A small-scale qualitative study investigating writing difficulties encountered by postgraduate Arab students at a UK University

Abstract EN

Writing in a foreign language is one of the most difficult language skills to master, especially for those learning English.

What contributes to the complexity of this important skill is the nature of its multi-level process: (1) First Draft (Prewriting): reading and defining the purpose; identifying the audience; brainstorming, gathering, drafting/outlining and prioritizing ideas; freewriting; (2) Second and Third Drafts (Drafting, Revising and Peer Reviewing): precise efficient language; sequencing and connecting idea; a rotation cycle of making and supporting ideas, questioning, organizing, rethinking, clarifying and giving and receiving feedback; (3) Final Draft (Editing): clarity, punctuation, spelling style, formatting, in-text-citation and works cited/references; and (4) Publishing: submitting in-class/online assignments and portfolios or professional journals and publications.

This is a small-scale qualitative investigative study of the writing difficulties encountered in academic English reported by Arab male and female Master's students at a UK university during the second semester of the academic year 2018/2019.

It discusses the practises used by its participants to overcome difficulties in their written assignments.

Findings revealed a number of difficulties related to syntax, semantics (colloquial vs.

academic), L1-L2 interference (translation), and style, which suggests that these difficulties are embedded in other factors that need to be taken into consideration.