In means that writing is a hard skill for foreign learners because the learners don’t only concentrate in communicating and composing the idea into
co mprehended writing but also must pay attention to the writing’s rule.
English teacher can use writing as a means of learning or evidence of successful learning. A good writing reflects a plenty of practicing because it needs
processes of thinking and then evaluating and revising it. White highlights that “Writing can be viewed as involving a number of thinking process which is drawn
upon in varied and complex ways as an individual composes, transcribes, evaluates, and revises
”.
78
Richards hints that “Writing is used either as evidence
of successful learning or as a means of learning ”.
79
It can be summed up that writing can be as a tool for learning feedback.
It can be concluded that through writing many information and knowledge can be shared, therefore writing can develop human’s life. While, writing in the
sense of learning English is a challenging activity for foreign language learners because the FL learners not only have to interpret the idea into comprehended text
but also they have to pay attention to the writing’s rules. However, writing reflects the FL learners competency because it can be such a tool that gives feedback in
the learning process.
2. The Purpose of Writing
There are some purposes of writing that many experts have explained, according to Penny Ur the
“The purpose of writing, in principle, is the expression of ideas, the conveying of a message to the reader.”
80
Diestch states that “The
general purpose of writing may be primary to inform, to persuade, to express and to entertain. The specific purpose involves responding to a certain need for
78
Ronald V. White, New Ways in Teaching Writing, Bloomington, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc., 1995 p. 15.
79
Jack C. Richards, The Language Teaching Matrix, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990, p. 100.
80
Penny Ur, A Course in Language Teaching, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1991, 163.
writing.”
81
It can be summed up that the purpose of writing is to express the idea or entertaining the audience.
While according to Miller that the purpose of writing is “A writer’s purpose is essentially the same as a writer’s motive both terms are used to
describe what a writer hopes to accomplish. The benefit of having a clear sense of purpose is obvious; the writer is much likely to accomplish his objective.
”
82
He divides the purpose of writing into ten points as follows:
a. Writing to understand experience.
Writing to understand experience thus achieves at least two goals: Writers come to a better understanding of themselves, and readers
come to understand experience different from their own….Writing to understand experience relies on thought and reflection more than on
emotion and confession.…Writing to understand experience means finding a truth that is conveniently stored somewhere in your head,
some secret knowledge that, once uncovered, will explain everything you want to understand. Writing often leads to new perceptions. If you
write thoughtfully about experience, you will be constructing knowledge as you proceed.
83
b. Writing to report information.
Writing to report information is arranged in a pattern so that readers can make sense of it.
84
c. Writing to explain information.
Writing to explain information needs to analyze or classify information, examine causes and consequences and define concepts by
distinguishing them from other.
85
d. Writing to evaluate something.
Evaluation requires that the writer determines the nature or the quality of what heshe is judging. Evaluation also means determining
importance, benefit, or worth. When writing an evaluation, the writer
81
Betty Matix Diestch, Reasoning and Writing Well 3
rd
Edition, New York: McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc., 2003, pp. 4
—5.
82
Robert Keith Miller, Motives for Writing 5
th
Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2006, p. 4.
83
Ibid., pp. 47 —48.
84
Ibid., p. 98.
85
Ibid., p. 173.
