Issues and challenges in the use of coherence among Jordanian EFL students in writing academic essays
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol8iss2pp141-156Abstract
Background and Purpose: Writing a coherent composition is a challenging task for many English foreign learners, especially among English as Foreign Language (EFL) Jordanian students, as many of those learners cannot write coherent essays at the university level due to various reasons such as lack of lexical competence and lack of motivation. Since very limited studies have focussed on investigating this phenomenon in-depth, especially in the Jordanian context, the present study aims to explore issues and challenges faced by Jordanian students in using coherence in academic essays under the perspectives of writing course instructors.
Methodology: This study used a qualitative approach to gather data. The sample comprises eight male instructors from two Jordanian universities. They were selected using a purposive sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants to gain their insights into the issues and significant challenges faced by the students and the potential strategies to overcome them. 20 academic essays produced by 4th-year undergraduate students from the two universities were observed.
Findings: The instructors found that the EFL Jordanian students were unable to achieve coherent writing in the essays mainly due to their limited vocabulary knowledge. They attributed this lack to learners’ inadequate attempts to enhance their writing and limited reading experience. Generally, they agreed that insufficient awareness of the importance of incorporating effective educational practices to enhance their students’ writing was the major contributing factor to their students’ failure to observe coherence in writing. The findings encompassed some potential strategies to cope with the current obstacles, such as training the EFL instructors and employing modern techniques and practices in teaching.
Contributions: Teaching and learning coherent writing is necessary at all higher learning institutions. The study's findings have implications for all the stakeholders as a means of enriching the instructional practices widely.
Keywords: EFL Jordanian students, EFL writing, writing challenges, writing strategies, coherent writing, coherence.
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