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.
