STRATEGIES FOR FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY ESL STUDENTS TO IMPROVE ESSAY WRITING SKILLS: A CONTEXTUALIZED FRAMEWORK FOR PAKISTANI HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The paper reviews the essay-writing difficulties of first-year English as a Second Language (ESL) students at Minhaj University Lahore and proposes a modified intervention-strategic framework. The study used a mixed-methods design that incorporated qualitative document analysis of institutional records and quantitative and qualitative data gathered through surveys, diagnostic essays, and semi-structured interviews with 85 first-year BSCS students and 05 ELC instructors. Results showed that more than 78 percent of students had difficulty formulating the thesis statement and maintaining paragraph coherence, and that L1 interference and a lack of pre-writing strategies were the main obstacles. Instructor data indicated a reliance on product-based correction rather than process-based teaching. Thematic analysis revealed five major student problems, including rhetorical transfer, cognitive overload, linguistic insufficiency, socio-cultural disagreement, and affective barriers. The study is based on the Schema Theory and the Monitor Model developed by Krashen. It proposes a dual-framework guidebook adaptable to the Pakistani context, with a focus on structured pre-writing, peer feedback, and culturally responsive pedagogy. The study concludes that an intervention based on strategy and systems in the English Language Center is necessary to align student performance with the standards of HEC Pakistan and suggests that the institution adopt the proposed framework and train teachers in it.