Saturday 12 September 2015

Building Students Writing Skill through Writing Diaries



This article actually was made in order to finish the assignment of subject Essay Writing's. I'm still developing my writing skill.

English as an international language has been influence other countries in the world. Everyone race to learn English although for some people it is difficult to learn. However, English is important for people because it has been used as the world lingua franca. English itself has integrated with four skills namely Speaking, Reading, Listening, and Writing. Another thing that relative most difficult to learn in English is the grammar. Many learners made mistakes on grammar rule. However, the grammar itself most gets attention in writing skill. Actually, this makes writing is something difficult to do especially for EFL students. Gomaa (2010) indicated that “students’ first language affects learning the target language”. This is why students make certain mistakes and repeat them. What makes writing is difficult to do is because some factors such as grammar, sentence structure, vocabularies, and the ideas. These factors actually must solve by the teacher itself. The teacher must use innovative and creative techniques to teach the students for this English skill which can build students grammar, sentence structure, parallelism, and the ideas. In this case, the teacher could use ‘Writing Diaries’ strategy to build students writing skill.

To get the writing skill, there are five components of the materials to be taught, namely: structure, reading, vocabulary, conversation/dialogue and composition or writing. Relating to the importance of teaching writing skill at the senior high school, as far it is known some students are always faced with problems of using the right sentences. In order to help students improve their English writing skill, strategy is needed to be found. However, writing diaries strategy actually one of the simple way to do by EFL students. Students which afraid to make mistakes in grammar can write easily. They can ignore the grammar error at first they try and then the teacher can assess the student’s grammar after the students have made their own diaries. Besides, they also have wide ideas to writing through diary. The students could write about their daily activities which is simple to do by them. Then, the students will find new vocabularies to describe their activity in their diaries. In this case, the students are able to look new vocabularies in their own dictionary. Also, by writing diaries the students can learn the chronological order of writing. They will learn how to develop an event of their stories. Through writing diaries, students build their writing skill with simple way. Just let the students writing without pressure. Teacher can assess the students writing a relaxed manner but still can increase their writing skill. It can make students writing casually and effective to develop their writing skill.

Building students’ writing skill through ‘Writing Diaries’ strategy actually as simple as when students are writing with their own language and used less time than formal/academic writing. From vocabulary side, the students itself could use the vocabulary which they have known and the students also could use the dictionary to help them in writing. This strategy also used less time and effective for students who do not like writing class. The teacher can give task for students to write their own diaries after class. It can use about ten minutes for students to write their diaries, after that the teacher can assess it by submitting students’ diaries or, the teacher can assign students to write their own daily activity through another media such as Facebook, Twitter and Blog. Although this strategy is simple, the teachers must evaluate the result of students writing and have a follow up of those writing. Teacher has to follow up the students writing to make students’ writing skill developed than before. If the teacher assigns students to write their diaries through media social, the teacher must be updated about students writing in their own account. Also, teacher has to correct the students’ grammar, sentence structure, parallelism, tenses, spelling, punctuation, etc. The teacher can correct those elements of writing one by one related to students’ ability. In short, the students will not fell suppressed in this task because they develop their writing skills casually in every English class.
            Saleh (1985: 2) states that teaching English as a foreign language means that English is taught as school subject or a dual level solely for the purpose of giving the learner a foreign language competence which he/she may use to read literature technical words and scientific book, to understand the dialogue in films, and to communicate orally or in writing, with the people of other countries. Besides, the students of English class should develop their skills in writing. Actually, this is the hardest one to do by students, but the learner able to use written English for the purpose of writing out forms, informal letters and business letter also for diary. Here, writing diaries is actually a simple way to develop students writing. It is informal but students can use the English diaries to communicate their feeling. It can reduce the students' pressure in writing because they writing expressively based on their own daily life. In other words, writing diaries is the first step for students to develop their writing skills which can do wherever and whenever.

In teaching writing, it is seen as a good way to develop thinking, researching, and writing (Shih, 1986:58). Write expressively based on experience or recollection offers actually very good insight on the students’ own perception of their learning process by reflecting on their own lives. Additionally, they will gradually gain independence from the teacher and autonomy in their learning. It can be said that the strategy of Writing Diaries in order to improve students’ writing diaries is suitable for students’ condition in English class.

Building students’ writing skill through ‘Writing Diaries’ strategy actually can improve students’ vocabularies, parallelism in writing, tenses, spelling, punctuation, and also developmental of writing. It used less time and can do by students wherever and whenever. Also, it is a simple way to develop students writing which can reduce students’ pressure in writing. It is informal but students can use the English diaries to communicate their feeling expressively. Teacher still has to follow up the students writing to make students’ writing skill developed than before although writing diaries can do whenever and wherever. Here, the students will gradually gain independence from the teacher in learning because it can do regularly based on students’ needed, not just for score in academic way. The most important thing is this strategy can help students communicate with English simply without big pressure of writing but effective in their learning. In short, Writing Diaries strategy is an effective way to develop students’ writing skill.