The acquisition of academic writing skills model for English Second Language Students from elementary to tertiary education
Building a foundation of academic literacies has been a neglected area in recent times. Many English Second Language (ESL) students who come to universities and other higher institutions of learning can barely read or write a sentence free of grammar errors or a coherent argument. This article seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge by filling the existing research gap on academic writing in recent times and propose the Acquisition of Academic Writing Skills Model, which provides guidelines to build a strong foundation of academic literacies throughout all schooling levels culminating into tertiary education. This article reports part of the findings of a qualitative study on academic writing in English Second Language (ESL) contexts. The academic literacies model and reviewed literature on writing underpinned the study both theoretically and conceptually. The findings of the study and the observations from the reviewed literature are integrated to develop the Acquisition of Academic Writing Skills Model. These guidelines are indispensable in ESL contexts as they prepare learners to come fully equipped with all the literacy skills needed to cope with the demands of tertiary education. The author recommends that academic literacies should be encapsulated within the curriculum from early childhood education to tertiary education.