CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES IN ACADEMIC ESSAY WRITING: A STUDY OF FIRST-YEAR ESL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN PAKISTAN
Keywords:
Academic Writing, Coherence, ESL Students, Essay Structure, Grammar, Higher Education, Peer Feedback, Vocabulary Building, Writing StrategiesAbstract
The development of academic writing skills is crucial for success in higher education. Yet, first-year English as a Second Language (ESL) students often face significant challenges in mastering academic essay writing. This study examines the difficulties these students encounter, focusing on issues such as grammar, coherence, vocabulary, and essay structure. It also explores effective strategies for improving writing, including prewriting activities, peer feedback, and vocabulary development. It offers recommendations for ESL instructors on how to better support students in overcoming these challenges. Using a mixed-methods approach, which included surveys with 60 ESL students and interviews with 10 ESL instructors, the study reveals that grammar and essay structure are the most common obstacles to learning. It highlights the importance of structured writing frameworks and personalised feedback in enhancing writing skills. The findings provide practical insights for both students and instructors, aiming to improve the academic writing skills of ESL students and support their success in higher education.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Abrar Ajmal, Dr. Muhammad Ali Raza, Dr. Hashim Khan (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
