10 Although it is essential to understand the basic writing process, at the
same time it will be useful to be aware of the elements which contribute to good academic writing. When practicing note-making, for example, it is helpful to be
aware of the conventions of referencing.
c. Writing Skills
In order to acquire the writing skills, there are some micro-skills and macro-skills which should be mastered by the students. According to Brown
2004: 221 there are two categories of writing skills. They are micro-skills and macro-skills. The following is the list of micro and macro-skills for writing.
Micro-skills
1. Producing graphemes and orthographic patterns of English. 2. Producing writing at an efficient rate of speed to suit the purpose.
3. Producing an acceptable core of words and use appropriate word order patterns.
4. Using acceptable grammatical systems e.g., tense, agreement, pluralization, patterns, and rules.
5. Expressing a particular meaning in different grammatical forms. 6. Using cohesive devices in written discourse.
Macro-skills
7. Using the rhetorical forms and conventions of written discourse.
11 8.
Appropriately accomplishing the communicative functions of written texts according to form and purpose.
9. Conveying links and connections between events, and communicates such
relation as main idea, supporting idea, new information, given information, generalization, and exemplification.
10. Distinguishing between literal and implied meanings when writing.
11. Correctly conveying culturally specific references in the context of the
written text. 12.
Developing and using a battery of writing strategies, such as accurately assessing the audience’s interpretation, using prewriting devices, writing with
fluency in the first drafts, using paraphrases and synonyms, soliciting peer and instructor feedback, and using feedback for revising and editing.
d. The Subskills of writing
Writing involves some subskills. Some of these are related to accuracy, for example, using the forms of language. Writing accurately involves spelling
correctly, forming letters correctly, writing legibly, punctuating correctly, using correct layouts, choosing the right vocabulary, using grammar correctly, joining
sentences correctly and using paragraphs correctly. But writing is not only about accuracy. It is also about having a message and
communicating it successfully to other people. To do this, the students need to
