Assessing Grade 11 English Language Proficiency in Writing in Lesotho: Content Analysis of the 2024 Examiners’ Report

Abstract

Based on the 2024 Examiner’s Report released by the Examinations Council of Lesotho (ECOL), this study provides a critical evaluation of the English language skills of Grade 11 students in both creative and directed writing. A key productive skill in second language learning is writing, which is crucial for assessing students’ capacity to arrange concepts, use suitable language, and communicate meaning in a variety of genres. Writing assessments that need creativity and are directed are essential assessment elements in the scope of the Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education (LGCSE). Significant difficulties with students’ written performance have been noted in numerous examiner reports. The study employed a qualitative design and thematic content analysis to identify the responses’ strong and weak points. The findings showed that most candidates struggled with grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and assignment requirements, while some demonstrated innovation and skill. In creative writing, problems like erratic tense usage, ambiguous character development, narrative drift, and poor paragraphing were common. Similarly, poorly formed topic points, improper tone, and poor format utilisation were evident in directed writing assignments. The difficulties were caused by inadequate writing practice, a lack of genre-specific training, and pedagogical constraints. The need for systematic interventions to improve writing education was stressed in the conclusion. These interventions should include genre-based pedagogy, formative feedback, guided practice, and modelling. This study offers evidence-based suggestions for enhancing writing pedagogy in Lesotho’s secondary education system while also adding to the conversation on language proficiency in sub-Saharan Africa.