Issues and Practices of Academic Writing in English in the Global Context

Abstract

The growing trend of academic writing for higher studies has acquired due attention because of several issues related to linguistic and non-linguistic factors and various practices related to its format. This study examined the issues and practices of academic writing through available online literature in the national and international context. Further, it explored the strategies adopted by the supervisors and research scholars for resolving the issues. For that, I applied accidental sampling and found 62 research articles, six books and seven theses available online. Based on the findings, I developed the themes and reflected on my understanding of them. From the review, it is discovered that the research scholars in the ESL/EFL context encounter linguistic issues like grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and lack of expressing ideas, interpreting the data, choosing the title, setting objectives and concluding the report. However, native and non-native English speakers face psychological pressure, time management, and fund management issues in the course of time. The practice of writing a thesis differs, as in some universities there is a preparatory course and close supervision of the supervisor, whereas in others, the researchers ask for feedback when they develop themes. Supervisors’ written/oral feedback, direction to authentic resources, signposts, rewriting and frequent editing are in practice for resolving the writing-related issues. It implies that the scholars lack sufficient exposure to academic writing. It sought the need for collaboration and cooperation among the students and supervisors, including training in thesis/academic writing.