Factores que inciden en el desarrollo de la habilidad de comunicación escrita (writing) en los estudiantes de inglés del departamento de idiomas de la Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas de la Universidad de Guayaquil.

Abstract

Before getting a bachelor’s degree, students from universities and higher level institutes in Ecuador must obtain a B2 level of English according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) to comply with the LOES “Ley Organica de Educacion Superior”. Since writing is one of the abilities that students must attain, they must be able to write at different levels, starting from simple texts to more complex ones. The English department from the “Facultad de Ciencias Administrativas” (FCA) at “Universidad de Guayaquil” is always looking forward to preparing students to reach the standards according to the CEFR. However, students from all the english modules offered at the establishment continue showing difficulties in writing. The objective of this research is to establish the factors that prevent students from achieving the proper development in the writing skill. The nature of this research is descriptive as 161 students were subjected to a diagnostic test to establish their writing level. Interviews to teachers and authorities from the English department at FCA were also held to determine their level of involvement regarding the writing learning process among students. The results demonstrated that students do not possess the required level in the writing skill according to the CEFR. Thus, as a proposal, a guide that includes lesson plans, activities, and strategies was developed to enhance their writing skill. This guide was applied to a group of students from the english modules at FCA and as a result, their writing skill increased substantially.