13 components, Bruning and Horn 2000 in MacArthur, Graham and Fitzgerald
2013 argue that creating a positive emotional classroom environment is one of the situations that determine the students‟ motivation to write. Writing also
involves the interaction with the environment Schunk, 2008. In this way, the school environment, the classroom atmosphere and the way the teachers teach the
students are really matter in achieving the goal and context of writing. Nevertheless, the students could also find many difficulties in writing.
MacArthur, Graham and Fitzgerald 2013 state that the people might have several problems in writing if they do not have sufficient content knowledge. The
students should have the sufficient knowledge before they work on their writing. Hyland 2002 also states that the process of writing is rich combination of
cognition elements include the writer‟s experiences and background.
2.1.2. The Benefits of the Use of Pictures to Increase the Students’
Engagement for Writing Recount
There are many ways to teach writing for students. One of the ways to teach writing for students is by using pictures. According to Boggs 1956,
pictures have long been used as an aid in language teaching. A picture is one of several visual aids as the teaching media. Kreidler 1968 states that pictures as
the visual aids could support the teacher add variety, clarity, and, reality to the classroom situation. This idea could guide the teacher to be more creative in using
the pictures as the teaching media for the students.
14 Moreover, the pictures could also be the bridge of bringing the world into
the class. Kreidler 1968 also declares that the pictures of the scenes which support to demonstrate the cultural setting of the new language. The use of
pictures could stimulate the interest of the students, as well as make the classroom to be more cheerful place for their work. The teacher could also tell plenty of
stories as the stimulus from the pictures that they brought to the class. They could teach descriptive, narrative, recount, or merely tell about their experiences through
pictures. Hyland 2002 claims that visuals could represent the world ideational meaning, attitudes and relationships interpersonal meanings, and combine these
into coherent texts textual meaning. In addition, Raimes 1983 states that pictures contribute a shared
experience for students in the class that links to a variety of language activities. With a picture, all students will immediately need the appropriate vocabulary,
idiom, and sentence structure to discuss. After the students receive the sufficient knowledge from the pictures, they can create their own creation by their
creativity. Raimes 1983 also notes that a picture could be the basis of many aspects in writing, starting from fairly mechanical controlled compositions,
sentence-combining exercises, or sequencing of sentence to the writing of original dialogs, letters, reports, or essays.
Pictures could also be a good stimulus for students to focus on what they want to write in order to practice their writing. According to Raimes 1983 a
picture could be a beneficial resource since it builds new experience in the classroom, provides the need for common language forms, provides a variety of
15 task and makes the students focus on their interest. There are two kinds of
pictures. There are pictures and picture charts. Both kinds of picture have definite uses in the language classroom. Kreidler 1968 states that the first type pictures
portrays a situation or a topic and includes several people and actions. The examples of the actions or activities are a birthday party, a beach
scene, a picnic, or a sport event. The first kind of picture is very beneficial in introducing dialogues, practicing structural patterns, or stimulating oral and
written composition Kreidler, 1968. On the other hand, the other kind of picture fits into the drill of a particular grammatical point. In this case the grammatical
point is first determined. This type of picture usually depicts one action, one person, or one object. The students would have a good description of the world by
seeing the pictures. Pictures bring the outside world into the classroom in a realistic and concrete way Raimes, 1983. In connection with this idea, the
picture could be used as an aid to teach oral and written composition. The ultimate aim of the composition is to give the students
‟ opportunity to express their independent ideas using the language patterns they have learned Kreidler, 1968.
By using pictures, students and teachers could also learn together and they would get new experience by adding the media of their learning and teaching
process especially in learning how to write and compose a good writing. Practice writing is one of important ways to improve students writing skill. Kreidler 1968
states that students need this opportunity in order to start using English in a way that enables them to express their ideas, interests, feelings and needs clearly,
correctly and confidently.
