Differences between L1 and L2 Writing

17 done in groups. Teachers can talk to one of the students or write a suggestion for them. The second way is by giving reformulation to them. Teachers write their own version of a good writing and students can compare theirs to it. The third way is peer response. The students can discuss together and give comments to each other’s work. Besides those strategies suggested by Harmer 2004, Brown 2001:346- 356 suggests some principles for designing writing techniques. The principles are very important when teachers are designing a technique to teach writing. 1. Incorporate practices of “good” writers In finding a good technique, teachers should consider various things that efficient writers do. The techniques that are used by teachers should include some of the practices such as focus on goal in writing or main idea in writing, perceptively gauge the audience, spend some time planning to write, easily get the ideas, follow the general organization of the texts, consider the grammar, revise the works, and make as many revision as needed. Therefore, teachers should consider these aspects in designing the technique of teaching writing in order to make the students have good writing ability. 2. Balance process and product Writing is a composing process that needs multiple drafts. Teachers as guides and responders have to be able to lead students through the appropriate stages of the process of composing. Teachers also have to make sure that students 18 can produce a clear, articulate, well-organized, and effective piece of writing as a final product. 3. Account for cultural or literary background Writing is not only about grammar and vocabulary. Cultural or literary background is also one of important aspects that teachers have to pay attention. Teachers have to make sure that students understand. If there are some apparent contrasts between students’ native tradition and those that teachers are going to teach, teachers have to help them understand what they are accustomed to and bring them to use acceptable English rhetoric. 4. Connect reading and writing There is a relation between reading and writing. Students can learn how to write by observing or reading the written words. By reading and studying texts, they can get much information about what to write in their writing and about how to write a good writing. 5. Provide much authentic writing The meaning of authentic writing is that the purposes for writing are clear to students, the audience is specified overtly and there is some intent to convey meaning, displaying and sharing writing to add authenticity. There are some activities can be conducted by teachers that can be seen as authentic writing, such as publishing a class newsletter, writing letters to people outside the class, resuming, and writing advertisements. 19 6. Frame the process of writing Teachers have to guide students to learn about the processes of writing which are framed into three stages. They are prewriting, drafting, and revising. The prewriting stage encourages the generation of ideas which can be done in many ways such as by reading a passage, skimming or scanning a passage, brainstorming, listing, and clustering. Drafting and revising stages are the core of writing processes. Several strategies that can be applied to the drafting and revising are getting started, optimal monitoring of one’s writing, peer reviewing for content, editing grammatical errors, reading aloud technique and proofreading. 7. Provide interactive techniques Interactive learning is an effective technique in teaching writing to the students. Writing techniques that focus on purposes other than compositions such as letters, forms, and memos are subjects to principles of interactive learning. Group collaboration, brainstorming, and critiquing are some of writing focused techniques that can be applied by teachers. 8. Apply methods of responding to and correct the students’ writing Teachers can respond and correct the students’ writing from the drafting and revising stages. Teachers’ responses are very important for students in the process of making final products. Teachers as guides and facilitators indeed have to assume and judge students’ writing but also give comment that make students to be better.