Abstract: Writing in English as a Second Language appears to be a challenge to most students in Ghanaian schools especially those in Senior High School (SHS). This study was carried out to investigate the spoken features in students’ essays. The purpose of the study was to find out the spoken features in students’ written productions. The participants who took part in the study were form one students. The tools used in the study were students’ essays and an interview with teachers. Data collected were analysed and spoken features were sorted out. The study revealed that students were not proficient in essay writing because they blend both written and spoken genres in their write-ups. The study concludes that suitable solutions should be employed by teachers to arouse students’ interest in language use, particularly in essay writing.
Keywords: English as a second language, spoken features, essay, written productio
