Myanmar EFL Learners’ Perspectives, Structure, Reasoning and Literacy Practices of Argumentative Writing: A Needs Analysis Study

Abstract

Enhancing proficiency in argumentative writing in English has always been a challenge for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Despite the widespread use of argumentative essays in international tests such as International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Tests of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in recent years, the learners usually fail to meet satisfactory achievement levels in the EFL context. This paper investigates the issue closely by reviewing Myanmar EFL learners’ needs, wants, and problems in developing argumentative writing. Although there has been some discussion on factors that potentially challenge EFL learners’ argumentative writing, more research is needed on the integrated assessment to cater to the learners’ needs. This analysis reports the results of a group of undergraduates (n=44) in Myanmar. This research was based on triangulation data, including sources from questionnaires administered to the students’ purposes, preferences, and challenges, and analyzing students’ argumentative writing structurally and qualitatively for reasoning. The findings reveal that students were eager to learn argumentative writing, particularly for their immediate needs. Though students were not well trained with a communicative teaching approach in their curriculum, they preferred to learn argumentative writing dialogically, using classroom debates. They favored learning future argumentative writing courses by communicating meaningfully. Regarding the challenges in argumentative writing, most students could not produce counter-arguments and rebuttals. Based on the data elicited from the students, this needs analysis proposed implementing the integrated learning-to-argue and arguing-to-learn instructions and using argumentative literacy practices to engage students in dialogic learning in the EFL context.