Abstract:
This study attempts to investigate the problematic areas in writing skill and their causes for the secondary school students particularly in areas of grammar, punctuation marks, spelling, and mother tongue interference. To achieve these aims, the researcher points out four hypotheses. The subjects of this study were thirty teachers from White Nile state, and thirty students from the same state. The instruments used for collecting data were teachers' questionnaire and writing test for the students. The findings of this study are:
Most of the secondary school students have problems with grammar, spelling, punctuation marks and poor stock of vocabulary.
Students' mother tongue interferes their writing in English.
The exercises of writing in SPINE are not enough to enable students master the basics skills of writing.
Depending on the study results the following recommendations were recommended:
Students should be provided with suitable learning materials and adequate practices to promote their abilities of writing in English.
Spine series should be reviewed and evaluated.
Spelling should be given more time to be taught in school schedules.
Writing should be purposeful and taught in accordance with the various styles of prose: comparative, contrastive…ect.
Teachers should provide more focusing on punctuation marks.
