Teachers perceptions about young learners in English writing skills

This article researches English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions regarding the development of writing skills among young learners (YLs, ages 6–12). Writing is often the most neglected and challenging macro-skill in primary EFL curricula, especially given YLs’ limited cognitive and linguistic resources. This study adopted a qualitative, phenomenological approach, examining the beliefs and pedagogical strategies of five EFL teachers from two distinct educational institutions. Findings reveal that teachers primarily perceive YLs’ challenges in writing as stemming from (a) low foundational literacy in their first language (L1), (b) limited English vocabulary and grammatical knowledge, and (c) high levels of anxiety and low motivation towards the task. Teachers reported favoring highly scaffolded activities such as sentence completion and guided writing, often minimizing creative, free-writing tasks. The perceptions highlight a critical need for professional development focused on age-appropriate writing assessment rubrics and integrating L1 literacy strategies to enhance L2 writing instruction.