37 ideas in order to make a particular written product, in this case an essay, which
has a logical arrangement of ideas to serve for a particular purpose.
2 Key Characteristics of Writing
According to Johnson 2001; Ur 1991; Brown 2001, there are some essential characteristics of writing. According to Johnson 2001, writing is
generally said to be more organized because readers cannot depend on repetition to clarify. Writing is also a skill that needs to be taught and learned Johnson,
2001; Ur, 1991. In relation to academic writing, Brown 2001 proposes the concept of
formality. Brown 2001: 342 specifically points out that: the most difficult and complex conventions occur in academic writing
where ESL students have to learn how to describe, explain, compare, contrast, illustrate, defend, criticize, and argue.
Essentially, it is clear that writing becomes a skill that needs to be learned as well
as taught to students because in order to argue, which deals with argumentative writing in this case, is regarded as the most difficult and complex conventions,
especially in the context of academic writing.
b. Academic Writing
This section aims to clarify two essential points. The first point is concerned with definition of academic writing. Meanwhile, the second point
discusses key characteristics that academic writing has. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
38
1 Definition of Academic Writing
Hogue 2008; Bailey 2003 propose their ideas on definition of academic writing. According to Hogue 2008, academic writing is regarded as a kind of
writing done in a college and aims either to explain or to give information about something, especially for teachers and classmates regarded as the audience in the
academic writing. Additionally, Bailey 2003 points out that academic writing is for everyone who is studying at both English-medium colleges and universities
and is for everyone who has to write essays and other assignments for hisher exams or coursework.
Considering the ideas on definition of academic writing Hogue, 2008; Bailey, 2003, this research states that academic writing is a kind of writing that
done in colleges and universities, that is related to essays written for students’
exam or coursework, and whose audiences are teachers and classmates. Essentially, the discussion on key characteristics of academic writing provided in
the next section would also help to determine the ideas of academic writing used in this research.
2 Key Characteristics of Academic Writing
Some essential characteristics of academic essays are addressed by Hinkel 2004; Bailey 2011; Murray and Hughes 2008. First, Bailey 2011: 3
believes that academic writing aims to achieve these four purposes, which are: to report on a piece of research the writer has conducted, to answer a
question the writer has been given or chosen, to discuss a subject of common interest
and give the writer’s view, and to synthesize research done by others on a topic.
39 In this research, the analytical exposition essays written by the students are in line
with the third purpose of academic writing, which is to discuss a subject of common interest and to
give the writer’s view. Second, a level of formality, which is also called as register, and hedging,
can become one thing that can differentiate academic writing from other types of written works. Specifically, Murray and Hughes 2008 assert that, in academic
writing, writers are suggested to avoid writing contracted forms, such as they’re, it’s, and so on. Writers are also suggested to use a gender-neutral language. Then,
Wallwork 2011 states that hedging becomes another key characteristic of academic writing. In that case, hedging suggests us to express ourself with
honesty, precision, and caution, and to be diplomatic in any criticisms we make of other authors Wallwork, 2011.
Third, academic writing can be in some different forms of written works Essentially, such written works as an essay, a journal article, a thesis, and a book
can be categorized into any piece of academic writing Murray Hughes, 2008. In addition to those written works, Bailey 2011 asserts that a paper and a
dissertation can also be categorized to other forms of academic writing. Fourth, in relation to academic essays, which become the focus of this
research, Hinkel 2004 points out that the students’ essays meet these criteria.
The essays require the forms of out-of-class assignments. Most of the essays writing projects also require library research and syntheses of literature and
relevant information from a variety of sources. Then, medium-length essays PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
40 required as in-class and out-of class assignments are usually between one up to
five pages long.
c. Academic Writing Class at ELESP
