English writing pedagogy at the crossroads: The case of Oman

The purpose of this report is to examine English writing pedagogy and factors affecting students’ writing development in pre-degree General Foundation Programs (GFPs) across Oman, where the boundary between English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is becoming increasingly blurred. This report describes how mastery in English writing has become an invaluable skill for students’ academic, social and future professional mobility, as they attend English-medium colleges and universities where writing plays a crucial role across the curriculum. Students also need to develop an ability to communicate in English, orally and in writing, to secure an employment opportunity at the multilingual and multicultural local job market. To meet this demand, the concerned educational and accreditation bodies made necessary provisions in terms of upgrading the curriculum and establishing standards. However, data collected from teachers and students at different institutions using semi-structured interviews reveals that English writing is taught through traditional pedagogical practices that do not have the leverage to prepare students for challenging academic writing tasks at degree programs. Exploring L2 writing instruction in this context could have implications for similar contexts where developing writing skills contributes to students’ academic success and future career prospects.