The researcher used a qualitatively oriented methodology to examine the written performance of sixteen MA students majoring in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in the MA Program at one of the recently established universities in Saudi Arabia. Students’ final exams were thoroughly analyzed for the syntactic structures used in the students’ writing. The sampling process was selective and purposeful in that it was comprised of four outstanding and four poor performances drawn from a total of sixteen students’ exam results. Deviated structures, together with the correct ones, were analyzed and described with the aim of mapping common issues in writing performance at a targeted university. Two major sources of unacceptable writing performance included a lack of knowledge of the target language, together with the influence of the students’ mother tongue. Additionally, diagnosing a remedy for the deviated forms was proposed. More reinforcement and support for those who were successful was also recommended.
Citation:Mohammad Ali Al–Ghamdi( 2021) Examining Second Language Written Output: A Case Study of a Saudi University Masters EFL Students, International Journal of English Language and Linguistics Research, Vol.9, No 8, pp.30-40
Keywords: EFL, Higher Education, Performance, writing
