Writing problems
(Sent by Susan Nataly Ale Quiroz, a student from Lima, Peru)

Writing problems have dramatically increased in the past decades throughout the world. While some students have problems in grammar and pronunciation, there are others, 80% of them, who are more likely to fail in writing.

Writing essays requires a lot of effort which means that students must apply what they have been studying so far; therefore, there are some things they need to remember in order to improve what they already know, which is why, it would be helpful to follow some of these suggestions.

Why has writing problem been on increase? The simple answer is because students have omitted the structure that a paragraph or an essay has, so , the only ways to become a good proficient writer are by improving and following the recommendations given in this essay. Of course, there are also other factors that may help you such us reading a lot or having a private teacher. The most significant problems students have when writing are the lack of time, and the lack of vocabulary.

One of the biggest deals students have is the fact that they have to write under a limited time. In other words, they would have to manage the time they are given in order to avoid unfinished essays. For example, a survey done made at Icpna last week showed that having not enough time when writing is the big obstacle students have.

Furthermore, a teacher from the Villarreal University said that students are asked to write essays in a short time since it gives an accurate measurement of their writing ability. Therefore, students should practice writing, step by step, from simple paragraphs up to complex ones, without forgetting to set a limited time. Moreover, in order to finish an essay in the right time, students should be more organized, which implies that they must have an outlining.

Although the lack of time is a significant hitch on writing, there is a second critical difficulty on it, which is the lack of vocabulary. On account of the fact that English learners get confused about some words, they do not express their ideas in a clear way. For that reason, it is essential for students to constantly work at improving their knowledge of words and also to make sure that everyone understands what they are writing.

Likewise, English apprentices must be careful when writing long complex words since they can mislead the reader. On the other hand, as my Advanced English teacher claimed, "A good vocabulary doesn't mean that you know many long or difficult words. Instead, it means that you know how to express yourself so that the reader understands your material." In addition, to increase vocabulary, students should read more books, magazines, news and so on in English; in that way, they would get used to some new words.

In conclusion, almost all the English learners found that writing an average good paragraph or essay consists of having a good vocabulary, knowing how to express it and controlling the time they have.