An In-Depth Analysis of Saudi EFL Students’ Written Paragraphs at Al-Baha University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1311.18Keywords:
grammatical problems, mechanical difficulties, EFL students, paragraph compositionAbstract
This study aimed to give an in-depth analysis of students’ written paragraphs. Therefore, the study primarily described the nature of the grammatical and mechanical problems that the undergraduate students committed at the paragraph level. Paragraphs written by EFL undergraduate students were analyzed comprehensively. The study adopted a qualitative method approach in which 80 students were asked to write a paragraph. The study found that undergraduate students had many grammatical problems as well as mechanical ones in a paragraph. The major grammatical problems included the use of tenses, pronouns, conjunctions, the use of prepositions, and the use of verbs, whereas the mechanical ones included the use of capitalization, the use of punctuation marks, cursive writing, spelling mistakes, and initiating a paragraph. These problems affected the paragraph’s readability as well as its comprehension. Therefore, it is suggested to give ample time for the students to practice writing prior to university entry. Also, literature should be included in secondary school to provide learners with the necessary words and improve their expressive skills.
References
Alsalami, A. I. (2022). Challenges of Short Sentence Writing Encountered by First-Year Saudi EFL Undergraduate Students. Arab World English Journal, 13(1), 534-549.
Alzamil, A. (2020). An investigation of writing errors made by Saudi English-major students. International Journal of English Linguistics, 10(2), 92-97.
Al-Nafjan, E. F., & Alhawsawi, S. (2022). A scoping review of research on tertiary English writing in the Saudi context. Ampersand, 100090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amper.2022.100090
Alkhathlan, M. (2019). Metadiscourse in academic writing: An investigation of Saudi EFL students' research articles. Linguistics and Literature Studies, 7(5), 220-225.
Alharbi, N. S. M. (2018). An investigation into the academic writing: Difficulties of Saudi Postgraduate Students. University of Exeter (United Kingdom).
Alshammari, Hammad Ali. "Investigating the Low English Proficiency of Saudi EFL Learners". Arab World English Journal, 13, no. 1 (2022), 129-144.
Al-Zahrani, Samirah Ali. (2018). Problems of English Paragraph Structure in the Writing of Female Students at Albaha University. Unpublished Research Project, Albaha University. https://shms-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/media/editor/146328/Paragraph_Writing-_Samirah_Alzahrani_final.pdf
Al-Zubeiry, H. Y. A. (2020). Coherence Problems in the English Writings of Saudi University Students. Umm Al-Qura University Journal for Languages & Literature, 25, no. 1: 408-431.
Ankawi, A. (2020). The academic writing challenges faced by Saudi students studying in New Zealand (English Language Institute, King Abdulaziz University). URL: https://doi.org/10.5296/ijele.v8i2.17342
Dewle, M. (2009). Techniques of teaching report writing to ESL learners. Unpublished M. Phil dissertation, EFL University, Hyderabad-India. pp. 1-30.
Javid, C. Z., Farooq, M. U., & Umer, M. (2013). An investigation of saudi efl learners'writing problems: a case study along gender-lines. Kashmir Journal of Language Research, 16(1), 179.
Khasawneh, M. A. S. (2021). Investigating Writing Challenges Encountered by Saudi EFL1 Learners: Implications for Improvement. Edukacja Ustawiczna Dorosłych, 115(4), 31-41.
Mudawy, A. M. A., & Mousa, A. A. E. (2017). Academic writing among Saudi university students: problems and solutions. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 6(5), 1-4. DOI:10.21275/ART20172929
Qayoom, N., & Saleem, M. (2020). A Study of Saudi Advanced Academic Writing Students' Perceptions of Research Essays, and Gaps in Their Knowledge. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(6), 223-237. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.6.13
