Language problems encountered by undergraduate EFL students in writing scientific papers for publication

Hartono Hartono, Ollyvia Putri Angella, Choiril Anwar

Abstract


College students are currently also required to publish articles in scientific journals. This requirement is beneficial for their research and writing development; however, writing scientific articles is not easy, especially for undergraduate students. This paper investigates the language problems encountered by undergraduate EFL students when writing scientific papers for publication. It is a mixed-methods study involving both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. The respondents were 25 undergraduate students writing English papers for publication and 3 lecturers supervising them. Selected. They were from an English Education program at a university in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, and were selected purposively. The data were collected through a 10-item closed-ended questionnaire and interviews with both students and lecturers. The quantitative data were analysed descriptively, while the qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results indicate that the primary language problems faced by undergraduate students in writing papers for publication are vocabulary selection, phrase structure, and article usage. They also have significant challenges with the correct use of tenses, sentence structure, word class, and subject-verb agreement. Though facing problems, the students reported that they were able to solve them by using AI tools. This implies that incorporating technology into the teaching of writing can be beneficial.


Keywords


Academic writing; language problems; scientific paper; undergraduate EFL students

Full Text:

PDF

References


Allen, M. S., Robson, D. A., & Iliescu, D. (2023). Face validity: A critical but ignored component of scale construction in psychological assessment. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 39(3), 153–156. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000777

Ariyanti, A., & Fitriana, R. (2017). EFL students’ difficulties and needs in essay writing. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research (ASSEHR), 158, 111–121.

Asnas, S. A. M., & Hidayanti, I. (2024). Uncovering EFL students’ frequent difficulties in academic writing and the coping strategies: The case of a college in Indonesia. Journal on English as a Foreign Language, 14(1), 124–151. https://doi.org/10.23971/jefl.v14i1.7472

Azizah, U. A., & Budiman, A. (2017). Challenges in writing academic papers for international publication among Indonesian graduate students. JEELS Journal of English Education and Linguistic Studies, 4(2), 47–69. https://doi.org/10.30762/jeels.v4i2.405

Bacon-Shone, J. (2022). Introduction to quantitative research methods. In Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods. Graduate School, The University of Hong Kong. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849209380

Boufeldja, B., & Bouhania, B. (2020). A qualitative inquiry into the difficulties experienced by Algerian EFL master students in thesis writing: 'Language is not the only problem’. Arab World English Journal, 11(2), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no2.17

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.). Routledge.

Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2011). Choosing a mixed methods design. In Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (pp. 53–106). Sage Publications, Inc.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches (Fifth Edit). Sage Publications, Inc.

Dewanto, N. (2025). Syntactic errors in Indonesian EFL students’ narrative essay writing. IDEAS: Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature, 13(2), 7550–7562. https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas. v13i2.7913

Fareed, M., Ashraf, A., & Bilal, M. (2016). ESL learners’ writing skills: problems, factors and suggestions. Journal of Education & Social Sciences, 4(2), 83–94. https://doi.org/10.20547/jess0421604201

Fernández-Gubieda, S., & Gutiérrez-García, E. (2025). University reputation overlooked: A systematic literature review of an under-researched concept. Corporate Reputation Review, 0123456789, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41299-025-00234-5

Fitria, T. N. (2022). Analysis of EFL students’ difficulties in writing and completing English thesis. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 25(1), 295–309. https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.v25i1.3607

Flowerdew, J. (2007). The non-Anglophone scholar on the periphery of scholarly publication. AILA Review, 20, 14–27. https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.20.04flo

Hartono, H., Arjanggi, R., Nugroho, K. Y., & Maerani, I. A. (2019). Lecturers’ language problems in writing English papers for international publications. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 13(2), 239–246. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v13i2.11438

Huber, M. M., Leach-López, M. A., Lee, E., & Mafi, S. L. (2020). Improving accounting student writing skills using writing circles. Journal of Accounting Education, 53, 100694. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2020.100694

Hyland, K. (2012). Welcome to the machine: Thoughts on writing for scholarly publication. Journal of Second Language Teaching and Research, 1(1), 58–68.

Ipanaqué-Zapata, M., Figueroa-Quiñones, J., Bazalar-Palacios, J., Arhuis-Inca, W., Quiñones-Negrete, M., & Villarreal-Zegarra, D. (2023). Research skills for university students’ thesis in E-learning: Scale development and validation in Peru. Heliyon, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13770

Jiang, S., Lee, K.-F., & Ang, C.-S. (2022). Chinese ESL students’ perceptions of academic writing in English in Malaysian universities. PASAA Journal, 63(January-June), 93–122.

Lander, J., Seeho, S., & Foster, K. (2019). Learning practical research skills using an academic paper framework – An innovative, integrated approach. Health Professions Education, 5(2), 136–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpe.2018.06.002

Li, M. (2024). Non-native English-speaking (NNES) students’ English academic writing experiences in higher education: A meta-ethnographic qualitative synthesis. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 71(August), 101430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2024.101430

Muhassin, M., Hidayah, R., Hidayati, D. A., & Pradana, S. A. (2020). Investigating spelling errors among Indonesian EFL secondary school students. English Education: Jurnal Tadris Bahasa Inggris, 13(2), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.24042/ee-jtbi.v13i2.7699

Pravita, A. R., & Kuswandono, P. (2022). Writing anxiety and academic procrastination on undergraduate thesis writing: The role of self-regulation. JEELS (Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies), 9(1), 1–25. https://scholar.google.co.id/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=id&user=E-k5myoAAAAJ&citation_for_view=E-k5myoAAAAJ:ZeXyd9-uunAC

Pusparini, L. D., Permana, I. G. Y., Wayan, N., & Mahayanti, S. (2025). Unpacking academic stress among undergraduate students during thesis writing: A qualitative study of stressors, stages, and institutional challenges. Jurnal Mombar Ilmu, 30(3), 426–436. https://doi.org/10.23887/mi.v30i3.102474

Puspita, C. (2019). Factors affecting students’ difficuties in writing thesis A Mixed-Methods Research at Eighth Semester of English Study Program in IAIN Curup. 3rd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Proceedings, 3, 13–22.

Rahmatunisa, W. (2014). Problems faced by Indonesian EFL learners in writing argumentative essay. English Review: Journal of English Education, 3(1), 1–9. https://journal.uniku.ac.id/index.php/ERJEE

Roebianto, A., Savitri, S. I., Aulia, I., Suciyana, A., & Mubarokah, L. (2023). Content validity: Definition and procedure of content validation in psychological research. TPM - Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 30(1), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.4473/TPM30.1.1

Sari, Y. I., Sumarni, S., Utomo, D. H., & Komang, A. I. (2021). The effect of problem-based learning on problem-solving and scientific writing skills. International Journal of Instruction, 14(2), 11–26. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2021.1422a

Shaby, D., & Joy, J. J. L. (2020). The effect of task based learning on the teaching of writing skills of Esl learners. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 16(1), 510–523. www.jlls.org

Shinta, R. D. P., Syarif, A. R., Muflihun, M., & Masnawati, M. (2025). Students’ barriers in writing thesis proposal: Psychological factors. International Journal of Research in Education, 5(2), 2745–3553. https://doi.org/10.26877/ijre.v5i2.1882

Sitompul, S. K., & Anditasari, A. W. (2022). Challenges in writing academic research: An exploration of master’a students’ experiences. Getsempena English Education Journal, 9(2), 136–148. https://doi.org/10.46244/geej.v9i2.1805

Sujarwati, I., Maisarah, I., Saputra, D. B., & Julmukya, T. (2025). unpacking English writing anxiety in Indonesian EFL learners: A mixed-method study of cognitive strain, gender, and academic level. Script Journal Journal of Linguistics and English Teaching, 10(2), 310–325.

Toba, R., Noor, W. N., & Sanu, L. O. (2019). The current issues of Indonesian EFL students’ writing comparison and contrast essay. Dinamika Ilmu, 19(1), 57–73.

Torres, C. A., & Schugurensky, D. (2002). The political economy of higher education in the era of neoliberal globalization: Latin America in comparative perspective. Higher Education, 43(4), 429–455. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3447534

Wetter, J. J. (2011). The Impacts of Research and Development Expenditures The Relationship Between Total Factor Productivity and U.S. Gross Domestic Product Performance. Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7530-0

Yenti, D., & Susanti, R. (2025). Students’ writing anxiety in academic writing practice. ELP (Journal of English Language Pedagogy), 10(1), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.36665/elp.v10i1.988

Zhang, Y., Eto, H., & Cui, J. (2025). Linguistic challenges of writing papers in English for scholarly publication: Perceptions of Chinese academics in science and engineering. PLoS ONE, 20(5 May), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324760




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30659/e.11.2.388-400

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Hartono Hartono

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/