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1. Giving some contribution to English teachers and other subject matter
teachers in the field of the research to solve problems related to teaching and learning methods.
2. Providing an option of learning methods in writing for students.
3. Being a basis for the next researchers to conduct advance research.
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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
A. Theoretical Description
1. The Nature of Writing Skills
There are four significant language skills any students need to learn and those are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. These are usually put in this
particular order based on how language acquisition and learning generally works.
a. Definition of Writing
As stated by Harmer 2001: 79, writing is a communication form to deliver thought or to express feeling through written form. It is an integral part of
the language skills and put in the final stage of language learning. This means that it is the culmination of language learning. This can also be an indicator whether
students have mastered all four skills or not as they should be able to listen, speak, and read before they are able to write.
According to Brown 2001: 334 trends in teaching writing of ESL and other foreign languages are integrated with teaching other skills, particularly
listening and speaking. This happens because there is no skill of language that is stand-alone. In the process of learning writing, students will have to make use of
other language skills they have mastered before. They have to apply listening, speaking, and even reading in order to gather any information for their writings.
Writing, along with speaking, belongs to productive skill because instead of
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receiving information, students have to collect information and create particular writing products to share that information with other people.
Spratt, Williams, and Pulverness 2005: 26 state that productive skills involve producing language rather than receiving it, which means that those skills
will produce an output as an indicator that students have learned both skills. The output of those productive skills can be varied. The output of speaking skill, for
example, can be in the form of oral conversation, speech, or even drama. Meanwhile, writing skill can produce output such as note, written story, letter,
diary, and any other types of text. Hefferson and Lincoln cited in Fermani 2002: 13 explain that writing is a
means of communication. Writers communicate their meaning to the readers through texts. Writers should be aware of their readers; who their readers are. It is
important to understand the readers because readers will decide the purpose of their writing.
Another definition of writing comes from Hyland 2004: 9. He states that writing is a way to share personal meanings. People construct their own views on
topic. They will share their views on a topic with each other. A person’s views
maybe different from other people’s views. It depends on their belief. Therefore, when constructing their views ideas, people have to make it understandable and
acceptable. For students in particular, writing is really important as almost every
activity in class involves writing. Students have to apply this specific skill while they are taking notes from the teacher, doing any written assignments, making
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reports, and so forth. If students can write not copy well enough, it is an indicator that they are able to grasp any information they have received. This way,
students are not only capable of collecting information from their surroundings but also sharing it in a written form with their teacher and their friends. This then
will make the cycle of information alive. One thing has to be remembered. There is no quick and easy way to learn
writing as this language skill is actually a developmental process. It means that one will learn more things when they get older and more exposed to the language.
Students of course cannot learn writing by themselves. That is why, in this case, teacher’s guidance is really needed. Brown 2001: 334 states that writing is a lot
like swimming. When people want to be able to swim, they must have an instructor to show them basic ways or tricks to swim, even though the instructor is
not a professional one and is only one of their parents or friends. After they learn the basic ways to swim, they will develop their own style along the way as long as
they never stop practicing. If one wants to learn or master something, they have to take this saying to
heart. Practice makes perfect. This, of course, applies to writing as well. The more chances one gets to write, the more perfect one becomes. However, unlike other
skills of language which come “naturally”, reading and in this case writing need a bit of an extra effort to be mastered. Not only one must practice those skills
regularly, they will also need guidance from other people who have been quite familiar with the rules of reading and writing. This is why teacher takes a
