Students' Perceptions of Difficulties with Academic Writing: A Report from Kyoto University Academic Writing Courses

Abstract

Academic writing is one of the keys to success in students' academic lives, yet one of the most difficult skills to learn. In 2006, Kyoto University adopted a new English curriculum in Liberal Arts and General Education requiring all first-year and second-year students to enroll in academic English courses. This paper aims to identify and report the difficulties students face in the process of academic writing in their transition from high school to their first and second year at the university. The study discussed in this paper was conducted in two first-year academic writing courses and one second-year academic writing course at Kyoto University in spring 2007. At the end of the term, the students completed a survey about their perceptions of difficulties with the content of the course. The first-year students reported most difficulty with adapting to the transition from high school practical English (English for General Purposes) to university academic English (English for Academic Purposes), especially with writing in a formal style and thinking about the rules of academic writing. The second-year students reported most difficulty with producing a coherent academic paragraph with no redundant sentences. Pedagogical implications are discussed.