Relationship of Personality Traits and Writing Skills among EFL Learners at Post Graduation Level

Abstract

English has attained the status of world language and is being spoken all over the world. Proficiency in English language assures a successful and bright future. There are four integrated skills (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening) in English language that are crucial for EFL learners. Individual differences and personality traits of the EFL (English as a foreign language) learners can also affect their Writing Skills. The objectives of the present study are; 1) To search the correlation between introversion and extroversion with regard to language writing proficiency 2) To find out if introversion is a hindrance in second language writing proficiency. The introversion and extroversion are usually considered as a single continuum so that to be high on one is necessarily to be low on the other. Extroverts are risk-takers, social and interactive while Introverts are passive and avoid social gatherings. The researchers used the mixed method approach (quantitative and qualitative) for the study. The population of the study comprised all the graduate students of Department of English at Islamia University Bahawalpur, Pakistan. The researchers collected sample of the study from 200 Post Graduates and 20 English language teachers. The sample of the study was selected randomly. The researchers used the questionnaire, a free writing test and structured interviews as research tools. The questionnaire EPI (Eysenck Personality Inventory) was adopted and modified. The researcher collected data and analyzed it through SPSS. For the analysis of the study, researchers used the statistical techniques of mean, standard deviation and ANOVA Test. The findings of the study revealed that most of the learners were extroverts. The study concluded that introverts perform better in most of the subscales of writing as compared to extroverts. This study proved that introversion does not cause hindrance in acquiring writing skills; it was also found that introverts are more creative as compared to extroverts. Majority of the English language teachers validated the views of students that introverts are better writers as compared to extroverts.