Advertisement

Teaching and Learning EFL Writing at Yemeni Universities: A Review of Current Practices

  • Abdulghani Muthanna
Chapter
First Online:

Abstract

As a form of self-expression, writing has intricate connections with individuals’ knowledge development and communication For educators, writing is a particularly important domain, since students often seek models as they strive to develop their communication skills. Therefore, the author personally suggests educators produce at least one piece of writing that could, in one way or another, represent their knowledge, convey their life philosophies and motivate their students towards producing their own writings. Since it is related to specific discourses, mastering academic writing is arguably the most challenging area of competency when compared with other skills (Ibrahim & Nambiar, 2010). Typically, academic writing involves processes that demand ongoing efforts with deep thinking and several stages of editing. While such processes are challenging for first language users, foreign language users encounter more areas of difficulty related to foreign language use. The similarities between the first language and foreign language may ease some of the difficulties experienced by learners. In the context of learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Arab countries, Arab learners consider learning English a difficult process (Rabab’ah, 2005).

Keywords

Teacher Candidate Writing Skill Admission Policy Academic Writing Recent Graduate 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgment

The author would like to thank the editors of this book, Dr. Hassan and Dr. Abdulhamid, for their valuable feedback. The author would also like to thank Associate Prof. Cendel Karaman for his great feedback. It is also important to thank Mr. Issa Alqaderi for his assistance in collecting some of the data. Finally, all the study participants must be thanked for their voluntary participation.

References

  1. Abbad, A. T. (1988). An analysis of communicative competence features in English language texts in Yemen Arab Republic. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.Google Scholar
  2. AbdulHaq, F. (1982). An analysis of syntactic errors in the composition of Jordanian secondary students. Unpublished master thesis, Yarmouk University, Jordan.Google Scholar
  3. Akın, A. R., & Güceri, M. (2001). A macro materials evaluation: For better or for worse. Retrieved December 9, 2010, from http://www.eltnewsletter.com/back/April2001/art562001.htm
  4. Al-Khasawneh, F. M. S. (2010). Writing for academic purposes: Problems faced by Arab postgraduate students of the college of business, UUM. ESP World, 2(9), 1–23.Google Scholar
  5. Al-Maqtri, M. (2009). The need for teaching critical thinking to students of English: A rationale. The University Researcher Journal of Ibb, 21, 15–36.Google Scholar
  6. Al-Sawalha, A. M. S., & Chow, T. V. F. (2012). The effects of proficiency on the writing process of Jordanian EFL university students. Academic Research International, 3 (2), 379–388.Google Scholar
  7. Al-Shurmani, M. Q., & Al-Suhbani, Y. A. (2012). Semantic errors committed by Yemeni university learners: Classifications and sources. International Journal of English Linguistics, 2(6), 120–139.Google Scholar
  8. Al-Sohbani, Y., & Muthanna, A. (2013). Challenges of Arabic-English translation: The need for re-systematic curriculum and methodology reforms in Yemen. Academic Research International, 4(4), 442–450.Google Scholar
  9. Al-Zumor, A. Q. G. (2009). “Our certificates are baptized”: Lexical mismatching in Arab students’ EFL writing. The University Researcher Journal of Ibb University, 21, 1–14.Google Scholar
  10. Arndt, A. (1987). Six writers in search of texts: A protocol-based study of L1 and L2 writing. English Language Teaching Journal, 41(1), 257–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Asassfeh, S. M., Al-Shaboul, Y. M., Zuraiq, W., & Alshboul, S. (2011). Lending ears to EFL learners: Language difficulties. Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 28(1), 33–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Bacha, N. (2002). Developing learners’ academic writing skills in higher education: A study for educational reform. Language and Education, 16(3), 161–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Badger, R., & White, G. (2000). A process-genre approach to teaching writing. ELT Journal, 54(2), 153–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Burhanudeen, H., Stapa, S. H., Awal, N. M., Vengadasamy, R., Hamid, N. Z. A., & Mis, M. A. (n.d.). Empowering postgraduate students with the requisite academic writing skills: A case study of international students at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Non-reviewed paper. Google Scholar
  15. Clark, I. L. (2003). Concepts in composition: Theory and practice in the teaching of writing. Mahwan, NJ; London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
  16. Davies, F. (1988). Designing a writing syllabus in English for academic purposes: Process and product. In P. C. Robinson (Ed.), Academic writing: Process and product. ELT Documents, 129, 121–137.Google Scholar
  17. Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2003). Educational research: An introduction (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.Google Scholar
  18. Hasan, A. (2000). Learners’ perceptions of listening comprehension problems. Inform a World, Language, Culture and Curriculum, 13(2), 137–153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Huwari, I. F., & Al-Khasawneh, F. M. (2013). The reasons behind the weaknesses of writing in English among pre-year students at Taibah University. English for Specific Purposes World, 38(14), 1–9.Google Scholar
  20. Hyland, K. (2003). Genre-based pedagogies: A social response to process. Journal of Second Language Writing, 12, 17–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Ibrahim, N., & Nambiar, R. M. K. (2010). Writing in foreign lands: The case of postgraduate international students and the introductory sections of a project paper. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 18, 626–632.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for academic purposes: A guide and resource book for teachers [M]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Kambal, M. (1980). An analysis of Khartoum University students’ composition errors with implication for remedial English in the context of Arabicization. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at Austin, USA.Google Scholar
  24. Khader, K. T., & Shaat, M. (2011). Reasons behind non-English major university students’ achievement gap in English language in Gaza Strip from students’ perspectives. Retrieved from www.qou.edu/english/.../pdfFiles/khaderKhader.pdf
  25. Khan, I. A. (2011). Learning difficulties in English: Diagnosis and pedagogy in Saudi Arabia. Educational Research, 2(7), 1248–1257.Google Scholar
  26. Lee, I. (2013). Becoming a writing teacher: Using “identity” as an analytic lens to understand EFL writing teachers’ development. Journal of Second Language Writing, 22, 330–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. McDonough, K. (2004). Learner-learner interaction during pair and small group activities in a Thai EFL context. System, 32, 207–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. McGrath, I. (2002). Materials evaluation and design for language teaching. Edinburgh: Edinburgh textbooks in Applied Linguistics.Google Scholar
  29. Mourtaga, K. R. (2006). Some reading problems of Arab EFL students. Journal of Al-Aqsa University, 10(2), 75–91.Google Scholar
  30. Muthanna, A. (2011). Exploring the beliefs of teacher educators, students, and administrators: A case study of the English language teacher education program in Yemen. Master’s thesis. Retrieved from METU Library E-thesis Archive.Google Scholar
  31. Muthanna, A. (2013). A tragic educational experience: Academic injustice in higher educational institutions in Yemen. Policy Futures in Education, 11(5), 532–537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Muthanna, A., & Karaman, A. C. (2011). The need for change in teacher education in Yemen: The beliefs of prospective language teachers. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 12, 224–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Muthanna, A., & Karaman, A. C. (2014). Higher education challenges in Yemen: Discourses on teacher education. International Journal of Educational Development, 37, 40–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Na’ama, A. (2011). An analysis of errors made by Yemeni university students in the English consonant-clusters system. Damascus University Journal, 27(3+4), 145–161.Google Scholar
  35. Nezami, S. R. A. (2012). A critical study of comprehension strategies and general problems in reading skill faced by Arab EFL learners with special reference to Najran University in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Social Sciences & Education, 2(3), 306–316.Google Scholar
  36. Rabab’ah, G. (2003). Communicating problems facing Arab learners of English. Journal of Language and Learning, 3(1), 180–197.Google Scholar
  37. Rabab’ah, G. (2005). Communication problems facing Arab learners of English: A personal perspective. TEFL Web Journal, 2(1), 15–30.Google Scholar
  38. Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Salem, M. S. A. S. (2007). The effect of journal writing on written performance, writing apprehension, and attitudes of Egyptian English majors. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University, USA.Google Scholar
  40. Silva, T. (1990). Second language composition instruction: Developments, issues and directions in ESL. In B. Kroll (Ed.), Second language writing (pp. 115–150). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
  41. Storch, N. (2005). Collaborative writing: Product, process, and students’ reflections. Journal of Second Language Writing, 14(3), 153–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Storch, N., & Wigglesworth, G. (2007). Writing tasks: The effects of collaboration. In M. Gracia Mayo (Ed.), Investigating tasks in formal language learning (pp. 157–177). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar
  43. Tahaineh, Y. S. (2010). Arab EFL university students’ errors in the use of prepositions. Modern Journal of Applied Linguistics, 1(6), 76–112.Google Scholar
  44. Thaher, M. (2005). Communication apprehension among An-Najah National University students. An-Najah Univ. Journal for Research (H. Sc), 19(2), 628–678.Google Scholar
  45. do Val Barros, A. M. (2003). Pronunciation difficulties in the consonant system experienced by Arabic speakers when learning English after the age of puberty. Unpublished master thesis, West Virginia University, West Virginia.Google Scholar
  46. Yahya, M. (2012). A study of the language difficulties of the English Language Center (ELC) students at the Arab American University of Jenin. Asian Journal of Management Sciences & Education, 1(2), 119–130.Google Scholar
  47. Zhu, W. (2001). Interaction and feedback in mixed peer response group. Journal of Second Language Writing, 10, 251–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  48. Zughoul, M. R., & Taminian, L. (1984). The linguistic attitudes of Arab university students: Factorial structure and intervening variables. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 50, 155–179.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© The Author(s) 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Abdulghani Muthanna
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute for International and Comparative Education, Educational Leadership and PolicyBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingP. R. China

Personalised recommendations

Cite chapter

Buy options