LITERATURE REVIEW

1. INTRODUCTION (Lan Anh)

As one of the productive skills, writing is crucially indispensable for EFL (English as a
Foreign Language) learners, particularly for students in tertiary education (Jabali, 2018). In an
academic setting, the primary goal of education is to enhance students' writing skills (Al
Khazraji, 2019), because this skill is significant for undergraduate students' life, but also for
their employability and future professional success. The argumentative essay is one of the
most common and onerous writing models taught in higher education (Rubiaee et al., 2020)
as students face difficulties with the content, organization, grammar, and vocabulary.
Additionally, EFL students encounter writing issues that stem from three different areas,
including psychological, linguistic, and cognitive aspects (Rahmawati et al.,2018). Therefore,
students in many universities were unable to articulate their thoughts in coherent paragraphs
or essays. As English-majored students at the School of Foreign Languages (SOFL) at Hanoi
University of Science and Technology (HUST), we are aware of the difficulties that SOFL
students face when honing their English-writing abilities in Writing Module III, especially the
argumentative genre. Consequently, before this research is conducted, the acquisition of
knowledge and achievements of existing research is an extremely valuable source of
reference and the motivation for us to complete our study.

2. BODY

2.1. Writing and academic writing in EFL context. (Quỳnh Anh)

2.1.1. Definition of writing?

According to Murray (1975), writing is a type of communication that involves translating

thoughts and ideas into language that others can understand. Writing requires the ability to
organize thoughts into coherent text and use appropriate language to transmit meaning to the
reader. This notion highlights the significance of writing in communication since it helps
people to communicate effectively, overcome linguistic barriers, and connect with others.

Academic writing, on the other hand, is a specific type of writing that is used in academic
contexts, particularly in universities and colleges. Academic writing is characterized by its
formal style, objective tone, and adherence to specific conventions, such as referencing and
citation (Hyland & Hamp-Lyons, 2016).

2.1.2. Characteristics of writing and academic writing in EFL context.

Academic writing is a manner of writing employed in academic settings that contains a

formal tone, complex sentence structures, and specialized jargon. Academic writing involves
distinct obstacles in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Non-native speakers
have a variety of challenges while writing in an EFL context, including concerns with
grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure (Paquot, 2016). Furthermore, cultural
differences may impair their capacity to write cohesive and comprehensible writings
(Colquhoun, 2022).

Several research has been conducted to investigate the qualities of writing and academic
writing in EFL situations. According to Norhayati et al. (2021), EFL students found academic
writing difficult owing to language barriers and a lack of awareness about academic writing
practices. EFL writers may struggle with successfully communicating their ideas and
maintaining consistency in their writing (Silva, 1993; Wei, 2010). Wong (2011) also
demonstrates that EFL authors may struggle with integrating different sources of information
and using suitable reference forms.

Another study by Liu and He (2018) found that EFL students tended to rely on formulaic
language in their writing, rather than producing original content. The study suggested that
EFL instructors could help students improve their writing skills by encouraging them to use
more diverse vocabulary and sentence structures.

To overcome these obstacles and develop their writing abilities, EFL writers must participate
in substantial reading, write consistently, get constructive criticism, and employ suitable
writing styles (Paquot, 2016; Wei, 2010). Furthermore, EFL writers can benefit from
employing writing software and tools that give grammatical and syntactic help (Zhao, 2020).

In conclusion, writing is a crucial skill that plays a significant role in communication, and
academic writing in the EFL setting presents various challenges that require particular
solutions. By identifying these challenges and employing good writing strategies, EFL writers
may improve their writing talents and achieve success in their academic and professional
endeavors.

2.2. Argumentative genre. (Thanh Mai)

2.2.1. Definition of the argumentative genre.

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that necessitates students to explore a subject

matter by connecting it with their personal beliefs and arguments. Oshima and Hogue (2006)
define an argumentative essay as one in which the authors agree or disagree with a certain
issue and then provide evidence to support their position. The goal of argumentative writing
is to persuade the reader and help them comprehend the opposing viewpoint by providing
logical arguments in support of a viewpoint or idea ( (Wolfe et al., 2009). In addition, the skill
of argumentation is not an easy skill to acquire, and writing an argumentative essay is a
complex process that needs much practice and the mastery of many skills. Nippold and
Ward-Lonergan (2010, p.238) have argued that argumentative writing is a complex form of
communication that requires advanced cognitive and linguistic skills.
According to Crowhurst (1990), writing an argumentative essay is more challenging than
producing a narrative because it requires more cognitive effort due to the need for critical
thinking, analysis, and logical reasoning. The goal, the subject, and the format are some
features of argumentative essays. Anderson, as cited by Refnaldi (2010), suggests that a good
argumentative essay should have a controversial topic and a thesis statement that is supported
by strong arguments.

2.2.3. Difficulties faced by English learners in writing argumentative genre.

Argumentative writing, according to Zhao (2017), is the most difficult writing genre that
second language learners encounter at universities since most of them do not have experience
in writing academic texts in their first language. Many students encounter challenges when
writing argumentative essays. Therefore, the following sections will present some difficulties
in writing argumentative essays based on the literature of previous studies.

2.2.2.1 Linguistic competence

One of the crucial factors that aid students in efficiently accessing the subject matter of
writing is linguistic competence. Rahmatunisa (2014) found that Indonesian EFL learners
struggled with grammatical forms, paragraph structure, and issues of attitude when writing
argumentative essays in English. Moreover, Zhu (2001) also found that ESL students had
difficulties with the rhetorical aspects of English argumentative writing and did not frequently
use metacognitive strategies

2.2.2.2 Background knowledge

Knudon (1992) emphasized the significance of encouraging students to write argumentative
essays on topics they possess knowledge about. Insufficient background knowledge can lead
students to make unsupported claims that are not logically connected to the proposition,
warrant, or opposition (Knudon, 1992, p. 176). Consequently, possessing background
knowledge is crucial for students in composing argumentative essays as it enables them to
articulate their opinions and thoughts about new topics or issues.

2.2.2.3 Organization and development of an argumentative essay

Bean and Johnson (2007) assert that argumentative writing is unquestionably a highly
difficult type of writing. Students who are writing argumentative essays often write in an
unclear and disorganized manner because they do not comprehend the structure of the essay
and the purpose of each section. Similar to this, Tiryaki (2011) demonstrated that the poor
quality of argumentations in argumentative essays cannot be isolated from the argument's
clarity and the writer's comprehension of the essay's structure. Consequently, many students
struggle to come up with essay topic ideas. They cannot develop ideas and do not know how
to organize them properly. Furthermore, Oshima and Hogue (2006) contend that the greatest
way to assess students' capacity for critical thought is through their argumentative writings.

2.3. Past studies (Kiều+Lan Anh)

There are many studies related to the topic: “Difficulties in argumentative writing of English-
majored students” that have been done. This section will go over the implications of these
research and their connections to our current research.

Chief among these was the research of Saputra (2021), who conducted research with 55
students enrolled in an Advanced Writing course at FKIP Universitas Lambung Mangkurat to
investigate problems that students encounter in writing argumentative essays. By using
mixed-method approaches (both questionnaire and an open-ended interview), the findings
showed that the students struggled to write argumentative essays due to cognitive issues (a
lack of understanding of the essential components of an argumentative essay), linguistic
issues (content, grammar, organization, vocabulary, and evidence), and psychological issues
(fear of making mistakes, low self-esteem, and low motivation).

In another study, by using a consent form to collect responses from 187 Saudi students,
Ozfidan (2020) also revealed the common challenges in the argumentative genre, such as
organization/structure, thesis statement, integrating academic sources, finding evidence,
writing counterclaims, writing refutation paragraph, academic tone, and content.

Moreover, in one qualitative study, Fajaryani, et al. (2021) investigated students’ difficulties
in composing argumentative essays with 12 participants due to the effect of covid 19
pandemic. All students participating in this research had studied English academic writing in
their school, and therefore, they were familiar with argumentative English writing. To get the
final result, the researcher used both within-case and cross-case analyses, which showed that
the challenges of those students were caused by inadequate vocabulary and grammar, lack of
arguments, and writing style.

Another qualitative analysis was conducted by Peloghitis (2017) to figure out integral factors
that led to students' difficulties when studying this form of English writing. This study details
a small-scale qualitative investigation into the difficulties that a group of first-year Japanese
students at a liberal arts university perceived when writing argumentative essays. In order to
learn how students dealt with challenges and overcame them, the employment of writing
strategies was also investigated. Data gathered from 7 participants were represented by notes
from e-portfolios, individual interviews, and teacher-student conferences. According to the
results, the majority of participants thought that English argumentative writing's rhetorical
elements were the most difficult. Additionally, the results indicate that participants mostly
used search, social, and cognitive methods to help them write, while using metacognitive
strategies sparingly. Implications for improving argumentative essay writing education are
highlighted.

Furthermore, Ka-kan-Dee (2015) researched to identify the main argumentative writing

challenges and then developed appropriate teaching methods, which were encountered by 16
EFL English major students. In this study, think-aloud protocols (TAP - a method that
encourages participants to think aloud while carrying out a series of specified assignments)
were used. Grounded theory was used to analyze qualitative data, and the data were then
transcribed and thematically coded. According to the students' think-aloud practices, they had
the following particular writing challenges: a lack of familiarity with the rhetorical devices
used in argumentative essays, a lack of academic vocabulary, a lack of knowledge of
grammar rules, a lack of ability to produce coherent arguments and write persuasive
conclusions, a lack of understanding of audience expectations and motivating factors, a lack
of understanding of the writing process's planning stages, and a lack of creativity.

After analyzing the results of all the above studies, we can clearly see the challenges of
tertiary students in the EFL context. It is obvious that cognitive factors, linguistic factors, and
psychological factors are the primary difficulties that make writing skills, particularly
academic writing, one of the most demanding skills to learn and develop in students' English
proficiency.
Therefore, our team decided to do a deeper and more comprehensive study on the difficulties
students face when practicing argumentative writing skills at SOFL (HUST).

3. CONCLUSION. (Lan Anh).

Our Literature Review includes three main parts: (1) Definition of writing and characteristics
of writing and academic writing in the EFL context ; (2) Definition of the argumentative
genre and difficulties encountered by English learners in writing the argumentative genre; (3)
Previous studies. Although there has been much research on problems faced by English-
majored students when learning academic writing, particularly argumentative genre in higher
education settings, so far, no research on the above topic has been done on students of SOFL,
HUST. This is what distinguished this research from existing papers that our group focuses
on when choosing difficulties in Writing III module in SOFL as the research topic. In
addition, in the following chapter- Methodology, we will analyze deeply the typical
difficulties SOFL students face in the argumentative essay (Writing Module III) by using a
quantitative method (questionnaire survey), and consequently, we will also suggest solutions
to improve the argumentative genre in Writing Module III.

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