AbstractThe indigenous Orang Asli in Malaysia who do not use English on a daily basis consequently have low English proficiency and poor writing skills. Their existing EFL situation coupled with the ongoing problems in gaining access to proper education further stifles their language development. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the genre approach in improving secondary Orang Asli EFL students’ descriptive writing, and their perceptions of using the genre approach as a framework to overcome challenges in learning descriptive writing. This quasi-experimental study was conducted in a secondary school in Pahang, Malaysia. Quantitative data is sourced from students’ pre-test and post-test scores, and also a self-report questionnaire on their perceptions towards the genre approach. The approach shows evidence of improvement in students’ descriptive writing and could have a larger effect than the process approach currently taught in schools. Their perception towards the approach.....