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Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu THANG LONG UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT END-OF-TERM PAPER
DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY 3RD-YEAR
STUDENTS AT TLU MAJORING IN ENGLISH
LINGUISTICS WHEN WRITING IELTS TASK 2
Student’s name: Nguyễn Thị Diễm Quỳnh
Student’s code: A39815
Major: English Linguistics
Subject: Research Methodology
Instructor: Ms. Nguyễn Thị Hải Bình Hanoi, January 16 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu ABSTRACT
IELTS is popular in Vietnam thanks to its reliability and
applicability. Writing task 2 has been acknowledged to be the
most challenging for IELTS learners. Surprisingly, in Vietnam,
not much research has attempted to investigate in an in-depth
manner as to what are the problems, causes, and consequently
the suggestions of such a notion. Hence, The research aims to
investigate the phenomenon more thoroughly and
comprehensively. To this end, the study will employ the
participation of 30 juniors majoring in English Linguistics at TLU
to provide their opinions through a questionnaire regarding the
problems and causes when they embark on writing task 2 in
IELTS. The research was quantitative in nature, producing
numerical data as a result. The results suggested that TLU’s
juniors would face four main problems with IELTS Writing Test
2: shortage of social knowledge, lack of time management
skills, limitations in vocabulary and grammar, and struggle to
organize ideas. The study suggests students should read more
academic articles or documents to broaden their perspective,
manage time wisely, find the appropriate IELTS materials to
enhance students’ vocabulary and grammar, and seek feedback
from a partner or IELTS instructor. The research thus served as
the basis for IELTS learners when writing task 2 to identify the
current issues and provide relatable approaches.
Keywords: IELTS Writing task 2, Writing difÏculties, writing
solutions, 3rd-year students, English Linguistics 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu TABLE OF CONTENT LIST OF ABBREVIATION CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the study 1.2. Research problem 1.3. Research purposes 1.4. Research questions 1.5. Significance of the study
CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Theoretical background 2.2. Literature review
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1. Research design 3.2. Sampling & population 3.3. Research instruments 3.4. Research procedures
CHAPTER IV. EXPECTED FINDINGS & DISCUSSIONS REFERENCES 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu LIST OF ABBREVIATION TLU: Thang Long University
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
ESL: English as a Second Language
EFL: English as a Foreign Language CC: Coherence and Cohesion 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the study
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) has been
recognized as a reliable measure of English language
proficiency and is trusted by thousands of organizations
worldwide for its “quality and integrity” (IELTS, 2021a). Given
its “prestige” influence, a large number of learners of different
first language backgrounds study it for their varied individual
purposes (IELTS, 2021b). The IELTS “fever” has turned
unprecedentedly acute now that it can be employed as a
passport for admission into top universities in Vietnam
(Phapluat, 2022; Vietnamnet, 2021).
Hence, IELTS is one of the high-level tests designed to assess
the language proficiency of those who intend to pursue their
academic study in native speaker countries. IELTS is divided
into two types namely IELTS academic and IELTS general
training. One of the English skills that one should be mastered
is academic writing. The IELTS Writing test consists of two
tasks, they are writing task 1 and writing task 2. In writing part
1, tastes must describe, summarise, or explain the information
in a graph, table, chart, or diagram, while in writing task 2, they
must write an essay in response to a point of view, argument,
or problem. In writing task 2, tastes must bring in their
thoughts, comments, and evaluation or answer a question
(Silalahi, 2014). Therefore, writing task 2 seems more
challenging because the test taker should gather the ideas to construct a good essay.
Besides, globalization is a booming trend, resulting in
international corporations establishing branches in foreign
countries (Kordos & Vojtovic, 2016). This is why employees in
Vietnam are required to be able to communicate in English and
IELTS is one of the examinations that can confirm this. As a
result, it is sufÏcient to say that not only are students attracted
to IELTS, but adults also find IELTS an irresistible opportunity to
enhance their careers. Specifically, at TLU, IELTS 7.0 is the 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
prerequisite for those studying English Linguistics so as to graduate. 1.2. Research problem
Many test takers regard the writing skill test as a complex skill
to learn and the most difÏcult part of the IELTS test (Mohamed,
2020). In line with the statement, Marashi argued that the
writing section on IELTS was commonly considered one of the
most difÏcult parts of the test (Marashi, 2021). The test takers
cannot even understand what to do with the tasks provided.
They eventually wrote without knowing the expected direction.
For that reason, IELTS test takers need to practice their writing
ability to comprehend how to construct the idea and paragraph in the essay.
In 2022, the average band of the writing test of Vietnamese
candidates was only 6.0 – lower than the listening and reading
average score (VnEpress International, 2023). This suggests
that IELTS test takers in Vietnam are struggling with the skill in
general and Task 2 specifically, which explains why a great
number of learners resort to IELTS centers to improve their
writing skills. Learners' performance in Task 2, hence, leads to a
low band in the overall band for writing skills, hindering their
academic development and preventing them from achieving
their desired goals, either in their studies or work. Furthermore,
in Vietnam, IELTS is also one of the requirements for university
or college graduation. This translates into heavy stress on
Vietnamese students who have to attain the IELTS certificate so
as to graduate. It is also worth noting that for people not
majoring in English, the problem is even more exacerbated as
they often find it difÏcult to construct sentences and
paragraphs which are fundamental in Task 2 (Tran, 2016). 1.3. Research purposes
Identify key challenges faced by Juniors at TLU when
Writing Task 2 in the IELTS test
Find out the factors that affect writing performance
Propose effective strategies and solutions to overcome these challenges. 1.4. Research questions 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
Aligned with the defined objective, three research questions are
formulated to guide the investigation:
What are the specific challenges faced by Juniors at TLU
when writing IELTS Writing Task 2?
What factors contribute to the difÏculties experienced by
learners in IELTS Writing Task 2?
What actionable suggestions can be proposed to address
and resolve the challenges encountered by TLU’s third-
year students in IELTS Writing Task 2?
By addressing these research questions, the study aims to
illuminate the intricacies of the challenges posed by IELTS Task
2 and offer constructive insights to empower TLU’s students in navigating these complexities.
1.5. Significance of the study
There are currently plenty of articles and books addressing EFL
learners’ writing skills and the IELTS writing test. However,
studies on third-year students at TLU difÏculties in IELTS
WritingTask 2 are limited at best. With this research, TLU’s
juniors problems can be identified in a detailed manner.
Henceforth, this paper not only seeks to bring practical
measures to IELTS trainers at TLU but also to other universities
and IELTS teachers can apply in their classrooms so that
learners’ performance in Task 2 can be significantly enhanced overall.
CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1. Theoretical Framework
A general view of the IELTS examination
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. The
test provides a measurement of the English proficiency of an
individual through a single test administered regardless of existing
ability. The purpose of the test is usually to predict a test-taker’s
readiness for study or residence in an English-speaking country
(Coleman et al., 2003). The test comprises four modules, each
representing the four macro skills: listening, reading, writing, and
speaking. Performance is measured in bands from 1-9, with 9
representing the highest level of language ability. Writing Skills
According to Alanazi (2017), regardless of one's initial
language, writing is perceived as a challenging task. He also 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
acknowledges that becoming a competent writer involves
making mistakes and errors. Nguyen (2021) states that writing
is the process of conveying thoughts and ideas, widely
recognized as a challenging skill to attain proficiency in. Kwak
(2017) suggests that learning to write involves explicitly
acquiring the mechanics, correct usage, and standard features
of academic writing. Finally, Behizadeh and Engelhard (2011)
explain that writing involves three main steps: planning,
drafting, and revising, and writers must learn how to approach
each phase to complete a paper successfully. IELTS Writing
According to the book IELTS Academic 17 (2022), the writing
section consists of two tasks, the first one about describing a
given diagram in at least 150 words (about 20 min) and the
second one about composing an essay (advantages-
disadvantages, opinions, causes-effects, causes-solutions, and
both view discussions) in at least 250 words (about 40 min).
While task 1 aims to evaluate test-takers ability to compare,
contrast, organize, and present data, task 2 focuses on their
capability to respond to a given issue of various academic
topics (IELTS Academic 17, 2022). The present study only
concentrated on the second task as this part is about essay
writing, and it weighs two times more than the first one.
In the public version of band descriptors, IELTS writing task 2 is
marked based on four criteria, including task response
(content), cohesion and coherence (unity and organization),
grammatical range and accuracy (grammar), and lexical
resources (vocabulary). e score is given on a scale of 9.0, with 0
being the lowest and 9.0 being the highest for each marking
criterion. e overall grade is the average of the four subscores, rounded to .0 or .5.
IELTS Writing Task 2
In IELTS, writing is assessed through two tasks, the overall band
score being more heavily weighted towards Writing Task 2.
Task 2 assesses a candidate’s ability to write a discursive
composition in response to an open-ended prompt, question, or
issue using appropriate content, style, register, and
organization (Moore & Morton, 2005). Writing Task 2 is
assessed by trained and certified examiners using confidential
band descriptors. Candidates’ compositions are evaluated by
one examiner using four equally weighted criteria. 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
The first criterion is task response. It assesses how test-takers
address the prompt that has been presented, how relevant the
presented position is, how the main ideas are supported and
extended, and how test-takers clarify and justify their conclusions.
The second criterion is coherence and cohesion. It tests the
test-taker's abilities to arrange and organize ideas, use
paragraphing, referencing, and substitution, and employ cohesive devices
The third criterion is lexical resource. It evaluates test-takers
range of lexis, the use of uncommon lexical items, the accuracy
of lexis, spelling, and word formation.
The final criterion is grammatical range and accuracy. It tests
the ability to use a wide range of grammatical structures: the
accuracy of grammar, the complexity of structures, and correct punctuation.
Writing difÏculties
As writing is one of the most challenging skills in learning a
language, it comes with some difÏculties that learners of
ESL/EFL have to deal with. Not only that the learners have
external difÏculties namely transcribing and structuring ideas,
vocabulary mastery, language accuracy and misinterpreting
instruction (Ceylan, 2019) but the writers also face difÏculties
internally as they are lack of interest, motivation and self-
confidence which resulted them in having anxiety in composing
(Bulqiyah et al., 2021). These findings correlate with
Budjalemba’s and Listyani’s (2021) as they also assert that
teacher’s teaching style and classroom environment are other
factors that cause learners to struggle in writing. With these
difÏculties, writers often struggle to begin their writing causing
writer’s block and eventually will make them feel unmotivated
to finish their writing. Besides Ceylan (2019) also emphasizes
that limited knowledge of academic writing i.e the process of
writing makes the writing more challenging. Meanwhile, Riadil
et al (2023) state that reading and technology contribute to
writing difÏculties. If the learners read less, it will result in a lack 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
of vocabulary and ideas and they are unable to structure ideas
and produce good writing. Technology also contributed largely
to this matter as learners nowadays are exposed more to text
messages and social media platforms. The style of writing that
they use on these platforms will somehow affect their writing
skills. Asare et al (2022) emphasized that social media affects
the students’ writing skills when they write individually as the
users will employ the social media lingo. This is why students
were found to be interested in learning writing but they were
reported to have low proficiency in that particular skill (Riadil et al., 2023) 2.2. Literature review
It is clear that many Vietnamese candidates struggle a great
deal with the writing test, which calls for the need to identify
what problems they have, their causes, and ways to improve
their writing skills. Therefore, this chapter attempts to review
and discuss related literature regarding IELTS Writing Task 2,
learners’ problems with the causes, and some suggestions on
how to improve their performance in Task 2. These are deemed
essential because it is necessary to understand what has been
studied in this field, hence establishing the basis of this study
as well as identifying the gap, if any, between the literature and
the context of the study, Vietnam. The reviewed works can date
back to the late 20th century and there are even some recent studies on the matter at hand.
Studies about problems in writing task 2
In a study on Japanese stakeholders’ (teachers and students)
beliefs about IELTS Writing and Speaking tests through
questionnaire and interview surveys, Iwashita, Sasaki, Stell, and
Yucel (2021) found that their first-year university student
participants judged the difÏculty of IELTS Writing Task 2 to be
based on the familiarity of the topic. Logical organization of
ideas and appropriate use of lexis and grammar were their
additional concerns. Gardiner and Howlett (2015) researched
the perceptions of 25 international students in Australia about
four English proficiency tests including IELTS. The findings
revealed that timing and idea generation were inhibiting for
them when writing IELTS Task 2 essays. Maharani and Setyarini
(2019) found that insufÏcient vocabulary, idea formulation, and
incorrect spelling were among the difÏculties reported by three
Indonesian IELTS learners in their study. Other affective issues 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
such as lack of interest, fatigue, and anxiety were added challenges.
Cotton and Wilson in their research titled An Investigation of
Examiner Rating of Coherence and Cohesion in the IELTS
Academic writing task 2 (Cotton & Wilson, 2011), analyzed
whether examiners find the marking of coherence and cohesion
(CC) in the IELTS academic writing task 2 more difÏcult than the
marking criteria; what features of CC examiners are looking for
marking Academic writing task. Moreover, this researcher
investigated a range of different measures related to the three
analytic scoring criteria that were identified. The common
problems of participants are errors in structure such as
pronoun, subject-verb agreement, part of speech, articles,
countable and uncountable nouns, active voice, and passive voice.
Research on Vietnamese IELTS learners’ perceptions of IELTS
Writing Task 2 (Trang & Binh & Quynh, 2022) showed that
IELTS learners reported topic unfamiliarity was a major
inhibiting task-related factor, and writing with appropriate and
varied vocabulary was linguistically challenging for them, and
so was lexical cohesion. The learners also identified different
sources of anxiety involved in writing IELTS Task 2, of which
self-oriented anxiety about time pressure and performance
quality was the most intense. The Vietnamese IELTS learners in
the present study also committed lexical errors of different
types, of which misspellings, misuse of verb forms, collocations,
noun inflections, and word choice were most common in both
essays. The writing tasks/topics did not have an effect on major
error types except for misspellings of general words. Lexical
errors correlated negatively with writing performance, and the
correlations were weak to moderate.
Nguyen and Nguyen (2022) surveyed 205 Vietnamese IELTS
learners in two English centers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
about their perceived problems related to writing IELTS Writing
Task 2. The five most frequently reported problems included
limited time, inability to paraphrase, lack of background
knowledge, failure to connect ideas and to write clear
sentences. These difÏculties were reported to stem from the
influence of Vietnamese L1, anxiety associated with writing, and
limited exposure to the target language. Misspellings and 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
inappropriate word choice were among the least difÏcult aspects reported.
A corpus of Japanese adult learners' academic writing Task 2
essays in an Intensive Writing Course were carefully examined
to determine the main writing errors following the procedure for
Error Analysis proposed by Corder (1967). The research
adopted an analytical descriptive approach. The findings
revealed that verb tense, article errors, spelling, and subject-
verb agreement were the most common writing errors made by
learners. With regards to cohesion, coherence, and lexical
resource, poor progression in paragraphs, parts of the essay
being incomprehensible, vague topic sentences, poor use of
transition signals, and incorrect use of target lexical items were
the most common categories of errors. According to the results,
it is revealed that male learners made more written errors in
comparison to female learners. Based on the findings,
recommendations, and suggestions that are of significant
importance to educators, EFL learners, and policymakers are presented in detail.
Causes of problems
Upon investigating the reasons behind the problems, Bagheri
and Riasati (2016) elicit responses from both teachers and
learners who participated in their study, discovering that both
subjects hold the same opinions. They believe that the existing
problems stem from a number of factors, including the lack of
exposure of learners to English. This is due to English being a
foreign language and constrained access to English media.
Besides, the curriculum pays little attention to writing skills,
inducing plagiarism and copying in large classes. The authors
also reveal that unqualified teachers also amount to problems
as they receive poor professional training, leading to them
being more willing to teach reading and listening rather than
writing. In addition, learners are not encouraged to write and
thus hold negative attitudes towards writing, not to mention
their anxiety and the influence of their mother tongue. Last but
not least, the deficiency of available technological facilities also
hinders learners' improvement in writing skills, and learners feel
demotivated (Bagheri & Riasati, 2016). Simply put, this study
highlights the common factors causing problems in learners’ 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
performance in Task 2, which appear in every aspect of education.
To be more specific, Cullen (2017) pinpoints different factors
causing test takers’ problems. With regard to the reason why
IELTS learners misunderstand the topic, she explains that there
are many unauthentic sources that contain practice tests far
away from the real test in terms of content. These materials
usually include tasks which demand specialized knowledge,
which does not adhere to IELTS design principles. By relying on
those materials, learners are more likely to be confused by the
task, hence leading to misunderstanding. She also finds out that
many IELTS trainees follow false beliefs and unverified claims
about IELTS, which turns them into mechanical writers. Because
of this, test takers are often misled into writing lengthy and
wordy sentences with unclear and unfocused messages, as well
as overwhelming their writing with uncommon words with
limited control. Furthermore, she significantly adds that culture
plays a pivotal role in Task 2. It may be the reason why
examinees lack ideas when they are to write about some
particular topics; apart from that, culture also induces the
cyclical writing style in some Eastern countries, whereas IELTS
requires candidates to write in a linear manner. In some
cultures, it is problematic when a learner is not educated to be
autonomous but is always dependent. (Cullen, 2017).
Suggestions on how to improve learners’ and
candidates’ performance
Learners ought to be responsible for their writing development.
Cullen (2017) advised IELTS learners to be aware of available
resources online in order to avoid unreliable ones. Moreover,
she highlights the need to learn the language deliberately,
especially vocabulary and grammar, and not hold any wrong
IELTS claims. Candidates should also thoroughly comprehend
the band descriptors to meet the requirements to reach their
desired bands. Cullen (2017) maintained that band 6 and below
examinees tend to adopt an ineffective approach, occurring in
only three steps: read, write, and check. Instead, she states
that candidates at a higher level opt for a more rigorous one,
including read, think, plan, write, and check. This approach is
more detailed and achievable so that the time required for
writing is reduced and all the requirements can be met (Cullen, 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
Data will be collected and maintained by a questionnaire with 4
parts. Part 1 was about the learners’ background information
which included 11 open-ended and closed-ended questions.
Part 2 of the questionnaire will include 15 questions to seek to
understand the perceived difÏculties that IELTS learners face
with IELTS Task 2 writing, drawing on the frameworks of
ESL/EFL task difÏculty (Robinson, 2011; Skehan, 2016). These
researchers have identified factors that impact learners’ task
performance and these factors are task-/topic-specific, linguistic
in nature, learner-inherent, and subject to task conditions. Part
3 will include 10 questions about the causes behind the above-
mentioned problems. Part 4 is the suggestion to overcome the
barriers in writing task 2, which encompasses 5 questions.
This study will employ the linear-scaling questionnaire to make
the answers more clear with 5 levels: Strongly disagree (1),
disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4), and strongly agree (5)
3.4. Research procedures
26/12 - 1/1: the research will commence with the preparation
and development of a questionnaire
2/1: All participants will be given an ielts writing task 2 test and
they have to finish in class for 40 minutes.
The evaluation, based on IELTS writing band descriptors, will be
marked by an advanced English teacher. This step aims to
pinpoint the specific challenges students face during the writing
process. After marking, students will receive their tests to review their mistakes.
3/1: Students need to complete the questionnaire through
Google Forms about their difÏculties through this given test
including 4 parts: general information, problems in writing task
2, the causes behind these problems, how students deal with writing difÏculties
4/1 - 14/1: Collecting data with 4 steps:
(1) Analyzing and identifying some problems in the participant’s writing
(2) Analyzing the root causes behind their writing difÏculties
(3) Categorizing the most frequent problems 22:58, 09/01/2026
Difficulties in IELTS Writing Task 2: Insights from TLU 3rd-Year Students - Studocu
(4) Understanding how students navigate and overcome challenges in Writing Task 2
CHAPTER IV. EXPECTED FINDINGS & DISCUSSIONS
The anticipated findings of the research focusing on the
challenges faced by 3rd-year students at TLU majoring in
English Linguistics when writing IELTS Task 2 essays encompass
a multifaceted range of issues. Among these challenges is a
deficiency in social knowledge, hindering students from
generating ideas on unfamiliar topics. Students are likely
grappling with vocabulary limitations and grammatical
structure, given their relatively brief exposure to IELTS
preparation. Organization and coherence in essay construction
are anticipated as additional hurdles, with students potentially
encountering challenges in seamlessly structuring their ideas
and maintaining logical flow between paragraphs. Time
management is likely to emerge as a common concern, as
students navigate the need to plan, write, and review within the allocated timeframe.
The main factors contributing to the identified issues are likely
the influence of the native language (Vietnamese), anxiety, and
insufÏcient exposure to English. These three elements appear
to be the primary contributors to the observed problems.
To improve the Task 2 writing skills of third-year English
Linguistics students at TLU, the implementation of targeted
solutions is pivotal. Firstly, incorporating regular workshops that
focus on expanding social knowledge can inspire diverse idea
generation. Alternatively, students may read online articles on
subjects like science and economics to broaden their
perspectives. Addressing vocabulary and grammatical
limitations involves finding IELTS materials tailored to their
current proficiency level. Seeking feedback from partners or
IELTS instructors during essay grading enhances cohesion and
highlights organizational mistakes. Doing mock exams under
time constraints can help students manage time wisely. These
comprehensive solutions collectively aim to strengthen
students' proficiency, ensuring a well-rounded approach to
enhancing their performance in IELTS Task 2. 22:58, 09/01/2026
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