Teaching Writing Skills

Najd Alshibani

Writing is an important skill for language production. However, it is considered a difficult skill, particularly in English as a second language (ESL) contexts where students face many challenges in writing. Therefore, the present study was conducted with an aim to investigate problems in Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners' writing and factors that hinder their writing skills. It also aimed at obtaining suggestions on how to improve Pakistani ESL learners' writing skills. For this purpose, focus groups of Pakistani English language teachers'and undergraduate ESL learners were conducted. Writing samples were also collected from 30 ESL undergraduate learners to find the major problems in their writing. The interviews and essays were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings reveal that the major problems in Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners' writing are insufficient linguistic proficiency (including command over grammar, syntax and vocabulary), writing anxiety, lack of ideas, reliance on L1 and weak structure organization. These challenges are influenced by various factors including untrained teachers, ineffective teaching methods and examination system, lack of reading and writing practice, large classrooms, low motivation and lack of ideas. The study also sheds light on the remedial measures such as increased reading, conscious and incidental vocabulary teaching, writing practice, trained teachers, reforms in the examination system, and writing competitions

A teacher needs to know the techniques for teaching writing skills and should remember that different levels and different styles of writing require different methods.

there are lots of apps and websites to help to teach students how to learn and develop their writing skills, such as :

1- English Writing Skills:

this app helps to improve your writing skills. it will explain how you can be effective and perfect in writing content, like reports, and essay.

2- IEW :

Instantly improve your writing! Brought to you by the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), this free app includes charts and lists to help you write organized and stylish papers. Based on the nine structural models and the many stylistic techniques presented in the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style program, this application gives you tools to organize your writing, whether you are writing short stories, reports, essays, or book reports. Also includes lists chock-full of interesting word choices to improve your writing and vary your sentence structure—the mark of a sophisticated writer. Perfect for the homeschooling student and the classroom teacher

3- Grammarly:

Grammarly’s Mobile Keyboard is the personal editor you can take with you wherever you go. With hundreds of checks and features and seamless integration, Grammarly helps you type with ease in any app. Whether you’re sending an urgent email, important LinkedIn message, or essential Facebook post, you can write from your phone with confidence.