EXPLORING EFL STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES IN ACHIEVING COHERENCE AND COHESION IN NARRATIVE WRITING

Abstract

This research tries to find out the challenges that EFL students in UIN Raden Intan Lampung have when they want to make good narrative writing, especially in coherence and cohesion. Narrative writing is not only important for academic goals but also for expressing culture and personal story. This study used qualitative method and focused on narrative inquiry to understand deeply the students’ real experience. The data was collected by semi-structured interviews and also from students' short reflection texts. There were 15 students chosen on purpose because they had experience in writing narrative and were willing to share their story. The analysis was done by looking at similar themes and meanings in the stories. The result showed that most students had high anxiety when writing, confused about coherence and cohesion, made grammar mistakes, and often used digital tools like Google Translate. Some students also had difficulty to combine their cultural way of storytelling with English writing style. Peer feedback and group writing were helpful for many of them, but some still did not know how to use the feedback well. Also, many students said their teacher did not explain clearly about how to make writing more coherent and cohesive. Their feelings were mixed—some felt frustrated but also proud when finishing their writing. This study gives real insight about what students face when writing in English and suggests how teachers, curriculum makers, and teacher trainers can help students improve their writing through better and more supportive teaching.