Grammar Challenges in Report Writing Under Curriculum Reform: A Case Study of English Majors in a Vietnamese University

Background/Purpose. Grammar plays a crucial role in clarifying and cohering written and spoken communication throughout academic contexts. This study investigates how senior English majors use grammar to write reports, a critical skill for effective communication. Materials/Methods. A summative content analysis was conducted to examine the types of grammatical errors found in 49 reports written by 49 students. Additionally, nine Vietnamese-speaking English teachers were asked to evaluate selected extracts based on meaning clarity and instances of language interference using a two-point scale (“agree” or “disagree”). Results. The results show that students had various grammatical problems; the three most frequent ones were run-on sentences, poor word choice, and erroneous use of the simple past tense. Furthermore, most teachers said students had great difficulty expressing their ideas clearly and that first-language interference was regularly seen in their writing. Conclusion. These findings point to the need for improved instructional strategies and curricular adjustments to address students’ ongoing grammatical errors in their writing. They suggest that curricula should focus more on grammar accuracy and language interference issues to enhance students’ written communication skills.