19
Internet also has full effects, pictures, images, graphics, and colors. These characteristics may attract the students to use Internet.
In writing, Internet provides students references, an up – to- date articles to support their learning to write. Teeler and Peta 2000: 17 say, “Internet is considered
as a reference library for continuing development in language teaching”. For writing class, internet is beneficial and helps the students in doing the writing exercises. They
can get several paper models and sufficient knowledge to write. For them, Internet can be a source of learning materials. Teeler and Peta 2000: 36 state, “There are three
advantages of the Internet as a source learning material. They are: scope, topicality, and personalization”.
By using Internet, the students can find amount of source and materials which support them in doing their writing tasks. The students also get today’s new or up-to-
date information without buying them. Every information in the Internet is being added everyday. Teeler and Peta 2000:36 say, “Everything the students want to write,
Internet provides it”. In writing, students may have to have a topic to be discussed. The topics they deal may be irrelevant or difficult to discuss. Students may sometimes need
alternative topics. They 2000:36 add, “Internet can provide so many topics you can choose”.
4. Writing Proficiency
The last element to be discussed is writing. This discussion is important because this study also concerns about students’ perceptions of the Internet’s
contributions toward their writing proficiency. This theory presents the characteristics of good writing proficiency as the basis in making questions in the questionnaires.
20
Besides speaking, writing is seen as the medium of conveying message, Hughey et al., 1983: 33. They see writing as a means to learn about the writers
themselves and the world around them, as well as an important means to express themselves. Zimmerman and Rodrigues 1992: 4 define that, “Writing is a way of
thinking, learning, and sharing ideas with others”. Tribble 1996: 10 argues that, “Writing is a discourse, a way of creating a meaningful interaction between the writer
and readers”. To the researcher’s knowledge, writing is one way of communication to express ideas, thoughts, and one way to convey message from one person to others.
As a medium of delivering message, writing has some functions Hughey et al., 1983: 33- 38. He says, “The first function of writing is a means of communication
through which people can express their feelings, ideas, plans, recommendations, values, and commitments, and the second function is as an aid for critical thinking and
problem solving”. Writing is seen as a means to sift and refine the perceptions of surroundings. People can define themselves and their problems, clarify knowledge,
ideas, understand and solve their problems. Writing is also a self- actualization Hughey et al.: 1983: 33- 38. Writing helps people to discover and develop
themselves, that is, help them to realize their individual potential and to achieve personal goals. The last function of writing is to help people control the personal
environment Hughey et al.: 1983: 33- 38. Writing is a tool for survival in the real world. Through writing, not only can people convey message but they can also
communicate from distance. Writing proficiency is very important in human life. Therefore, we can not
avoid improving our writing proficiency. We find that we need writing proficiency for our progress in education.
21
Some theories state that in order to have a good writing people have to master some skills. Bram 1995:7 states, “In principle, to write means to produce written
messages”. We should have something meaningful to convey, and we have to be able to express our idea into written form. This statement is supported by Gie. He 1992:21
states, “A good writing requires a writer to express his ideas clearly so that there will be misinterpretation between the writer and reader”. Chaplen 1970: 1 defines, “a
good paragraph is a paragraph whose unit of information is completely understood by the reader and whose controlling idea is completely developed”. Bram adds, “To write,
we also have to know what a paragraph is, so that we can make a good paragraph, because in writing we need a good paragraph”. Walvoord 1985:4 says, “A good
paragraph includes the main idea, support sentences, and convention”. Madden and John 1994: 10 say, “A good writing is considered having a
structured format or a good pattern of organization, namely introduction, body, and conclusion”. For most beginning writers whose mother tongue is not English, to
express what they intend is sometimes difficult. Bram 1995: 25 argues, “One of the common problems is lack of ability to construct grammatical sentences. That is why,
grammatical correct is needed in a good writing”. Singer 1990: 40 adds, “People might store the grammatical structures of sentences that are encountered in their
reading”. Therefore, by reading, they also learn grammatical patterns from the sentences.
Another thing we have to master is word. Words are the basic tool for writing. Bram says, “To a great extent, it is words that determine whether a paragraph is good
or not”. Vocabulary mastery is also necessary in making a good writing. In addition, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
