Constraints encountered by [English as second language] ESL IGCSE teachers teaching ESL writing in Namibia's senior secondary schools

Abstract

Abstract provided by author:

A stratified sample of 99 ESL teachers from three of the seven educational regions of Namibia was used. A self-designed questionnaire with forty items was used after a pilot study was carried out in a non-sampled educational region in Namibia

Some of the constraints emerging from the study were that many of the ESL teachers did not understand the academic writing expectations of the communicative syllabus, as they did not teach ESL writing through composing. Additionally, the majority of the ESL teachers did not know some major tenets of ESL writing under the communicative theory, especially the observance of purpose and audience. Findings also established that many teachers still held traditional beliefs of teaching ESL writing as they still relied heavily on teaching writing through using language based activities such as controlled exercises and teaching of explicit grammar rules. Namibian ESL teachers also relied heavily on the usage of the behaviorist tendencies like the use of drill and rote learning

Findings also show that lack of authentic materials and quality textbooks affect effective teaching in Namibian schools with the Ondangwa West region suffering the most from this problem. The region also showed serious problems of large classes or overcrowding, a constraint that could limit individual conferencing with the learners for improvement in their ESL writing. The ESL teachers also had serious lack of in-service workshops and advisory support from subject experts in ESL writing. Similarly, all regions had no access to research journals on ESL writing that could inform them on new theories and innovations in the teaching practice ofESL writing