Causes of poor argumentative english essay writing at Lesotho secondary education

Abstract

Lesotho uses English as a medium of instruction throughout all levels of education except in grades 1, 2 and 3 in all government schools. This language situation imposes challenges to learners of English as a second language (ESL). This becomes more evident at Junior Certificate (JC) level where English is taken as a passing subject. A number of reports from the Examinations Council of Lesotho (ECOL) endorse that the problem of English Language is still apparent at Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education (LGCSE). This is observed where most reports stipulate that English essay writing; especially argumentative essay writing is not satisfactorily performed at LGCSE. The literature in this area, however, appears to be limited. This study, therefore, investigated causes of poor English argumentative essay writing at LGCSE. Grounded on the Attribution Theory of Success and Failure by Weiner 1972, the study followed a qualitative approach in which a case of three high schools in Leribe district was employed. Data was collected from the sample drawn from grade 11 learners and their English Language teachers using a test, questionnaires and a focus group discussion with teachers. The findings revealed, among others, that most learners fail to perform English argumentative essay writing well due to failure to argue their points convincingly. Additionally, the study discovered that some learners fail to use language accurately, fail to observe instructions and sometimes are not knowledgeable on the subject matter. The study then recommended, among others, field trips and regular exercises on English argumentative essay writing.