ACADEMIC WRITING: A CHALLENGE FOR STUDENTS OF HIGHER LEARNING

Writing is inevitable at institutions of higher learning. In order to succeed at higher learning, one has to be equally competent in academic reading and writing. Conversely most of us are cognisant of the fact that academic writing has been problematic to both undergraduate and graduate students. Generally, the University of Namibia and other institutions of higher learning in Namibia seem to be contending with issues pertaining to academic discourse. In some gatherings one hears lecturers complaining about how the writing of their students is below the required standards. On the other hand, one hears students complaining about the difficulties and pressures that come with academic reading and writing. Many reasons have been attributed to this discontent. At UNAM for example; English for Academic Purposes, a core course for all undergraduate students was introduced to help students cope with the challenges that come with academic communication. Though courses like this one are introduced in most institutions; there is a lot that needs to be done to enable Namibian scholars to be proficient in academic discourse.

There are multitudes of reasons that students attribute to the difficulties they grapple with when they are assigned writing projects. In my experiences, my students generally complain about:

·         Not finding enough literature to substantiate their writing assignments. They say that the libraries on their campuses do not have enough literature;

·         Not having ample time to thoroughly complete their assignments as all the lecturers give them writing work almost at the same time;

·         Finding it difficult to write with computers;

·         No or limited access to computers with internet connectivity;

·         Not knowing how to reference.

On the other hand lecturers generally complain about issues pertaining to:

·         Plagiarism;

·         Lack of cohesion in written essays;

·         Lack of thesis;

·         Language problems;

·         Lack of proper planning;

·         Sometimes assignments not written as stipulated by the lectures.

The question then is who is failing who? Is it the students who are incapable of acquiring skills that are necessary to succeed in their tertiary education? Is it the lecturers who are not coaching and equipping their students with the necessary skills?