EFL writing skill requirements and challenges: Teachers and learners perceptions in focus
الموضوعات : Curriculum Research
1 - Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English Language, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
الکلمات المفتاحية: EFL Students’ Perceptions, EFL Teachers’ Perceptions, EFL Writing Challenges, EFL Writing Requirements,
ملخص المقالة :
Although there have been many studies concentrating on writing development and techniques to improve it, there still remains the need to investigate more and give extra insight to the EFL language learners and teachers on these issues. Using a grounded model of research, the researchers performed an investigation to examine the various aspects concerning writing challenges, and requirements to improve it. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an aim to achieve a thorough understanding of the topic by recruiting 25 male and female experienced EFL teachers along with 25 male and female intermediate EFL learners from language institutes in Tehran as the participants of the study through purposeful sampling technique. Then, 5 distinctive questions were chosen for the teachers and another set of 5 different questions for the learners to elicit their perceptions. After gathering the data and identifying the initial codes, the sub-categories emerged and helped the researcher to form the final model. Among the categories, writing strategies like collaborative and game-based, requirements like background, vocabulary, and grammatical knowledge were found to be essential. Based on the findings, a model was developed which is believed to support EFL learners in improving their writing proficiency.
Abdel Latif, M. M. M. (2013). What do we mean by writing fluency and how can it be validly measured? Applied Linguistics, 34(1), 99-105.
Adas, D., & Bakir, A. (2013). Writing difficulties and new solutions: Blended learning as an approach to improve writing abilities. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(9), 254-266.
Adel, S. M. R., Egtesadi, A., & Sadeghi, F. (2019). Construction and validation of a critical pedagogy questionnaire to assess ELT teachers: A mixed-method study. Issues in Language Teaching, 8(1), 333-375.
Aghazadeh, Z., & Soleimani, M. (2020). The effect of e-portfolio on EFL learners’ writing accuracy, fluency, and complexity. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 20 (2)(p. 25)
Almasi, E., & Tabrizi, A. R. N. (2016). The effects of direct vs. indirect corrective feedback on Iranian EFL learners' writing accuracy. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 3(1), 74-85. http://jallr.com/index.php/JALLR/article/view/237
Alrouji, O. O. (2020). The effectiveness of blended learning in enhancing Saudi students' competence in paragraph writing. English Language Teaching, 13(9), 72-82.
Alsmari, N. A. (2019). Fostering EFL students' paragraph writing using Edmodo. English Language Teaching, 12(10), 44-54. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v12n10p44
Anderson, C. A., Shibuya, A., Ihori, N., Swing, E. L., Bushman, B. J., Sakamoto, A., Saleem, M. (2010). Violent video game effects onaggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in Eastern and Western countries. Psychological Bulletin, 136, xxx–xxx.
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Sorensen, C., & Walker, D. A. (2014). Introduction to research in education (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Atasoy, A., & Temizkan, M. (2016). Evaluation of secondary school students' writing fluency skills. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 16, 1457–1484. https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2016.5.0353
Bijami, M., & Raftari, S. (2013). Product, process, and genre approaches to writing: A comparison. The Iranian EFL Journal, 9(15), 9-18. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Khosro
Birks, M., & Mills, J. (2015). Grounded theory: A practical guide. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Brown, H. D. (2016). Teaching by principles (4th ed.). Pearson Education ESL. https://www.academia.edu/41367581/Teaching_by_Principles_An_Interactive_Approach_to_Language_Pedagogy_4th_Edition
Charmaz K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis (2nd ed.). London, England: SAGE.
Collins, A. A., Graham, S., & Rigby-Wills, H. (2017). Writing characteristics of students with learning disabilities and typically achieving peers: A meta-analysis. Exceptional Children, 83(2), 199-218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402916664070
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2016.01.003
Deveci, T. (2018). Writing for and because of lifelong learning. European Journal of Educational Research, 8(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.8.1.1
Dolati, I., & Mikaili, P. (2011). Opinions related to the main reasons on Iranian students’ difficulties in spoken English proficiency. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 5(11), 1142-1148. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216755519
Glaser, BG 1978, Theoretical Sensitivity: Advances in the Methodology of Grounded Theory, Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press.
Glaser, BG 1992, Basics of Grounded Theory Analysis: Emergence Versus Forcing, Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press.
Glaser, BG 1998, Doing Grounded Theory: Issues and Discussions, Sociology Press, Mill Valley, CA.
Glaser, BG 2001, The Grounded Theory perspective: Conceptualisation contrasted with description, Sociology Press, Mill Valley, CA.
Feng, G., & Sun, C. (2009). Process approach to teaching writing applied in different teaching models. English Language Teaching, 2(1), 150-155. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1082330.pdf
Ferris, D. R. (2003). Response to student writing: Implications for second language students. Mahwah, NJ, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Fuadilah, T. Z. (2019). The effect of reward and punishment on students’ learning motivation for the eighth grade of SMPN 1 Mlarak in academic year 2018/2019 (Undergraduates thesis). IAIN Ponorogo. http://etheses.iainponorogo.ac.id/8261/1/TITIN%20ZUMAROH%20FUADILAH-converted.pdf
Ghadyani, F., Tahririan, M. H., & Afzali, K. (2020). Conceptualization of hope for EFL teaching within the Iranian context: A grounded theoretical model. Issues in Language Teaching, 9(2), 27-58.
Glaser, B. G. (1992). Emergence vs. forcing: Basics of grounded theory analysis: Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press.
Glaser, B. G. (1998). Doing grounded theory: Issues and discussion. Mill Valley, CA:
Sociology Press.
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. New York, NY: Aldine De Gruyter.
Haddadi, F., & Tahririan, M. H. (2014). Analysis of Iranian and non-Iranian performances: A study of writing in real and virtual environments. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 98, 621-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.460
Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching (4th e.d). Pearson EducationESL.https://www.academia.edu/5160349/55944844_The_Practice_of_English_Language_Teaching_3rd_Ed_Jeremy_Harmer_2001
Hadley G. (2017). Grounded theory in applied linguistics research: A practical guide. London, England: Routledge.
Hyland, K., & Hyland, F. (2006). Feedback on second language students’ writing. Language Teaching, 39(2), 83e101.
Lantolf, J. P., & Thorne, S. L. (2006). Sociocultural theory and genesis of second language development. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. http://hdl.handle.net/11162/64896
López-Díaz, A., Martínez, J., & Pérez, E. (2020). Using process writing in the teaching of English as a foreign language. Online Submission, 4(1), 49-61. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED603410.pdf
Mahu, D. P. (2012). Why is learning English so beneficial nowadays? International Journal of Communication Research, 2(4), 374-376. Retrieved from https://www.ijcr.eu/articole/108_102_pdfsam_IJCR%204-2012%20tipo.pdf
Memari Hanjani, A and Li, L (2014b) EFL learners’ written reflections on their experience of attending a process genre-based, student-centred essay writing course. Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 1/2: 149 –166
Pourghasemian, H., Baqerzadeh Hosseini, M. (2020). The Effects of Planning time Conditions and Writing Type on the Writing Quality of Iranian EFL Writers. Research in English Language Pedagogy, 8(2), 242-262. doi: 10.30486/relp.2020.1889477.1178
Seiffedin, A. H., & El-Sakka, S. M. F. (2017). The impact of direct-indirect corrective e-feedback on EFL Students writing accuracy. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 7(3), 166-175.
Tabatabaei, O. (2012). The effect of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) on learning idiomatic expressions: A case of Iranian EFL students. Language, Culture, and Translation, 1(1), 119-137. http://journals.iau.ir/article_551420_c7afc190f26c03c24d1a37360720b95b.pdf
Urquhart, C. (2013). Grounded theory for qualitative research: A practical guide. London: Sage.
Wall, F. J. (2020). Using assistive technology to facilitate idea generation in writing for school aged children (Master's thesis). University of Toronto. http://hdl.handle.net/1807/101237
Weigle, S. C. (2014). Considerations for teaching second language writing. Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, 4, 222-237. https://prezi.com/lrwsokmrmlf-/considerations-for-teaching-second-language-writing/.
