Factors influencing Academic Writing Skills of Saudi Postgraduate Students
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Abstract
International students studying in English-speaking countries face a variety of challenges, including second language academic writing challenges. Several international studies have assessed international students’ perceptions of the difficulties of academic writing. On the other hand, few national studies have assessed Saudi students’ perception of the difficulties of academic writing particularly in English-speaking countries. Growing numbers of Saudi students are attending universities in English-speaking countries. This study aimed to assess the perception of the difficulties of English academic writing encountered by Saudi master’s students studying in the United Kingdom using an online questionnaire. The study used an online self-administered questionnaire to collect data. The study illustrated that general academic writing skills were more challenging to Saudi students than language writing skills especially at the micro-level. The majority of students believe they had not been introduced to academic writing before coming to the UK and believed that pre-sessional courses were beneficial in that regard. Based on the findings of the study, academic writing courses are recommended for undergraduate courses. Additionally, academic writing should be included in curricula of undergraduate students.