SECONDARY SCHOOL EFL STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS TO LEARNING ENGLISH PARAGRAPH WRITING

Abstract

This research investigates the difficulties faced by secondary school students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, when learning English paragraph writing, and explores potential solutions to these challenges. The study involved 100 students from a secondary school, with insights gathered through questionnaires and interviews with 6 students and 4 EFL teachers. The aim was to understand the obstacles students encounter and the effectiveness of current teaching practices. Data were collected using questionnaires with a five-point Likert scale and analyzed through qualitative impressions rather than specific ratings for each criterion. The results indicated that students perceived their difficulties in learning paragraph writing as moderate. Common challenges included choosing appropriate writing styles for different contexts, insufficient practice in combining sentences, and limited feedback on sentence structures from teachers. Students also reported that the amount of writing practice provided in class was inadequate. To address these issues, the research suggests creating a collaborative learning environment, integrating vocabulary instruction with contextual topics, and focusing on sentence pattern practice. Students rated the strategy of collaborative learning highly, emphasizing the benefits of increased interaction between teachers and students. While students acknowledged their difficulties in paragraph writing, they also recognized potential solutions that involve more interactive and contextually relevant instruction. Teachers and curriculum developers should consider these findings to enhance writing instruction and better support EFL students in overcoming their writing challenges.