Journal of English Language Teaching

The Need for a Course in Academic writing: The Perceptions of Undergraduate Engineering Students

Dr. Kakkireni Nagaraju

Associate Professor of English & Head, Department of English, Aurora Engineering College, Hyderabad.

Keywords: Academic writing, needs analysis, undergraduate engineering students

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Abstract

Academic writing epitomizes the language of scholarship which helps one to gain eligibility for higher education. The quality of students’ written work determines their scholarship and acceptance in academia. Students who arrive at the university face the challenge of adjusting to the academic writing demands of their chosen field. They usually face unfamiliar writing tasks in their studies, which they find quite difficult. There is a dearth of literature addressing the academic writing needs of students in India. Though the teaching of academic writing has been practised internationally for several years, many universities in India have refrained from explicitly incorporating academic writing skills. Hence, this study attempts to explore the significance of a course in academic writing for undergraduate engineering students.

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