ASSESSING STUDENTS' PROBLEMS WITH EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT: THE CASE OF WOLKITE UNIVERSITY THIRD YEAR ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE STUDENTS

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess Wolkite University's third-year English Language and Literature department students' problems with effective paragraph development. The participants of the study were third-year English language department students and English language instructors. The researcher used questionnaires, interviews, and test analyses as instruments for gathering data. The data collected through these instruments was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods. From this analysis, the following results were obtained: the students do not have enough know-how about how to use punctuation; they lack practice; they lack experience; they lack sufficient materials; they lack a reference book; and they lack background knowledge about paragraph writing. Therefore, a recommendation is forwarded to solve these problems. Students should practice writing paragraphs in English; the instructors should encourage students to develop their writing skills; and students should have a positive attitude toward writing paragraphs in English