in argumentative essays of Jordanian EFL learners. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ), (6), 290-301. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/call6.19
Alshammari, S. (2020). "Writing to learn or learning to write". A critical review of "English as a Foreign Language" (EFL) teaching practices in writing in Saudi universities. Research in Education and Learning Innovation Archives, 24,1-22. https://dx.doi.org/10.7203/realia.24.15867
Altamimi, D., & Rashid, R. A. (2019). Spelling problems and causes among Saudi English language undergraduates. Arab World English Journal, 10 (3) 178- 191. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol10no3.12
Alzahrani, F. Y., Alghamdi, E. M., & Qutob, M. M. S. (2020). An insight into female EFL learners’ difficulties and needs in writing: The case of secondary high schools in Saudi Arabia. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ). Proceedings of 2nd MEC TESOL Conference 2020: 343-359. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/MEC2.25
Ariyanti, A., & Fitriana, R. (2017). EFL students' difficulties and needs in essay writing. In International Conference on Teacher Training and Education 2017 (ICTTE 2017) (pp.32-42). Atlantis Press. https://dx.doi.org/10.2991/ictte-17.2017.4
Ariyanti, A. (2016). The teaching of EFL writing in Indonesia. Dinamika Ilmu, 16(2), 263-277.
Budjalemba, A. S., & Listyani. (2020). Factors contributing to students’ difficulties in academic writing class: Students’ perceptions. UC Journal: ELT, Linguistics and Literature Journal, 1(2), 135-149. https://doi.org/10.24071/uc.v1i2.2966.
Bulqiyah, S. Mahbub, M.A. & Nugraheni, D.A. (2021). Investigating writing difficulties in essay writing: Tertiary students’ perspectives. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 4(1), 61-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v4i1.2371
Çelik, S. (2020). Building critical academic writing skills: The impact of instructor feedback on Turkish ELT graduate students. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 24(3), 1-18. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1275864.pdf
Cronbach, L. J., & Meehl, P. E. (1995). Construct validity in psychological tests. Psychological Bulletin, 52(4), 281-302. https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/184279/1_07_Cronbach.pdf?sequence=1
Crossley, S. A., Kyle, K., & McNamara, D. S. (2016). The development and use of cohesive devices in L2 writing and their relations to judgments of essay quality. Journal of Second Language Writing, 32, 1-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2016.01.003
Daffern, T., Mackenzie, N. M., & Hemmings, B. (2017). Predictors of writing success: How important are spelling, grammar and punctuation? Australian Journal of Education, 0(0), 1–13. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004944116685319
Dakhi, S., & Fitria, T. N. (2019). The principles and the teaching of English vocabulary: A review. Journal of English Teaching, 5(1), 15-25. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594288.pdf
Davoodifard, M. (2022). An overview of writing process research: Towards a better understanding of L2 writing process. Studies in Applied Linguistics & TESOL, 21(2), 1-20. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1340044.pdf
Dehghani, A. P., Bagheri, M. S., Sadighi, F., & Tayyebi, G. (2016). Investigating difficulty order of certain English grammar features in an Iranian EFL setting. International Journal of English Linguistics, 6(6), 209-220. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v6n6p209
Derakhshan, A., & Shirejini, R. K. (2020). An investigation of the Iranian EFL learners’ perceptions towards the most common writing problems. SAGE Open, 10(2), 1-10. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2158244020919523
Dragomir, I. A., & Niculescu, B. O. (2020). Different approaches to developing writing skills. Land Forces Academy Review, 25(3), 201-206. https://dx.doi.org/10.2478/raft-2020-0024
Fajrina, D., Everatt, J., Fletcher, J., Astall, C., & Sadeghi, A. (2023). How do Indonesian EFL students’ writing strategies and writing process differ from English L1 students? Studies in English Language and Education, 10(2), 907-925. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v10i2.28888
Fatimah, N. (2018). Students’ needs for academic writing at the English education department. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 1(3), 161-175. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1288231.pdf
Fauzan, U., Aulya, S. F., & Noor, W. N. (2020). Writing error analysis in exposition text of the EFL junior high school students. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 5(2), 517-533. https://shorturl.at/ckAEI
Fawa’reh, A. J. (2019). The skill of writing from a linguistic and cognitive perspective. Jerash for Research and Studies, 20(1), 365-371. https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&=&context=jpu&=&sei-
Fayers, P. M., & Hays, R. D. (2005). Assessing quality of life in clinical trials: methods and practice (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. https://books.google.com.sa/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wWRLN5U9-
Fitria, T. N. (2022). Analysis of EFL students’ difficulties in writing and completing English thesis. A Journal on Language and Language Learning, 25(1), 295-309. https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.v25i1.3607
Flower, L., & Hayes, J. R. (1981). A cognitive process theory of writing. College composition and communication, 32(4), 365–387. http://mjreiff.com/Flower_Hayes.pdf
Ha, H. S. (2019). Lexical richness in EFL undergraduate students’ academic writing. English Teaching, 74(3), 3-28. http://dx.doi.org/10.15858/engtea.74.3.201909.3
Haberman, P., Afzaal, M., Ghaffar, A., & Alfadda, H. (2020). Various roles in the development of EFL learners’ English skills. International Journal of Instruction, 13(4), 609-622. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.13438a
Hays, R., & Revicki, D. A. (2005). Reliability and validity (including responsiveness). In P. Fayers, P. M., & Hays, R. D. (Eds.). Assessing quality of life in clinical trials: methods and practice (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Hermilinda, A. I., & Abd Aziz, N. H. (2018). Model of the writing process and strategies of EFL proficient student writers: A case study of Indonesian learners. Social Sciences & Humanities, 26(3), 1815-1842. http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/
Husna, A., & Multazim, A. (2019). Students’ difficulties in writing recount text at inclusion classes. Linguistics, Literature and English Teaching Journal, 9(1), 52-76. http://jurnal.uin-antasari.ac.id/index.php
Hussain, R. A. M. (2019). An analysis of undergraduate Saudi EFL female students’ errors in written English essays. Arab World English Journal, Special Issue: The Dynamics of EFL in Saudi Arabia, 241- 258. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/efl1.17
Ibnian, S. S. K. (2017). Writing difficulties encountered by Jordanian EFL learners. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 5(3), 107-206.
Inayah, N., & Nanda, R. P. (2016). Efforts to improve writing skills of high school students. Studies in English Language and Education, 3(1), 50-64. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v3i1.3388
Ismael, K. O., Saeed, K. A., Ibrahim, A. S., & Fatah, D. S. (2022). Effects of auto-correction on students’ writing skill at three different universities in Sulaimaneyah City. Arab World English Journal, Special Issue on CALL (8), 231-245. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/call8.16
Jamoom, O. A. (2021). EFL students’ needs for improving their writing skills. Scholars International Journal of Linguistics and Literature, 4(4), 106-111. https://doi.org/10.36348/sijll.2021.v04i04.004
Johnson, A. P. (2016). Academic Writing: Process and Product. Rowman and Littlefield. https://books.google.com.sa/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2JX4CwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq
Karakoç, D., & Köse, G. D. (2017). The impact of vocabulary knowledge on reading, writing and proficiency scores of EFL learners. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 13(1), 352-378. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/440520
Khadawardi, H. A. (2022). Saudi learners' perceptions of academic writing challenges and general attitude towards writing in English. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 13(3), 645-658. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1303.21
Khatter, S. (2019). An analysis of the most common essay writing errors among EFL Saudi female learners (Majmaah University). Arab World English Journal, 10 (3) 364-381. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol10no3.26
Lailiyah, M., & Setiyaningsih, L. A. (2021). Academic vocabulary of EFL students’ writing: A corpus-based study. In Proceedings Seminar Nasional Riset Linguistik dan Pengajaran Bahasa, 5, 28-32. http://ojs.pnb.ac.id/index.php/Proceedings/
Latupeirissa, D. S., & Sayd, A. I. (2019). Grammatical errors of writing in EFL class: A case in Indonesia. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Culture, 5(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.21744/ijllc.v5n2.605
Mandasari, B. (2019). An analysis of errors in students’ writing English sentences: A case study on Indonesian EFL learners. The 2 nd International Conference on English Language Teaching and Learning (179-189). Bandar Lampung, Indonesia I. http://repository.lppm.unila.ac.id/18588/1/Proceedings_2nd_ICON_ELTL_2019_CETAK_OK_Rev5c.pdf#pag e=193
Matiso, N. H. (2023). A comprehensive approach to eliminate English second language learners’ grammatical difficulties. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(10), 306-323. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.10.17
Mirioglu, M. (2020). Investigating the importance level and utilization of vocabulary learning strategies among Turkish EFL learners. Asian Journal of University Education, 16(1), 32-45. https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v16i1.8450
Nasser, S. M. (2019). Iraqi EFL students’ difficulties in writing composition: An experimental study (University of Baghdad). International Journal of English Linguistics, 9(1), 178-184. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v9n1p178
Normawati, A. (2023). How EFL learners perceive grammar in speaking and writing. Journal of English Educational Study, 6(1), 23-30. http://jurnal.stkippersada.ac.id/jurnal/index.php/JEES/article/view/2208
Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. C. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. https://doi.org/10.1177/073428299901700307
Nuruzzaman, M., Islam, A. B. M. S., & Shuchi, I. J. (2018). An analysis of errors committed by Saudi non- English major students in the English paragraph writing: A study of comparisons. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 9(1), http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.9n.1p.31
Sadi, F. F., & Othman, J. (2012). An investigation into writing strategies of Iranian EFL undergraduate learners. World Applied Sciences Journal, 18(8), 1148-1157. https://doi.org/10.5829/idosi.wasj.2012.18.08.3773
Septiwan, R., & Al Hafizh, M. (2021). An analysis of coherence in writing essay written by students at universitas Negeri Padang. In Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Languages and Arts (ICLA 2021)(pp. 134-141). Atlantis Press. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/icla-21/125964932
Sermsook, K., Liamnimitr, J., & Pochakorn, R. (2017). An analysis of errors in written English sentences: A case study of Thai EFL students. Canadian Center of Science and Education. 10(3), 101-110. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v10n3p101
Setlight, K. C. M. S., Betaubun, M., & Kartika, V. (2023). A model for teaching writing: problem-based learning as an alternative for EFL students’ writing improvement. E-Clue Journal of English, Culture, Language, Literature,and Education, 11(2), 210-235. https://shorturl.at/kwTUV
Shousha, A. I., Farrag, N. M., & Althaqafi, A. S. (2020). Analytical assessment of the common writing errors among Saudi foundation year students: A comparative study. English Language Teaching, 13(8), 46-62. http://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v13n8p46
Solikhah, I., & Surakarta, I. (2017). Linguistic problems in English essay by EFL students. IJOTL-TL: Indonesian Journal of Language Teaching and Linguistics, 2(1), 31-44. https://ijoltl.pusatbahasa.or.id
Sukaesih, I. (2023). The challenges of Indonesian EFL students in translating Indonesian texts into English. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Entitled Language, Literary, And Cultural Studies, Icon LATERALS 2022, 05–06 November 2022, Malang, Indonesia. https://eudl.eu/pdf/10.4108/eai.5-11- 2022.2329483
Susilowati, T. (2018). Building fluency in writing II based on micro and macro skills of writing by using peer assessment. Kodifikasia, 12(1), 129-139. https://doi.org/10.21154/kodifikasia.v12i1.1428
Syahputri, D., & Masita, S. (2018). An analysis of the students’ error in writing descriptive text. Jurnal EduTech, 4(1), 14-20. https://doi.org/10.30596/edutech.v4i1.1884
Syawal, P., & Bin-Tahir, S. Z. (2017). Investigating Indonesian EFL learners’ learning and acquiring English vocabulary. International Journal of English Linguistics, 7(4), 128-137. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v7n4p128
Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of mixed methods research: Integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social and behavioral sciences. Sage, London. https://shorturl.at/bEHW9
Toba, R., Noor, W. N., & Sanu, L. O. (2019). The current issues of Indonesian EFL students’ writing skills: ability, problem, and reason in writing comparison and contrast Essay. Dinamika Ilmu, 19(1), 57-73. http://doi.org/10.21093/di.v19i1.1506
Widiati, U., & Cahyono, B. Y. (2006). The teaching of EFL writing in the Indonesian context: The state of the art. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 13(3) 139–150. http://journal.um.ac.id/index.php/jip/article/viewFile/40/357
Wirantaka, A. (2016). Paragraph writing of academic texts in an EFL context. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, 1(2), 34-45. https://journal.umy.ac.id/index.php/FTL/article/viewFile/3090/3585
Xavier, C. A., Hong, H. M., & Renandya, W. A. (2020). Grammar in Writing: Teachers’ Reflections. PASAA: Journal of Language Teaching and Learning in Thailand, 60, 199-221. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1259147.pdf
Yuliawati, L. (2021). The mechanics accuracy of students’ writing. English Teaching Journal, 9(1), 46-53. https://doi.org/10.25273/etj.v9i1.8890
Yusuf, Y. Q., Mustafa, F., & Iqbal, R. M. (2021). An inquiry into grammatical errors in writing committed by high achieving EFL students. International Journal of Language Studies, 15(2), 1-22.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
e-ISSN: 1694-2116
p-ISSN: 1694-2493