Evaluating Teaching Writing Skill at Sudanese Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Omdurman Locality

Abstract

This study is an attempt to evaluate teaching writing in the SPINE (Sudan Practical Integrated National English) series, books 4, 5 and 6, the activities, the material and teaching strategies used. The study surveyed teachers' and pupils’ attitudes towards teaching writing in secondary schools in an attempt to help teachers as well as syllabus designers and pupils, in respect to the skill under investigation. The study also examined whether the traditional classroom in terms of size and group dynamics is conductive to stimulate writing and the quality and adequacy of writing activities in SPINE. Forty (40) teachers and a hundred (100) secondary school pupils from Omdurman locality participated in this study. Tree instruments were used for data collection: Two questionnaires for teachers and pupils, textbooks analysis and classroom observations. The findings of this study showed that pupils were not able to express themselves (writing) in English due to the poor and inadequate writing activities presented in the textbooks investigated, in addition to the lack of authentic materials in teaching writing, large classes and that little emphasis was given to the teaching writing. The study recommended that there is a need for further refining of the writing activities in SPINE and incorporation of authentic materials, particularly materials for developing writing skill.