LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Learning http://e-journal.usd.ac.id/index.php/LLT Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 295 ANALYSIS OF EFL STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING AND COMPLETING ENGLISH THESIS Tira Nur Fitria Institut Teknologi Bisnis AAS, Indonesia correspondence: tiranurfitria@gmail.com https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.v25i1.3607 received 20 August 2021; accepted 17 May 2022 Abstract The objective of this research is to know the EFL students’ difficulties in writing and finishing their thesis. This research employs descriptive qualitative research. From the result analysis of a questionnaire, there are internal and external factors of EFL students’ difficulties in writing and finishing a thesis. In internal factors are 1) difficulty in choosing the title of the English title, 2) feeling bored, pessimistic, bored/saturated, and doubtful with their abilities, 3) feeling fears or worries during the proposal seminar exam or thesis examination later, 4) having a health problem or down, 5) students’ disability in understanding the systematics of writing a thesis, 6) tending to use online translation tools, 7) having difficulty in using English grammar, choosing the right vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation correctly. The students’ difficulty in writing and completing a thesis shows that the most difficult parts are in chapter 4 (result/findings and discussion). While external factors are 1) having communication problems with supervisors, for example, lecturers are difficul t to contact, reply to messages for a long time, or do not reply to messages. 2) having problems with supervising lecturers’ writing, for example, writings cannot be read clearly or be understood. 3) having difficulty in finding references on the internet, 4) there are no complete reference sources and no free access to digital libraries on campus, 5) technical problems on devices such as laptops/computers, 6) having cost or financial problems and personal problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis. 7) students’ surrounding environment is not/less conducive. But, have a part-time job, have a busy life with hobbies or personal pleasures, and have a busy life in organizations both on and off-campus. do not influence them in working on and completing the thesis. Keywords: EFL student, English thesis, thesis, writing Introduction A thesis is a student's final project. In writing this thesis, students take it through field research or library studies arranged by students according to their field of study. This thesis is written following the guidelines of each college, although the preparation of this thesis is the same, there must be differences at https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.v25i1.3607 LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 296 least in each college. Graduate students place a high value on the ability to write a strong thesis statement. Students learn how to conduct research and present their results as a result of participating in the process (Wang & Yang, 2012). Compiling a thesis is very closely related to writing, of course, writing this thesis must get the final result of the existing problems or phenomena, thesis writing also cannot necessarily only write or convey ideas and thoughts, writing must also be accompanied by references to writing methods and studies - studies that have been carried out in previous studies. There is also a thesis writing called a supervisor, of course, this supervisor is in charge of directing students who write this thesis to be appropriate and correct, because the results of writing this thesis will be presented and their work tested, thus the role of the supervisor in writing is very important. If students are having difficulty writing, the supervisor should explore what might lie behind this (Shaw & Lawson, 2015). For final year students, the thesis writing period is the most challenging process. To complete a thesis, students need physical, mental, and often financial strength. Moreover, many steps need to be passed. Starting from the determination of the title and topic, the proposal seminar exam, data collection, to the trial or also called the comprehensive exam. In the final stage, students will present their research results in front of the examiner lecturer. This process is often feared by students. The reason is that students will be questioned with various questions to test the validity of the research. So it is not strange that students feel trepidation and fear. English has become the major international language for research and publication. Many of these difficulties involve learning to use language (Paquot, 2014). As we know, there are four skills in English such as reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Writing is one of the most demanding tasks that students, academics, and researchers face (Rowena & Sarah, 2006). One of the obligations for every student in taking undergraduate education is to obtain a bachelor's degree in writing a final report (thesis). A complete thesis or dissertation is a major accomplishment of sustained concentration (Blair, 2016). Students majoring in English, of course, must write a thesis in English. Writing an English thesis is a difficult task particularly to writers for whom English is a second language (Paltridge & Starfield, 2007). Writing an English thesis is a mandatory task for students majoring in English, both English Education, and English Literature. Writing a thesis in English is not easy, considering that English requires a broad vocabulary and the ability to use grammar properly. Developing awareness of the rhetorical and linguistic conventions is also needed in writing a thesis in English (Bitchener, 2009). Cooley & Lewkowicz (2011) state that writing a thesis is a unique experience. It is considerably more demanding linguistically than any writing they were expected to produce at the undergraduate level. (Bailey, 2011) states that writing good academic English is a demanding task. Thesis writing can be challenging for students and supervisors (Evans et al., 2014). In this process, there are many things that students have to go through regarding non-academic problems as well as academics. Judging from non- academic problems, to build confidence in writing a person's thesis must have a qualified self-assessment, support from family, and the writer's readiness to face the challenges and obstacles of writing a thesis. Building self-confidence is one of LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 297 the keys to student success in completing the final report. With a good sense of self-confidence, they should be ready to face the various challenges faced during the writing process. However, there are many reasons that need to be considered and very influential on student thesis writing. From an academic point of view, students who will write a thesis must also pay attention to selecting topics for research, planning realistic time, and understand the things related to the writing of scientific papers. Without it, students can't finish their studies on time. In this case, the thesis supervisor plays a very important role in completing the final report for college students. Not a few final-year students have problems with their supervisors. This shows that the mentor figure is very influential in determining student success complete the script. In other words, in addition to students' readiness, academic readiness. It also determines the success of students in completing the final research project. The obligation to write a thesis for all students of majors or programs on all paths Strata 1 (Bachelor) at public and private universities is an obligation. This provision is based on the consideration that students as prospective undergraduates (scientists) must be able to make scientific work as a form of scientific actualization somebody. This course is a compulsory subject that must be mastered by students with the intention that they have signs or guidelines to become part of the academic community. According to Emilia (2009), several aspects must be considered before conducting research, namely readiness to face challenges, building self- confidence, and self-evaluation. This is part of the non-academic factor. While academic factors starting from topic selection to writing the final research report. Including the importance of the supervisor's role and students' understanding of research methods. Several previous studies have been conducted related to the students’ problems in writing final projects or theses. First, Sariyanto et al. (2015) state that the factor of basic knowledge of thesis, the factor of the process of consultation, the psychological factor, and the factor of economics. So, it can be stated that the lack of fundamental understanding of the thesis' major component element is the most significant contributor to students' problems in writing their thesis. Second, Swarni (2017) states that the majority of students had difficulties in five types of problems: writing the introduction chapter, writing the review of the literature chapter, writing the methodology chapter, writing the result chapter, and writing the conclusion chapter. Third, Tambengi (2017) states that several major factors that contributed to the students' difficulties in conducting thesis research, including difficulties in determining the topic of the thesis, insufficient knowledge in writing a thesis, anxiety when interacting with thesis advisors, limited access to interact with lecturers, limited access to the availability of books, and students' desire for friendship and expansion with their peers. Fourth, Yanto & Sulistiyo (2019) state that students encounter a variety of problems while writing their thesis papers. The absence of established guidance on how to write a thesis in English was cited as the primary reason. It was suggested by the lecturers to compose one. Fifth, Irwandi (2019) states that the difficulties encountered when writing a thesis were mostly due to internal and external variables. Within the first internal factor, 33 % of students reported having difficulty deciding on a thesis title, 20 % reported having difficulty writing the organization of their thesis, 20 % LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 298 reported having difficulty identifying appropriate theories, and 13 % reported having difficulty determining the methodology. The external element was cited by 33 % of students, who said that the college's library offers a range of books that may assist them in writing their dissertation. In addition to the knowledge of students, there are external variables such as college facilities that assist students in writing a thesis that must be taken into consideration as well. Sixth, (Tiwari, 2019) states that discovered that the main difficulties faced by students pursuing a Masters of Education (M. Ed.) in English at Tribhuvan University (T.U.) when writing their theses were disclosed. When preparing a thesis in English education, the supervisors' lack of assistance and the difficulty in choosing the right topic or area of study are two of the most difficult obstacles to overcome. Seventh, Lestari (2020) revealed that the students had difficulty drafting their theses. According to an organized approach, the students' problems in writing a thesis are linked to their English proficiency, their time management, their research technique, their mindset, and their writing skills, students' plagiarism, students' personalities, the large number of monitored students and advisor workload, and problems in students' motivation were all found to be the least difficult to deal with. As a result of their poor and restricted English ability, they face the greatest number of problems while writing their thesis. Both have risen to the top of the list of reasons why they are unable to properly build their writing thesis. Eighth, Rahmah (2020) states that the students tended to view thesis writing as a tough task. The results revealed that there were significant findings in that there were (47,6 %) who had problems in the component that dealt with structure and content. Then there were the pupils who had difficulty with language-related components (52,4 % of the students). The students' impression of a difficulty in writing thesis papers was mostly based on the language component rather than the structure/content component, to summarize. According to the results of the interview, the primary reason was cognitive difficulties. They had trouble putting their thoughts into words in their thesis statement. The second issue was linguistic difficulties. Because they lacked vocabulary and grammatical knowledge, they found it challenging to construct proper sentences. The third category included psychological difficulties. It demonstrated that students were concerned about making errors while writing their thesis. The last reason was a scarcity of material resources. There were just a few printed and online materials to choose from. Ninth, Puspita (2021) revealed a statistically significant conclusion (1) that 82 % of students, or 40 students, had problems with personality characteristics. There are 83 % of students, or 41 students, who have difficulty with sociocultural (2) issues. (3) There are 86 % of pupils, or 42 students, who have difficulty with linguistic considerations. Based on the three criteria, it can be determined that the linguistic component is the source of the most difficult for English students. The results show that the first element is a person's personality. They expressed a lack of confidence in their ability to choose a thesis subject and write a thorough literature review. Another component is sociocultural variables, which are addressed in depth in the culture department of the university's knowledge of the structure for thesis writing and how it should be written. There were some difficulties in translating phrases from the source to the drafting of the thesis. Tenth, Fauziah et al. (2021) state that students encounter a wide range of problems both academically and non-academically. Approximately LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 299 81.8 % of students have problems in the academic sector, with 18.2 % experiencing difficulties in other areas. Academic problems are caused by difficulty in adapting research subjects to the present circumstances, writer's block, a lack of knowledge of research techniques, and a lack of familiarity with academic writing styles, among other things. Student problems in non-academic areas are mostly caused by a lack of personal preparation. Several previous studies above discuss the students’ problems in writing an English thesis at one university or higher institution. The focus is similar to this research, but this research chooses the different subjects of ELF students in various universities and higher institutions in Indonesia. The researcher will explain the research related to the difficulties of EFL students’ writing English thesis, because there may be many students in universities or higher institutions in Indonesia who have difficulty in writing in completing their theses. Therefore, the objective of this research is to know the EFL students’ difficulties in writing and finishing their thesis. Research Method This research employs descriptive qualitative research. Hennink et al. (2020) state that qualitative research does not seek to measure issues, extrapolate findings or make level statements. Instead, qualitative research is to gain a detailed contextualized understanding of the phenomenon studied. In this research, the research focuses on the phenomenon of the English major students in writing and finishing their thesis in the study. This research uses a questionnaire to collect the data. A questionnaire is a method of collecting data from individuals using writing (Kara, 2018). This questionnaire used Closed-ended questions. It is also called fixed-alternative questions related to the response alternatives are pre-specified by the researcher (Profetto-McGrath et al., 2010). The questionnaire uses an online form by using Google Form. The question is related to external and internal factors influencing the English major students in writing and finishing their thesis. The subject of this research involves 40 English major students in various universities and higher institutions in Indonesia which still doing a thesis. They are from IAIN Kediri, UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta, IAIN SAS Bangka Belitung, IAIN Cirebon, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, IAIN Palangka Raya, IAIN Bukittinggi, UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Universitas Warmadewa Bali, Universitas Samudra Aceh, Universitas Bandung, IAIN Salatiga, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama, Universitas Mulawarman Samarinda, Universitas Perjuangan Tasikmalaya, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, UIN KHAS Jember, Universitas Siliwangi Tasikmalaya, Universitas Islam Nahdlatul Ulama Jepara, Universitas Muhammadiyah Kendari, Universitas Borneo Tarakan, Universitas Negeri Semarang, UIN STS Jambi, Universitas Indonesia, IAIN Padangsidimpuan, Universitas Tadulako Palu, Universitas Tridinanti Palembang, Universitas Nusa Cendana Kupang, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, UIN Bengkulu, Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta and Universitas Islam Lamongan. This research uses their step analysis to analyze the data, they are reducing data, displaying data, and concluding descriptively (Hays & Singh, 2011). This reduction stage is carried out to select whether the data is relevant or not with the final goal. After that, the stage of presenting qualitative data can be in the form of LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 300 narrative text in the form of a table. Through the presentation of the data, the data will be organized and arranged in a relationship pattern, so that it will be easier to understand. At the conclusion stage, it aims to find the meaning of the data collected to conclude answers to existing problems. Findings and Discussion Findings The objective of this research is to know the EFL students’ difficulties in writing and finishing their thesis. In this research, there are several findings related to the research seen from the questionnaire result, as follows: Table 1. Internal Factors of Students’ Difficulties in Writing and Finishing Thesis No Statements Responses Yes No 1. Having difficulty in choosing the title of thesis in English major 31 (77.5 %) 9 (22.5 %) 2. Feeling not sure (pessimistic) about the title of the thesis research that has been taken 29 (72.5 %) 11 (27.5 %) 3. Feeling bored/saturated while working on and completing the thesis 36 (90 %) 4 (10 %) 4. Feeling doubtful/pessimistic about the abilities when working on and completing a thesis 36 (90 %) 4 (10 %) 5. Having fears or worries during the proposal seminar exam or thesis examination later 37 (92.5 %) 3 (7.5 %) 6. Having a health problem or problem while working on and completing the thesis 31 (77.5 %) 9 (22.5 %) 7. There is no support from parents or family in working on and completing the thesis 34 (85 %) 6 (15 %) 8. There is no support from peers/classmates or close friends in working on and completing the thesis 30 (75 %) 10 (25 %) 9. Do not understand the systematics of writing the thesis well according to the guidebook well 23 (57.5 %) 17 (42.5 %) 10. Tending to write sentences or paragraphs in Indonesian first and then translate into English with a translator application when working on a thesis 33 (82.5 %) 7 (17.5 %) 11. Having difficulty in writing sentences or paragraphs according to English grammar correctly 37 (92.5 %) 3 (7.5 %) 12. Having difficulty choosing the right vocabulary or spelling in writing an English thesis correctly 33 (82.5 %) 7 (17.5 %) 13. Having difficulty using punctuation in writing the thesis correctly 27 (67.5 %) 13 (32.5 %) The table above shows that several internal factors of students’ difficulties in writing and finishing a thesis. The first statement, “Having difficulty in choosing the title of Thesis majoring in English”. There are 31 students (77.5 %) who state “Yes” and 9 students (22.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 77.5 % of students have difficulty in choosing their title of thesis majoring in English. In the 2nd LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 301 statement “Feeling not sure (pessimistic) about the title of the thesis research that has been taken”. There are 29 students (72.5 %) who state “Yes” and 11 students (27.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 72.5 % of students feel are not sure (pessimistic) about the title of the thesis research that has been taken. In the 3 rd statement “Feeling bored/saturated while working on and completing the thesis”. There are 36 students (90 %) who state “Yes” and 4 students (10 %) states “No”. It shows that 90 % of students feeling bored/saturated while working on and completing the thesis. In the 4th statement, “Feeling doubtful/pessimistic about the abilities when working on and completing a thesis”. There are 36 students (90 %) who state “Yes” and 4 students (10 %) states “No”. It shows that 90 % of students feel doubtful/pessimistic about their abilities when working on and completing a thesis. In the 5th statement, “Having fears or worries during the proposal seminar exam or thesis examination later”. There are 37 students (92.5 %) who state “Yes” and 3 students (7.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 92.5 % of students feel fears or worries during the proposal seminar exam or thesis examination later. In the 6th statement, “Having a health problem or problem while working on and completing the thesis”. There are 31 students (77.5 %) who state “Yes” and 9 students (22.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 77.5 % of students have a health problem or problem while working on and completing the thesis. In the 7th statement, “There is no support from parents or family in working on and completing the thesis”. There are 34 students (85 %) who state “Yes” and 6 students (15 %) states “No”. It shows that 85 % of students are supported by their parents or family in working on and completing the thesis. In the 8th statement, “There is no support from peers/classmates or close friends in working on and completing the thesis”. There are 30 students (75 %) who state “Yes” and 10 students (25 %) states “No”. It shows that 75 % of students are supported by peers/classmates or close friends in working on and completing the thesis. In the 9th statement, “Do not understand the systematics of writing the thesis well according to the guidebook well”. There are 23 students (57.5 %) who state “Yes” and 17 students (42.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 57.5 % of students do not understand the systematics of writing the thesis well according to the guidebook. In the 10th statement, “Do not understand the systematics of writing the thesis well according to the guidebook well”. There are 23 students (57.5 %) who state “Yes” and 17 students (42.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 57.5 % of students. In the 10th statement, “Tending to write sentences or paragraphs in Indonesian first and then translate into English with a translation application when working on a thesis”. There are 33 students (82.5 %) who state “Yes” and 17 students (17.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 82.5 % of students tend to write sentences or paragraphs in Indonesian first and then translate into English with a translation application when working on a thesis. In the 11 th statement, “Having difficulty in writing sentences or paragraphs according to English grammar correctly”. There are 37 students (92.5 %) who state “Yes” and 3students (7.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 92.5 % of students have difficulty in writing sentences or paragraphs according to English grammar correctly. In the 12th statement, “Having difficulty choosing the right vocabulary or spelling in writing an English thesis correctly”. There are 33 students (82.5 LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 302 %) who state “Yes” and 17 students (17.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 82.5 % of students. In the 13th statement, “Having difficulty using punctuation in writing the thesis correctly”. There are 26 students (67.5 %) who state “Yes” and 13 students (32.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 67.5 % of students have difficulty using punctuation in writing the thesis correctly. Related to the students’ difficulty in writing and completing a thesis, there are also difficult parts in thesis faced by students, as follow: Chart 1. Several Difficult Parts in Thesis Faced by Students Based on the chart above which IS taken from Google Form responses, it shows there are main parts in thesis writing. For example, Chapter 1 is the introduction or background of the study, Chapter 2 is theoretical review or literature review, Chapter 3 is Research method or research methodology, Chapter 4 is Results/Findings and Discussion, Chapter 5 is a conclusion, and references or bibliography. The chart above shows that 40 students choose only one even more than one difficult part of a thesis. As we can see, there are 20 students (50 %) who choose “Chapter 1” and 20 students (50 %) who choose “Chapter 3”, 19 students (47.5 %) who choose “Chapter 2”, 24 students (60 %) who choose “Chapter 4”, 8 students (20 %) who choose “Chapter 5”, and 5 students (12.5 %) who choose “References/Bibliography”. It shows that the most difficult parts are in chapter 4 then followed by Chapter 1 and Chapter 3. While the last difficult parts are in Conclusion and “Reference/Bibliography”. Table 2. External Factors of Students’ Difficulties in Writing and Finishing Thesis No Statements Responses Yes No 1. Having communication problems with supervisors, for example, lecturers are difficult to contact, lecturers reply to messages in a long time or do not reply to messages 27 (67.5 %) 13 (32.5 %) 2. Having problems with supervising lecturers, for example, lecturers' writings/scribbles on thesis sheets cannot or cannot be read clearly, as well as writings/scribbles that cannot or cannot be understood. 22 (55 %) 18 (45 %) 3. Difficulty finding references related to thesis titles taken on the internet, for example, similar research/thesis, books, or related research journals 33 (82.5 %) 7 (17.5 %) LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 303 4. In the campus library, there is no complete reference sources, either books or research journals, or scientific works (final project or thesis) 30 (75 %) 10 (25 %) 5. In campuss library, there is no access to digital libraries (digital-library) 23 (57.5 %) 17 (42.5 %) 6. Having technical problems on devices such as laptops/computers when working on and completing Thesis 30 (75 %) 10 (25 %) 7. Having a cost or financial problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis 25 (62.5 5) 15 (37.5 %) 8. Having personal problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis 27 (67.5 %) 13 (32.5 %) 9. The surrounding environment is not / less conducive when working on and completing the thesis 21 (52.5 %) 19 (47.5 %) 10. Having a part-time job while working on and completing the thesis 13 (32.5 5) 27 (67.5 %) 11. Having a busy life with hobbies or personal pleasures 15 (37.5 %) 25 (62.5 %) 12. Having a busy life in organizations both on and off-campus 6 (15 %) 34 (85 %) The table above shows that several external factors of students’ difficulties in writing and finishing a thesis. The 1st statement, “Having communication problems with supervisors, for example, lecturers are difficult to contact, lecturers reply to old messages in a long time or do not reply to messages”. There are 27 students (67.5 %) who state “Yes” and 13 students (32.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 67.5 % of students have communication problems with supervisors, for example, lecturers are difficult to contact, lecturers reply to old messages for a long time, or do not reply to messages. The 2nd statement, “Having problems with supervising lecturers, for example, lecturers' writings/scribbles on thesis sheets cannot or cannot be read clearly, as well as writings/scribbles that cannot or cannot be understood.”. There are 22 students (55 %) who state “Yes” and 18 students (45 %) states “No”. It shows that 55 % of students have problems with supervising lecturers, for example, lecturers' writings/scribbles on thesis sheets cannot be read clearly, as well as writings/scribbles that cannot or cannot be understood. The 3rd statement, “Difficulty finding references related to thesis titles taken on the internet, for example, similar research/thesis, books, or related research journals”. There are 33 students (82.5 %) who state “Yes” and 7 students (17.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 82.5 % of students have difficulty in finding references related to thesis titles taken on the internet, for example, similar research/thesis, books, or related research journals. The 4th statement, “In the campus library, there are no complete reference sources, either books or research journals, or scientific works (final project or thesis)”. There are 30 students (75 %) who state “Yes” and 10 students (25 %) states “No”. It shows that 75 % of students that in their campus, there are no complete reference sources, either books or research journals, or scientific works (final project or thesis). The 5th statement, “In the campus library, there is no access to digital LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 304 libraries (digital-library)”. There are 235 students (57.5 %) who state “Yes” and 17 students (42.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 57.5 % of students that in their campus, there is no access to digital libraries (digital-library). The 6th statement, “Having technical problems on devices such as laptops/computers when working on and completing thesis”. There are 30 students (75 %) who state “Yes” and 10 students (25 %) states “No”. It shows that 75 % of students have technical problems on devices such as laptops/computers when working on and completing a thesis. The 7th statement, “Having a cost or financial problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis”. There are 25 students (65.5 %) who state “Yes” and 15 students (37.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 62.5 % of students have cost or financial problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis. The 8th statement, “Having personal problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis”. There are 27 students (67.5 %) who state “Yes” and 13 students (32.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 67.5 % of students have personal problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis. The 9th statement, “The surrounding environment is not / less conducive when working on and completing the thesis”. There are 21 students (52.5 %) who state “Yes” and 19 students (47.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 52.5 % of students state that their surrounding environment is not/less conducive when working on and completing the thesis surrounding environment is not/less conducive when working on and completing the thesis. The 10th statement, “Having a part-time job while working on and completing the thesis”. There are 13 students (32.5 %) who state “Yes” and 27 students (67.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 67.5 % of students do have a part- time job while working on and completing the thesis. The 11th statement, “Having a busy life with hobbies or personal pleasures”. There are 15 students (37.5 %) who state “Yes” and 25 students (62.5 %) states “No”. It shows that 62.5 % of students do have a busy life with hobbies or personal pleasures. The 12th statement, “Having a busy life in organizations both on and off-campus”. There are 6 students (15 %) who state “Yes” and 34 students (85 %) states “No”. It shows that 85 % of students do have a busy life in organizations both on and off-campus. Discussion A thesis is a final project for students to get a bachelor's degree in their studies. Every student at various universities or higher institutions must do this thesis according to the topic of their respective scientific fields. Well, for students who are majoring in English, whether it's for literature or education, of course, the thesis taken must use English. Likewise, for students who work abroad, of course, they must write a thesis in English. Of course, it is recognized that compiling a thesis using English is not easy, especially if it is difficult to do the thesis itself even though it is in Indonesian. After conducting a study that included the distribution of questionnaires, the researcher discovered that there are several factors both internal and external that contribute to students' difficulties in writing and completing their thesis. In this research, are several internal factors of EFL students’ difficulties in writing and finishing a thesis. They are: 1) 77.5 % of students have difficulty in LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 305 choosing their title of thesis majoring in English. 2) 72.5 % of students feel are not sure (pessimistic) about the title of the thesis research that has been taken. 3) 90 % of students feeling bored/saturated while working on and completing the thesis. 4) 90 % of students feel doubtful/pessimistic about their abilities when working on and completing a thesis. 5) 92.5 % of students feel fears or worries during the proposal seminar exam or thesis examination later. 6) 77.5 % of students have a health problem or are down while working on and completing the thesis. 7) 85 % of students are supported by their parents or family in working on and completing the thesis. 8) 75 % of students are supported by peers/classmates or close friends in working on and completing the thesis. 9) 57.5 % of students do not understand the systematics of writing the thesis well according to the guidebook. 10) 82.5 % of students tend to write sentences or paragraphs in Indonesian first and then translate into English with a translation application when working on a thesis. 11) 92.5 % of students have difficulty in writing sentences or paragraphs according to English grammar correctly. 12) 82.5 % of students have difficulty choosing the right vocabulary or spelling in writing an English thesis correctly. 13) 67.5 % of students have difficulty using punctuation in writing the thesis correctly. Related to the students’ difficulty in writing and completing a thesis, there are also difficult parts in the thesis faced by students. There are 20 students (50 %) who choose “Chapter 1” and 20 students (50 %) who choose “Chapter 3”, 19 students (47.5 %) who choose “Chapter 2”, 24 students (60 %) who choose “Chapter 4”, 8 students (20 %) who choose “Chapter 5”, and 5 students (12.5 %) who choose “References/Bibliography”. It shows that the most difficult parts are in chapter 4 then followed by Chapter 1 and Chapter 3. While the last difficult parts are in Conclusion and “Reference/Bibliography”. There are also several external factors of students’ difficulties in writing and finishing a thesis. They are: 1) 67.5 % of students have communication problems with supervisors, for example, lecturers are difficult to contact, lecturers reply to old messages for a long time, or do not reply to messages. 2) 55 % of students have problems with supervising lecturers, for example, lecturers' writings/scribbles on thesis sheets cannot be read clearly, as well as writings/scribbles that cannot or cannot be understood. 3) 82.5 % of students have difficulty in finding references related to thesis titles taken on the internet, for example, similar research/thesis, books, or related research journals. 4) 75 % of students that in their campus, there are no complete reference sources, either books or research journals, or scientific works (final project or thesis). 5) 57.5 % of students that in their campus, there is no access to digital libraries (digital- library). 6) 75 % of students have technical problems on devices such as laptops/computers when working on and completing a thesis. 7) 62.5 % of students have cost or financial problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis. 8) 67.5 % of students have personal problems during the process of working on and completing the thesis. 9) 52.5 % of students state that their surrounding environment is not/less conducive when working on and completing the thesis surrounding environment is not/less conducive when working on and completing the thesis. 10) 67.5 % of students state that have a part-time job does not influence them in working on and completing the thesis. 11) 62.5 % of students state that have a busy life with hobbies or personal LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 306 pleasures does not influence them in working on and completing the thesis. 12) 85 % of students state that having a busy life in organizations both on and off- campus does not influence them in working on and completing the thesis. Writing an English thesis has become a task that must be done in the course of study for students who take majors related to the English language, both literature, and education. Writing a thesis in English will certainly be more difficult when compared to a thesis written in Indonesian. The process of conveying ideas into English sentences requires good and correct grammar skills. The revision process also takes longer because errors can occur not only in the content of the thesis (methods, instruments, etc.) but also in terms of grammar (grammar/tenses). Regarding writing an English thesis, several things might be noticed by students during the writing and completing a thesis, including opening a dictionary and grammar book. The dictionary is the most important element in compiling an English thesis, especially for students who use Indonesian languages in daily life. Besides, no matter how much vocabulary students have, the dictionary must still be available at their hand. This is most likely certain sentences have a word structure that is too complicated or there are certain words that students do not know the meaning of it. Students also are strongly discouraged from using pocket dictionaries because practical and lightweight dictionaries only serve to help us in doing thesis while we are on the move, while major dictionaries such as Longman or Cambridge are still a must-have. To launch our final project or thesis, students can have a complete grammar book to help them determine the right grammar for our English thesis later. Literature sources that come from English books are also very important to have to make it easier for students to find the main idea. Everything needs a struggle, maybe on campus, students already have a complete library to support their success in compiling an English thesis. However, if it is not enough or still not enough, but students can also visit another campus. In addition, in choosing book literature, students must be careful because not all English books are following the theme of their thesis. So, before deciding to choose a book for writing an English thesis, students should know the direction of their thesis in outline to make it easier for them to find suitable book sources. After all the tools students have, such as books and dictionaries, all students have to do is write down the important points in the book that they feel are in line with the thesis topic they will discuss. In noting important points in compiling an English thesis, it takes precision and accuracy about which book contents are appropriate and not following the theme of their scientific work. So that, the important points students take are right, they must master the flow of thought from the author of the books. After writing and compiling an English thesis up to several pages, students should edit it first before going to consult with their supervisors. Students can avoid writing while editing because it will be ineffective and take up a lot of their time. The editing process that is done after finishing writing a few pages makes the editing process shorter and more effective because they do not have to flip through sentences every time we finish writing. What students need to do during the editing process is to edit the content starting from writing the correct words. Students’ sharpness in thinking by paying attention to the quotations with the descriptions they make, the suitability of the content, and the systematic and LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 307 appropriate relationship of meaning between sentences. After that, students can proceed to English grammar. In editing this grammar, students must have sufficient knowledge of grammar in English and have good grammar books. In the process of compiling an English thesis, it is not uncommon to feel lazy or boring with writing activities, looking for books, lecturers who are difficult to find, demands from lecturers who are too detailed even though they are best for you, difficulties in finding books sources, etc. Students do not leave worship, always try to pray and be patient to find their best way to graduate college later. No matter how good students are in compiling an English thesis, if it is not balanced with a good understanding, it will make them have difficulty in presenting the proposal seminar and thesis examination later. Even the examining lecturers may suspect that the thesis is not their works. Whether it is the result of plagiarism or presenting someone else's thesis. A good understanding of the thesis that students have compiled is the key to their success through this trial procession. Apart from being supported by a quality thesis, understanding content, etc., students also need non-technical factors to strengthen their health, stamina, eliminate nervousness to make them successful later. This may seem simple but has the potential to make them pass the examination well, such as not forgetting to eat before the trial, preparing mentally by praying, and support from family and friends. All aspects support students’ success in compiling an English thesis. Conclusion Writing an English thesis has become a task that must be done in the course of study for students who take majors related to the English language, both education, and literature. Writing a thesis in English will certainly be more difficult when compared to a thesis written in Indonesian. There are several internal factors of EFL students’ difficulties in writing and finishing a thesis. In internal factors are difficulty in choosing the title of the thesis, feel are not sure (pessimistic), bored/saturated, doubtful/pessimistic, fears or worries, having a health problem or down while working on and completing the thesis. Other factors are students' ability in understanding the systematics of writing the thesis, tending to use translation tools, have difficulty in grammar, have difficulty choosing the right vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation in writing the thesis correctly. The most difficult parts are in chapter 4. While external factors are having communication problems with supervisors and supervisors’ writing, have difficulty in finding references related to thesis titles in the internet, there are no complete reference sources and no free access to digital libraries on campus, having technical problems on devices such as laptops/computer, have cost or financial problems, personal problems, surrounding environment is not/less conducive. While having a part-time job, have a busy life with hobbies or personal pleasures, and have a busy life in organizations both on and off- campus. do not influence them in working on and completing the thesis. The preparation stage in writing a thesis using English is very important because, without careful preparation, students will have difficulty later. References Bailey, S. (2011). Academic writing: A handbook for international students. London & New York: Routledge. LLT Journal, e-ISSN 2579-9533, p-ISSN 1410-7201, Vol. 25, No. 1, April 2022, pp. 295-309 308 Bitchener, J. (2009). Writing an applied linguistics thesis or dissertation: A guide to presenting empirical research. Macmillan International Higher Education. Blair, L. (2016). Writing a graduate thesis or dissertation. Springer. Cooley, L., & Lewkowicz, J. (2011). Developing awareness of the rhetorical and linguistic conventions of writing a thesis in English: Addressing the needs of EFL/ESL postgraduate students. In D. G. 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