The nature of Writing

15 1 Permanence Unlike spoken language, written language is permanent. While spoken language is bound to time, written language is not. Spoken language is about here and now. Once spoken, words are easily forgotten over time. However, written language is permanent as people can read it again and again over time. In fact, written form of language lasts for centuries and often being a proof of the civilization and history of the humankind. 2 Processing time The development of the writing skill takes time. It is not a skill that can be mastered overnight. Given the amount of time allocated for teaching writing at school, it implies that a teacher cannot hope for her students to be a good writer in just one or two days. 3 Distance Distance refers to the nature of relation between the writer and the audience. To present a good piece of writing, a writer should be able to predict “the audience‟s general knowledge, cultural and literacy schemata, specific subject matter knowledge, and the language use” Brown, 2001. 4 Orthography A piece of writing is conveyed through symbols. It implies that students have to first learn the symbols prior to writing. This is particularly fundamental when the target language has different symbols than the students‟ native language. 16 5 Complexity While spoken language tends to be short, written language is more complex, with longer clauses and subordination. Therefore, learning the structure of language is a vital aspect in writing. 6 Vocabulary The choice of vocabulary affects the written language greatly as “written language places a heavier demand on vocabulary use than does speaking” Brown, 2001. 7 Formality For the second language learners, the level of formality in written language is difficult and complex. It is because they have to learn text types such as descriptive, explanatory, and argumentative, not to mention new vocabulary and other linguistic features.

c. The Process of Writing

Writing is one of the productive skills besides speaking. It means that the speaking and writing skills are manifested in products. However, there is a significant difference between writing and speaking related to the process of production. Speaking often occurs in face-to-face communication and once something is said, it cannot be unsaid Harmer, 2004. On the other hand, in a writing process the writer has a plenty of chances to plan and modify his writing before finally it becomes a final product. Therefore, the process of writing involves steps including planning, drafting, editing, and submitting the final 17 version, as illustrated in figure 1: The Writing Process Proposed by Harmer 2004. Figure 1. The Writing Process Proposed by Harmer 2004 1. Planning In this stage, the writer plans what to write. In the planning stage, the writer needs to think about three main elements. First, he needs to consider the purpose of the writing because it will influence the type of the text and also the language to be used. Second, the writer needs to think about his audience because it will influence the shape of the writing and the choice of language level of formality. The last one to think about is the content structure of the piece which refers to how he will sequence the ideas.