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Revisiting the Assessment of Second Language Abilities: From Theory to Practice pp 155–173Cite as

Academic Writing Needs Assessment: A Case Study of MPH Students, University of Khartoum

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Part of the book series: Second Language Learning and Teaching ((SLLT))

Abstract

This study aims at assessing Master’s of Public Health (MPH) students’ needs for academic writing. The study attempts to identify students’ target needs for academic writing and their present situation in writing academic English. The study adopted the qualitative approach through collecting data employing an interview with two professors at the Faculty of Public and Environmental Health (PEH) and analysing the Guidelines for the submission of theses and dissertations for higher degrees in medical and health sciences, a manual prepared by the Medical and Health Studies Board (MHSB), Graduate College, University of Khartoum and five sample theses written by MPH students. The results showed that the students needed to write a research report (thesis) containing four chapters with an abstract. In addition, the students encountered problems in academic writing regarding grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and functions of language in academic writing.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

    Abuelgasim Sabah Elsaid Mohammed

  2. College of Science and Humanities, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Hotat bani Tamim, Saudi Arabia

    Abuelgasim Sabah Elsaid Mohammed

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  1. Abuelgasim Sabah Elsaid Mohammed
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Correspondence to Abuelgasim Sabah Elsaid Mohammed .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia

    Sahbi Hidri

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Mohammed, A.S.E. (2018). Academic Writing Needs Assessment: A Case Study of MPH Students, University of Khartoum. In: Hidri, S. (eds) Revisiting the Assessment of Second Language Abilities: From Theory to Practice. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62884-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62884-4_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-62883-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-62884-4

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