RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EFL STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF SOCIAL ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES ON ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING: A CASE AT TRA VINH UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

Abstract

Society is changing rapidly in modern times, causing people to attempt to keep up with the latest information, while argumentative
writing requires students who are learning English as a foreign language (EFL) to clearly state their ideas about a social problem using a wide range of knowledge and critical thinking. This study aims to find out these students’ awareness of primary social issues, figure out their perspectives on argumentative writing, and examine the correlation between their awareness of primary social issues and perspectives on argumentative writing. Mixed approaches with questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data from 150 English majors at Tra Vinh University. The findings indicate that students’ concern about social issues can diversify their viewpoints on
argumentative writing through general input, lexical enrichment, and critical thinking processes. Based on the findings, the authors suggest several methods for students to absorb information about rising problems in society and recommend students how to apply them to their argumentative writing.