Abstract:
The aim of this study was to focus a study on assessing the practice of writing skill of
grade 11students at Motta Preparatory School. The study attempted to find out factors
that hinder students’ lack of adequate English vocabulary, planning and processing
skills; the motivational problems towards writing and the role of the teachers that use to
overcome the problem and their supports. To achieve the objectives of this research
descriptive research design has been used. This helped the researcher to employ both
quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The participants of the study
were 3 teachers who were selected using purposive sampling and 120 students who were
selected by simple random sampling. The three teachers were purposively selected
because the researcher believed that they can provide enough and clear information to
the study. Also, students were sampled by using simple random sampling because the
population seemed similar in many characteristics except in their gender. This helped the
population seemed similar in many characteristics except in their gender. Data required
for the study were collected through text book analysis, class room observation, and
questionnaire. Among these, questionnaire and classroom observation were principal
tools, and were supplemented by textbook analysis. Text book analysis used to assess the
writing materials and writing activities in the text book affects learners’ motivation.
Open ended and cloze ended questionnaire which used to find out students’ limited
English vocabulary affects on practicing writing skills and identify factors that affect
students’ writing motivational problems and writing performance. Furthermore,
classroom observation was employed to identify what the English language teachers were
planning and processing writing skills when they teaching writing. The study identified
the major writing problems students’ encounter. The results of the study revealed that
students might have mainly due to the following possible reasons: limited English words
or vocabularies, lack of planning and processing writing skills, wrong ways of giving
feedback and lack of regular practice. In addition, factors that were affecting students
had poor back ground knowledge and poor perception in English language, the writing
activities in the text book, and insufficient role of the teachers in the class room to
overcome the problems. The major conclusions are students have inadequate English
vocabulary, inadequate planning and processing writing skills, wrong ways of giving
feedback, wrong attitude towards students writing performance, poor language
background, wrong perceptions towards the importance of writing skills, and inadequate
support from their teachers. Based on the above mentioned findings and conclusions,
appropriate recommendations have been forwarded