Assessing the Practice of Developing Students' Soft Skills in Essay Writing during Language Courses

Authors

  • Meruyert Ramankulova

    Department of General Academic English, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Turkistan 161200, Kazakhstan
  • Zhanat Dauletbekova

    Department of Kazakh Language, Kazakh-British Technical University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
  • Sherzod Ramankulov

    Department of Physics, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Turkistan 161200, Kazakhstan
  • Makpal Nurizinova

    Department of Physics and Technology, Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University, Ust-Kamenogorsk 070004, Kazakhstan
  • Gulnara Rizakhojayeva

    Faculty of philology, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Turkistan 161200, Kazakhstan
  • Madina Akeshova

    School of Languages, International University of Tourism and Hospitality, Turkistan 161200, Kazakhstan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.11123
Received: 17 July 2025 | Revised: 24 July 2025 | Accepted: 29 July 2025 | Published Online: 23 September 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of implementing a communicative-activity-based methodology for developing students' soft skills through essay writing in school language courses. The focus is on assessing improvements in communication, critical thinking, creativity, and self-expression within the framework of essay composition. The research was conducted in secondary schools in Turkistan, Kazakhstan, with 204 students from grades 10–11. The methodology included an experimental design comparing control and experimental groups, supported by surveys, interviews, practical writing tasks, and qualitative/quantitative analysis. The experimental group was exposed to a specially designed essay-writing model rooted in communicative-activity theory. The Kramer-Welch test was applied for statistical validation of the hypothesis. The results demonstrate a significant increase in the experimental group’s soft skills development. 81% of students in the experimental group could define the essay genre after training (compared to 19% before), and 70% reported increased confidence in written self-expression. Additionally, students' ability to reason, structure ideas, and apply creative strategies showed measurable improvement. The final essays exhibited stronger organization, originality, and linguistic expressiveness. This study offers a validated model for integrating soft skills training into language education via structured essay writing. It contributes to both pedagogical theory and classroom practice by linking genre-based writing tasks with the holistic development of learners' communicative competencies.

Keywords:

Soft skills; Essay writing; Communicative-activity approach; Language courses; Secondary education; Writing pedagogy; Student competencies

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How to Cite

Ramankulova, M., Dauletbekova, Z., Ramankulov, S., Nurizinova, M., Rizakhojayeva, G., & Akeshova, M. (2025). Assessing the Practice of Developing Students’ Soft Skills in Essay Writing during Language Courses. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(10), 113–131. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i10.11123

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 10 (October 2025): In progress

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Copyright © 2025 Meruyert Ramankulova, Zhanat Dauletbekova, Sherzod Ramankulov, Makpal Nurizinova, Gulnara Rizakhojayeva, Madina Akeshova

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