Argumentative Writing The Concept of Writing

argumentative writing. It is because language is a main tool in writing. Good writers are capable to use language appropriately and effectively in writing. b. Background Knowledge Knowledge is important in writing because the writer mostly write based on their background knowledge. Knowledge can be reached by reading book, listening others‟ stories, writer‟ own experience and many other sources. More importantly, writers often write best when they have experience or knowledge about the topic they are familiar with. As Angelove claimed that the quality of the written product seems to be affected mostly by the students ‟ knowledge and use of lexical cohesive devices, their metacognitive knowledge. 38 c. Critical Thinking Skill Argumentative writing is thinking process because the writer should analyze, evaluate the issue or problem, gives their ideas and argument and then, presents it in logical text. Therefore, composing argumentative writing is not easy for some certain people. People who have high critical thinking skill, they tend to have good argumentative writing. It is because argumentative writing is a manifestation of critical thinking skill. As Fahim and Mirzaii argue that the ability to write argumentatively depends on t he students‟ critical thinking skill. 39 in line with Fahim and Mirzai, Ruggiero adds that “Critical thinking is needed to produce good ideas — is unconcerned with correctness or reasonableness, which can stifle the flow of ideas; and it refuses to discriminate against any idea. ” 40 d. Writer Culture or Social Life Writers‟ culture and social life are also the factors influencing their argumentative writing. The ways they see the issue and the problem happened 38 Maria Angelova, An exploratory study of factors affecting the process and product of writing in English as a Foreign Language, General - Arts and Humanities Language and linguistics, 2013 Rretrived from: http:sunzi.lib.hku.hkERsubjecthkul400co1 39 Fahim and Mirzai, loc. cit. 40 Ruggiero, op. cit. p. 52. around them depend on their life. Different people who have different culture, social life, background; they have their own characteristic and style in writing. Factors influencing argumentative writing mentioned above are not the whole. There still many factors affecting argumentative writing but not exactly significant as the factors stated above.

9. The Role of Thinking in Writing

Composing writing not only needs good language proficiency, but also needs to be critical as the writer examines viewpoints, facts and arguments and synthesize them. Langan pointed that “writing is more than a medium of communication. It is a way of remembering and a way of thinking as well. Writing makes words permanent, thus expands the collective memory of human beings from the relatively small store that we can remember ”. 41 It means that when we write we use our thinking to find the idea while remembering pattern and language. Ruggiero stated that “writing is not confined to one stage of the composing process. At one stage you will think creatively, producing imaginative ideas or ways of expressing those ideas. At another stage you will think critically, evaluating the results of your creative thinking”. 42 In every stage of writing, we use our thinking to create, to investigate and to revise the idea. Furthemore, writing can improve critical thinking skill . “Writing make you stronger thinker. Writing reasoned paragraphs requires mental discipline and close attention to the set of logical rules. It will train you mind to think clearly and prove to be a value in every phase of your life ”. 43 While through writing can improve critical thinking, critical thinking is important to produce good writing. To sum up, writing is important to improve thinking skills such as critical and creative thinking. In similiarity, critical thinking skill is also crucial in 41 James C. Raymond, Writing: is an Unnatural Act, New York: Harper and Row Publisher, 1980, p. 2. 42 Ruggiero, op. cit., p. 4. 43 John Langan, English Skills, New York: McGraw- Hill Higher Education, 2007, 7 th edition, p. 10.