Teaching of English Writing Skills at Secondary level in Muslim Countries: A Comparative Study of Public and Private Schools in District Muzaffargarh, Pakistan

Abstract

In this global world communication plays a dominant role. Language is basic tool for communication. To learn a second language, humans require to learn the skills of that language. The learners ever find it difficult to acquire writing skills because it encompasses a lot of practice due to intricacy of syntactic and morphological structure.  So, the present study deals with the teaching of English writing skills at secondary level in District Muzaffargarh. The aims of current research were to find out main problems related to writing skills faced by Pakistani ESL learners at public and private schools in District Muzaffargarh, to investigate ESL educators’ insights about English writing at public and private schools and to recommend strategies and techniques to improve ESL learners English writing skills. A sample of 25 teachers and 75 students was taken from private schools while 25 teachers and 75 students were taken from public schools in District Muzaffargarh. The data was collected through two Questionnaires: one for teachers and other for students. Data was analyzed statistically through SPSS 22. The findings revealed that both public and private schools’ students face difficulties in written vocabulary, right utilization of tenses, utilization of accentuation marks, spelling issues and issues in associating one paragraph with other. The result also revealed that both public and private schools’ teachers stated that use of proverbs, use of idiomatic expression practice in spelling can make improvement. Teachers also agreed that overcrowded schools, over workload, lack of supporting structure and material, and students’ lack of commitment as L2 learners are some issues of ESL students. Both public and private schools’ teachers suggested that sense of responsibility and punctuality of students and home-based written assignments can play vital role for the L2 learners writing skills.