WRITING NARRATIVE AND ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION GENRES BY MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS AT SAINT THOMAS 1 MEDAN.
WRITING NARRATIVE AND ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION GENRES BY
MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS AT SAINT THOMAS 1 MEDAN
A Thesis
Submitted to Post-Graduate School English Applied Linguistic Program in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
BY:
LIM A SUI
Registration Number : 8126111018
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
2014
WRITING NARRATIVE AND ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION GENRES BY
MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS AT SAINT THOMAS 1 MEDAN
A Thesis
Submitted to Post-Graduate School English Applied Linguistic Program in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
BY:
LIM A SUI
Registration Number : 8126111018
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
2014
A Sui Lim, Registration Number : 8126111018, Writing Narrative and Analytical Exposition
Genres by Male and Female Students at Saint Thomas 1 Medan, English Applied Linguistics
Study Program , Postgraduate School, State University of Medan, 2014
ABSTRACT
The objectives of the research are to show and explain the differences between male and
female students’ narrative and exposition genres (based on social function, generic
structures and linguistic realization of narrative and exposition genres), to elaborate how
the male and female students understand the social function, generic structures, and
linguistic realization for both genres, and to reasons for different narrative and analytical
exposition writing competence of male and female students at Saint Thomas1 Medan.
This research is qualitative and quantitative research. Instruments used to gather the data
are Documents. (1) These refer to the students’ final drafts of the analytical exposition
and narrative genre, a. Social function, b. Generic structure, c. Lexico-grammatical/
linguistic realization (2) Observation a. Male and female students’ interest and motivation
in writing both genders. b. The writing processes that male and female students used (3)
Questionnaire which include or cover probing the students’ attitudinal Statements. The
data for this research were about male and female students’ competencies to write
narrative and analytical exposition genres. The data derived from grade XII high school
students at Saint Thomas 1 Medan. The findings of the research are that there are some
differences between male and female students’ narrative and analytical exposition genres.
For the generic structure of narrative genre, male students wrote better, but for the lexicogrammatical features of narrative genre, female students wrote better. For analytical
exposition, either generic structure or lexico-grammatical features, female students wrote
better than male students. Some male students could write their narrative and analytical
exposition essays with more words and with the shortest time but even not following
some of the writing processes at all. Strangely, though they could do so, they had
weaknesses in lexico-grammatical features of both genres. The reasons for their different
competencies in writing are due to different backgrounds of previous teaching and
learning processes they experienced, parents’ supports, and different attitudes towards
writing subject itself at school.
A Sui Lim, Nomor Induk Mahasiswa : 8126111018, Menulis Karangan Narative dan Eksposisi oleh
murid pria dan wanita Santo Thomas 1 Medan , Program Kajian Linguistik Bahasa Inggris Terapan,
Pasca Sarjana, Universitas Negeri Medan, 2014
ABSTRAK
Tujuan-tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menunjukkan dan menjelaskan perbedaan
kemampuan menulis karangan narasi dan eksposisi di antara murid pria dan wanita yang
didasarkan pada “Systematic Functional Approach” (fungsi sosial, sisitematika penulisan dan
penerapan linguistik) dari karangan narasi dan eksposisi, menguraikan bagaimana murid-murid
pria dan wanita memahami fungsi sosial, sistematika dan penerapan linguistik dari kedua jenis
karangan tersebut dan mendiskusikan alasan alasan atas perbedaan kemampuan menulis
karangan narasi dan karangan eksposisi di antara murid murid pria dan wanita di SMA Santo
Thomas 1 Medan. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Alat penelitian yang
digunakan untuk mengumpulkan data adalah dokumen–dokumen. (1) Hal ini berhubungan
dengan kertas karangan analytical exposition dan narrative dari para murid pria dan wanita
mengenai a. social function, b. generic structure c. Lexico-grammatical/ linguistic realization (2)
Observation a. Minat dan motivasi sisiwa siswi dalam menulis karangan narasi dan ekposisi b.
Proses-proses karangan yang digunakan yang digunakan siswa-siswi. (3) Angket yang mencakup
penyataan sikap siswa siswi. Data dari penelitian ini mengenai kemampuan menulis karangan
narasi dan ekposisi murid pria dan wanita. Data diperoleh dari murid-murid kelas XII SMA
Santo Thomas 1 Medan mengenai perbedaan kemampuan murid-murid pria dan murid -murid
wanita untuk menulis karangan narasi dan ekposisi. Temuan dari penelitian ini adalah adanya
beberapa perbedaan kemampuan di antara karangan narasi dan esposisi yang ditulis murid pria
dan wanita. Untuk sistematika karangan narasi, murid pria mengerjakannya lebih baik, namun
untuk ciri-ciri tata bahasa dari karangan narasi, murid wanita mengerjakannya lebih baik dari
pada murid pria. Anehnya, beberapa murid pria mampu menuliskan karangan narasi maupun
esposisi dengan jumlah kata yang lebih banyak dari murid-murid wanita, dan bahkan dari segi
waktu singkat sekali, tanpa mengikuti proses-proses penulisan karangan sama sekali. Meskipun
murid-murid pria mampu mengerjakankan hal tersebut, mereka memiliki kelemahan dalam ciriciri tata bahasa dari kedua jenis karangan tersebut. Alasan-alasan untuk perbedaan kemampuan
menulis antara murid-murid pria dan wanita dikarenakan perbedaan latar belakang proses belajar
mengajar mereka sebelumnya yang mereka alami, dukungan orang tua dan perbedaan sikapsikap mereka terhadap pelajaran menulis di sekolah.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A major research project like this is never the work of anyone alone. but the support
of many people. The contributions of many different people, in their different ways, have
made this possible. I would like to extend my appreciation especially to the following.
Thank God for the wisdom and perseverance that he has been bestowed upon me
during this research project, and indeed, throughout my life: "I can do everything through
Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4: 13).
First and foremost my first debt of gratitude must go to my first and second advisers,
Prof. Amrin Saragih PhD, and Dr. Sri Minda Murni M.S, who have given your patience and
immense knowledge, support, guidance, useful comments, advice throughout this research
project. Both of you have been tremendous mentors for me. I would like to thank you for
encouraging and allowing me to grow as a research scientist . Indeed, without your guidance,
I would not be able to put the topic together. You have been strong and supportive advisors
to me throughout my graduate school career, but you have always given me great freedom to
pursue independent work. I attribute the level of my Masters degree to your encouragement
and effort and without you this thesis, too, would not have been completed.
Special thanks to my committee, Prof. Dr. Busmin Gurning, M.Pd, Prof. Dr. Lince
Sihombing, M.Pd and Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A for your support, guidance and helpful
suggestions. Your guidance have served me well and I owe you my heartfelt appreciation. I
also want to thank you for letting my defense be an enjoyable moment, and for your brilliant
comments and suggestions, thanks to you.
Special thanks also to all her graduate friends, and most importantly, I would like to
thank my boyfriend, Subono Hutagalung who has given his support, encouragement, quiet
patience and unwavering love and his invaluable assistance. Not forgetting to Mr.Farid
Ma’ruf who has always been willing to make friendship and assistance has meant more to
me than I could ever express.
Last but not least, the author wishes to express her love and gratitude to her beloved
families, for their understanding and endless love, through the duration of her studies. Their
love provided my inspiration and was my driving force. The writer owes them everything
and wish the writer could show them just how much the writer loves and appreciates them.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT .....................................................................................................
vi
ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH ................................................................................................. vii
ABSTRACT IN INDONESIAN .........................................................................................
iii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................
1
1.1
The Background of the Study .............................................................................
1
1.2
The Research Question .......................................................................................
9
1.3
The Objectives of the Study................................................................................
9
1.4 The Significance of the Study.............................................................................. 10
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................... 11
2.1. Writing ................................................................................................................ 11
2.2 Gender............................................................................................................................ 12
2.3 Genre ............................................................................................................................... 13
2.4 Theories About Different Gender Writing .......................................................... 16
2.5 Understanding the Writing process ..................................................................... 21
2.6 Components of Writing Process .......................................................................... 22
2.7 Systematic Functional linguistics ........................................................................ 23
2.8. Narrative Genre ................................................................................................... 26
2.9 Principle of Writing Narrative Essays ................................................................. 27
2.10 Conventions of Narrative Essays ........................................................................ 27
2.11 Planning the Narrative Essay .............................................................................. 30
2.12 Analytical Exposition Genre .............................................................................. 33
2.13 How is Narrative Different From Analytical Exposition Text ? ........................ 40
CHAPTER III METHOD OF RESEARCH ..................................................................... 42
3.1. Methodological Approach .................................................................................... 42
3.2. Participants/ Subjects............................................................................................
43
3.3. Research Instrument……………………………………………………………
43
3.4. Data Analysis Approaches ................................................................................... 44
CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS, AND DISCUSSION
DATA ANALYSIS.................................................................................................................... 45
4.1 Different Competencies of Male and Female Students ............................................ 45
4.2 The Individual Writing Competency Backgrounds (Interest, Motivation Ability to
Produce Words, and Quickness to Write) Affect Male and Female Students at Saint
Thomas1 to Write Narrative and Analytical Exposition Genres .............................. 48
4.3 The Reasons For Saint Thomas1 Male and Female Students’ Writing
Competencies Can Be Different ................................................................................ 53
FINDINGS ................................................................................................................................. 56
DISCUSSIONS ......................................................................................................................... 59
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ....................................................... 62
5.1 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 62
5.2 Suggestions ............................................................................................................... 63
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 69
APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................... 71
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
Writing plays an important role not only in the success of learning process
but also in the daily life. The development of language skills affects a person‟s
productive ability.Foong (1999) claims that learning to write is important and
useful for language and rhetorical practice for communication, and as a discovery
as well as cognitive process. Several researchers have demonstrated personal
success in disciplines is strongly related to a person‟s writing ability (Lerstrom,
1990) and depends on good writing skills (Cho & Schunn, 2007). This is also
realized by the decision maker of education in Indonesia. Therefore, the
government of Indonesia, the department of education in particular, nowadays
pays more special attention in the development of writing skill than they used to.
Among the four language skills taught in schools, writing is the most
difficult skill to learn. It needs specialized skills that include the ability to express
the writer‟s opinions or thoughts clearly and efficiently. These abilities can be
achieved only if a learner masters some techniques of writing such as how to
obtain ideas about what s/he will write on, how to express them in a sequence of
sentences, how to organize them chronologically and coherently, and how to
review and then to revise the composition until the writing is well-built
(Ratnasari, 2004).
Schools in Indonesia especially schools for grade XII still apply the
School Based Curriculum or KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan) as a
1
2
reference to teach English. The aim of English teaching and learning process in
High School is to enable the learners to reach the functional level, i.e. to
communicate in both spoken and written form. In relation to written
communication, writing becomes the important skill to be mastered.
For years, the researcher has practiced teaching English at Saint Thomas 1
in Medan. It is a private Roman Catholic high school educating male and female
students in the Catholic tradition of youth formation. Most of them come from
Bataknese and Chinese tribes. Normally, they are highly motivated to learn any
subject at school including English. For grade XII students, they are taught by
three teachers. One teacher teaches written skill, another teaches oral skill in the
class and the other teacher coming from the Philppines teaches oral skill in a
language lab.Some of them are active in extracurricular activities. One of them is
English club. It‟s no wonder, some of them are ESL learners.
Anyway, through researcher‟s teaching experience as an English teacher
there, she senses there is a gap between male and female students to achieve basic
and standard writing competencies. She finds that male and female students in
classrooms learn in gender-specific ways. She is always finding some difficulties
in teaching male students writing subject. She always finds that female students
write better than male students in English writing.
From her everyday observation of her students, it was found that the major
problem the students encountered, other than the language barrier, was idea
generation. She found that it was difficult for the male students to accomplish
their writing tasks. Most of them would rather copy from other sources than write
themselves or only have fewer words to write whenever they are asked to write an
3
essay. In other words, they lack ideas. Evidence from a preliminary study showed
that the major aspects of the students‟ weaknesses in their writing were lack of
ideas and poor ability to organize them. These difficulties lead them to lose
motivation in writing.
Research that describes the differential performance of boys and girls has
drawn on what might be considered stereotypical notions of gender as well as on
features of the learning context. For example, from psychological view, writing is
viewed as a passive, reflective act that is incompatible with the stereotyping of
boy as being more active than girls.
Then, David Geary, PhD, professor of psychological sciences at the
University of Missouri says,”when males listened, only the left hemispheres of
their brains were activated. The brains of female subjects, however, showed
activity on both the left and right hemispheres.This activity across both
hemispheres of the brain may result in the strong language skills typically
displayed by females. "If there's more area dedicated to a set of skills, it follows
that the skills will be more refined.
Furthermore, Gardner's (1985) socio-educational model is designed to
account for the role of social factors. It interrelates four aspects of L2 learning: the
social and cultural milieu (which determines beliefs about language and culture),
individual learner differences (related to motivation and language attitude), the
setting (formal and/or informal learning contexts), and learning outcomes.
Integrative motivation involves a desire to learn an L2 because individuals need to
learn the target language to integrate into the community. In addition to this
interest, the people or the culture represented by the other language group may
4
also inspire them. On the other hand, instrumental motivation acknowledges the
role that external influences and incentives play in strengthening the learners'
desire to achieve. Learners who are instrumentally motivated are interested in
learning the language for a particular purpose. Learners' attitudes, motivations,
and goals can explain why some writers perform better than others.
As Millard (2001, p. 1) states, the difference between primary school
boys‟ and girls‟ writing attitudes becomes apparent at an early stage: even boys
who are skilful writers do not find school writing interesting.
Having a positive attitude toward the language and culture and toward
learning a foreign language is an important contributor to the success of foreign
language learning. A positive attitude might spur learners to interact with native
speakers, which in turn increases the amount of input that learners receive. A
positive attitude often leads learners to use a variety of learning strategies that can
facilitate skill development in language learning. A positive attitude brings out
greater overall effort on the part of language learners and typically results in
greater success in terms of global language proficiency and competence in
specific language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. A
positive attitude also helps learners maintain their language skills after classroom
instruction is over (Gardner, 1985).
The study supports the idea that writing without a purpose does not
interest boys. Many of them have already found out that writing requires great
effort, and they do not start writing without a good purpose. As was mentioned
earlier, often boys who in school dislike writing nevertheless use it for many
purposes outside school. Therefore, it is important that the teacher pays attention
5
to his or her pupils‟ interests when planning writing exercises. A pupil finds
exercises that are connected to his or her interests meaningful. Pupils can feel that
they are „„experts‟‟ when writing about their own hobbies, whereas this is not the
case when the topic of the writing task is unfamiliar
However, if students show an overall interest in the target language
(integrative motivation), perceive that there is parental and social support, and
have a desire to achieve their professional goals (instrumental motivation), they
can become more proficient in their ability to write in English, despite the initial
lack of self-motivation.
Recent studies highlight a long-held suspicion about the brains of males
and females. They're not the same, so how does the brain of a female look and
function differently from a male's brain, and what accounts for these differences?
According to Dingwall (1998) males and females tend to function
differently in their brains. He concluded that language function may be more
organized in females.
Scientists now know that sex hormones begin to exert their influence
during development of the fetus. A recent study by Israeli researchers that
examined male and female brains found distinct differences in the developing
fetus at just 26 weeks of pregnancy. The disparities could be seen when using
an ultrasound scanner.
The corpus callosum -- the bridge of nerve tissue that connects the right
and left sides of the brain -- had a thicker measurement in female fetuses than in
male fetuses.
6
Observations of adult brains show that this area may remain stronger in
females. "Females seem to have language functioning in both sides of the brain,"
says Martha Bridge Denckla, PhD, a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger
Institute.
Researchers concluded that when it comes to math, the brain of a 12-yearold girl resembles that of an 8-year-old boy.
Conversely, the same researchers found that areas of the brain involved in
language and fine motor skills (such as handwriting) mature about six years
earlier in girls than in boys.
The following are some of the characteristics of girls' brains:
A girl's corpus callosum (the connecting bundle of tissues between
hemispheres) is, on average, larger than a boy's—up to 25 percent larger by
adolescence. This enables more “cross talk” between hemispheres in the female
brain.
Girls have in general, stronger neural connectors in their temporal lobes
than boys have. These connectors lead to more sensually detailed memory storage,
better listening skills, and better discrimination among the various tones of voice.
This leads, among other things, to greater use of detail in writing assignments.
Boys and girls perform differently in class. Lee (1996) found that while
male students talk, female students write. Each of the female students in his study
wrote more and wrote better than any of the males. Besides, the literature dealing
with language function and brain also arouses her interests in conducting this
study.
7
Female students performed significantly better than male students in terms
of content, organization, grammar, and diction. Still, it was beyond the scope of
the current study to draw a concrete conclusion on gender differences in English
writing performance Kann (2001)
Therefore, from her teaching experiences and psychological, science, and
social theories above have made her realize that as a teacher she has never been
aware of the differences how female and male students learn writing. This also
makes her curious to know more about what are the different writing
competencies between her male and female students if they are analyzed based on
Systematic Functional Linguistics like the social function, generic structure and
the lexico-grammatical features. She analyzed her students‟essays based on SFL
because the English teaching curriculum in Indonesia stated by Ministry of
National Education has been concerned with communicative competence of the
students. In turn, in high school level, the students are targeted to be able to
communicate through spoken and written language appropriately (Depdiknas,
2003). Concerning the communicative competence through written mode, the
national curriculum prescribes that the writing competence to be achieved by the
high school students is not determined by the number of words that the students
can produce but more on the quality of the writing they produce (Depdiknas,
2003). In addition, by analyzing the students‟ essays based on SFL it enabled her
to analyze her students‟ writing competency to write essays based on
communicative context emphasizing various text genres either in oral or written
context and native speakers‟culture and contexts. Then, from grammatical
8
analysis shows whether students have capability to convey their ideational, textual
and interpersonal meanings through written context.
As far as the researcher knows, normally writing teachers analyze
students‟ writing competency based on only five aspects: content is weighed 30
points, language use is 25 points, organization and vocabulary are weighed 20
points, and mechanics is weighed 5 points, but SFL genre approach analysis is
more effective and that students benefit more in aspects of content development
and rhetorical organization than in such domains as linguistic accuracy and lexical
diversity.
Then, the researcher also would like to find out how the students‟
individual writing backgrounds affect their writing competencies and whether
there are still other factors making male students weak in writing subject.
In order to get the findings, the researcher gets her students to write
analytical exposition as a representation of informational genre as well as non
fiction and narrative genre as representation of fiction.”, she does this because in
Getting going: generating, shaping and developing ideas in writing (DCSF, April
2008,14 ), Professor Richard Andrews says, techniques for improving writing will
include practice in writing, not only of literary and fictional genres but also in
informational and argumentative genres.
The narrative and analytical exposition drafts written by her male and
female students will be analyzed by using Functional Writing Approach like based
on their social functions, generic structures, and linguistic realization or lexicogrammatical features of both genres.
9
1.2. The Research Questions
In relation to the background of the study, the problems are formulated as
the following.
(1) What different competencies do male and female students at Saint Thomas 1
Medan have to write narrative and analytical exposition genres?
(2) How do the individual writing backgrounds (interest, confidence, following
writing processes and abilities to produce words) affect male and female
students at Saint Thomas 1 to write narrative and analytical exposition genres?
(2) Why can Saint Thomas1 male and female students‟ writing competencies be
different?
1.3. The Objectives of the Study
With reference to the research questions, the objectives of the study are:
(1) to describe the different competencies of male and female students‟ narrative
and exposition genres (based on social function, generic structures and
linguistic realization of narrative and exposition genres),
(2) to elaborate how the male and female students understand the social function,
generic structures, and linguistic realization for both genres, and
(3) to reasons for different narrative and analytical exposition writing
competence of male and female students at Saint Thomas 1 Medan there is a
relationship between different gender with their writing narrative and
exposition genre ability competency.
10
1.4 The Significance of the Study
Theoretically, the significance of this study is to give contribution to
development of linguistic studies especially for writing studies about some insight
of possible obstacles faced by students in writing narrative and exposition genres.
For practical significance, hopefully, the findings of this research can be
used as a reference in the process of teaching writing to the students. Furthermore,
EFL Language teachers could use the results as diagnostic information to provide
appropriate assistances toward different gender to facilitate learning. EFL
Language teachers could further understand students‟ weaknesses and help solve
their learning problems.
Then, the research findings also provides insights into Saint Thomas 1
students‟ responses either to the approach and the effect on learning out
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1.1 Conclusions
After analyzing the data, conclusions are drawn as the following:
(1) Female students at Saint Thomas 1 did better for the narrative and analytical
exposition genres analyzed based on generic structure, and lexico
grammatical. For narrative genre, male students only did better for the generic
structure. However, for the analytical exposition either for generic structure or
lexico grammatical features, female students did much better than male
students for over all. For the social function of both genres, both female and
male students didn’t have different competencies at all.
(2) High interest, confidence, abilities to produce words, and to write quickly
apparently affected their writing competency. Male students did worse than
female students because they had less interest. For individual confidence, the
researcher could sense that there were 72.7% male students who didn’t follow
the writing process at all. Most of them felt quite confident that they could
produce their essays without planning, drafting, evaluating and revising. For
the time allocated between 30-45 minutes, apparently 13.6% male students
could finish their analytical essays in 30-35 minutes, but 9.1% could finish in
30 -35minutes for narrative genre. Though, they started writing their essays
after the female students had been writing for a few minutes, there were still
male students who could finish earlier .They were busy listening to music but
they could write with more words because of the music influence.
61
62
(3) The reasons for their different competencies are: Male students had never been
motivated by their own parents to write better and given English literature
books to read. They had worse attitude towards writing subject. This might
happen because they experienced worse method of teaching for writing
subject from their writing teachers than female students. On the other hand,
female students could achieve that stage because they had ever been supported
by their parents to be professional writers. Some of them were ever provided
with books concerning with literature like English novels and they also had
high interest in learning writing and they were taught more grammar before
that’s why they know more linguistic skill and these also changed their
attitude towards writing.
5.2 Suggestions
In relation to the conclusion, suggestion are stated as the following:
(1) a) The teachers’ methods of teaching for writing subject should be improved
especially for teaching linguistic skill. Teachers may not teach their students
grammar separately from contextualizes writing with inappropriate use of
interventions, misuses of writing work and criticism of failure of school.
However, the following is a list of selected teaching practices by Charles
Whitaker, Ph.D. that are well recognized in the profession as being effective in
helping students develop as writers. Establish a positive atmosphere for writing
It is important in teaching writing for teachers to create a positive
environment for writing, an atmosphere of mutual respect, positive regard, safety.
Teachers often draw on our profession’s understanding that, especially with young
63
adolescents, engaging students’ senses and emotions, for example, through a
colorful room, artwork, and music, is a way to hold students’ attention and make
them feel comfortable. Encouraging students to talk with each other and allowing
them to move occasionally from their seats to participate in an appropriate task or
project can help, especially with middle school students Respect for and among
students Essential for a positive environment is respect for students, their ideas,
emotions, cultural backgrounds, interests, concerns, etc. This respect is modeled
by the teacher in a variety of ways and is expected in the interactions of students.
Teacher as writer
Ideally, writing teachers are practicing writers. By sharing their writing—
particularly when it’s in draft form—teachers model respect for themselves, for
their students, and for the act of writing itself. They communicate that they are
part of the writing community in the classroom and in the world at large and that
they feel safe sharing this part of themselves Organize for writing.
Though teachers will be flexible to help their students and meet
instructional goals, they also are thoughtful and systematic in organizing for
writing. Organizing, of course, refers to planning the curriculum as well as the
classroom activities and routines, practices established to help student develop as
writers (and usually as readers and learners in a study area). Often teachers are
required to address certain standards and assessment, and in organizing for
writing, they keep these curriculum needs/goals in mind. A meaningful approach
to writing A third important way of organizing is through selecting a meaningful
approach to writing. Teachers draw on their experience, on their understanding of
their students, and on professional literature to select an approach that will be
64
effective. Teachers might, for example, decide to use a multi genre approach or an
approach based on immersion in literature.
Arrange for meaningful-to-students reasons to write.
Teachers must think carefully about the approach they will use to arrange
for students to write for meaningful purposes. True, it may not be easy to
determine what will engage all students, and, true, some students are reluctant to
write, but teachers should strive to “invite writing” to improve the odds that all
students will be engaged and interested in writing. Reading and talking about a
variety of genres are important practices, and a variety of other practices can stem
from this reading. Teachers can help students develop as writers by encouraging
students to apply the techniques and characteristics of materials they read.
Teachers can construct mini-lessons drawing on reading materials, and they can
ask students to identify in the reading material important features they can apply
in their own writing
b) People who read a lot will be easier to write essays. In order to write a
particular kind of text, it helps if the writer has read that kind of text. In order to
take on a particular style of language, the writer needs to have read that language,
to have heard it in her mind so that she can hear it again in order to compose it.
Students should also have access to and experience in reading material that
presents both published and student writing in various genres. Through immersion
in a genre, students develop an internalized sense of why an author would select a
particular genre for a particular purpose, the power of a particular genre to convey
a message, and the rhetorical constraints and possibilities inherent in a genre.
Students should be taught the features of different genres, experientially not only
65
explicitly, so that they develop facilities in producing them and become familiar
with variant features. If one is going to write in a genre, it is very helpful to have
read in that genre first.
(2) a) Listening to music while writing can make us write with more words.
Listening to music facilitates the recall of information. Researchers have shown
that certain types of music are a great "keys" for recalling memories. Information
learned while listening to a particular song can often be recalled simply by
"playing" the songs mentally. Music becomes stimulus for students who try to
express themselves by writings (Brown &Brown, 1997 and Donland, 1976).
b) We should follow writing processes in order to get better result like: planning,
drafting, evaluating and revising.
(3) a) Parents’ supports are very important for students who are still in the process
of learning .Students’ attitudes towards writing should be guided all the time by
their teachers. Their families particularly their parents should always support
them. Parents should let their children know that one of the most important
academic skill a child can acquire is writing. Being able to write well and
concisely can help a person to succeed, both academically and in the job market.
And as with other subjects learned in school, writing skills can be improved when
integrated into a child's home life.
b) As a parent or guardian, you naturally want to help the children become a good
writer so that they will have the ability to communicate in a clear, effective
manner. One simple way to help a child reach this goal is to make as many
connections between reading and writing as possible. For instance, books that
they enjoy reading and that are well-written can provide examples of good writing
66
such as well-written sentences and paragraphs, which they can use as a guide to
improve the children’s quality of writing. Help support the efforts of your child’s
teachers at home by using a writing process chart. The writing process involves a
few simple steps that are used as a guide for creating well-developed writing
skills. In other words, the writing process ensures that the writer expresses what
he/she means to articulate by helping the writer avoid senseless errors
Teachers and parents should provide students literary books to read because
literary books help students a lot. Good literature exposes children to correct
sentence patterns, standard story structures, and varied word usage. Students can
improve their English with the interesting context, and all children benefit from
new vocabulary that is woven into the stories. Then, we do not learn to be great
writers just by writing, but by studying the writings of greater and more
experienced writers than ourselves. The more great writing the students read and
the more intensely they will interact with it, the more your own writing will
improve.
(c) Attitude is very important in language learning, instructional activities and
materials should be exciting, stimulating, and interesting to learners. Moreover,
teachers should pay special attention to the attitudes students bring to second
language learning as teachers may have to overturn stereotypic or negative views
toward the target culture, language, people and language learning process.
67
REFERENCES
Coates, J. (ed.) (1998) Language and Gender: A Reader (Blackwell, Oxford)
Dan Hodgins Male and Female Differences Volume 1, Issue 1
Dingwall, W. O. 1998. The biological bases of human communication behavior.
In J. B
Department for Education 2012 What is the research Evidence on Writing?
Research Report DFE RR 238 ISBN: 978-178105 144-3
Francis Ltd. Li, Y. H. 2004. Gender differences in conversational styles among
senior high school students in Taiwan. Unpublished master’s thesis, FuJen Catholic University, Taiwan
Gleason & N. B. Ratner (Eds.), Psycholinguistics (pp. 51-105). Fort Worth:
Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Goldberg, G. L., & Roswell, B. S. 2002. Reading, writing, and gender:
Instructional strategies and classroom activities that work for girls and
boys. NY: Eye on Education
Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). Introduction to Functional Grammar (2nd ed.)
(Arnold, London
Huang, L. H. 2000. The role of gender in Chinese textual discourse. Unpublished
master’s thesis, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan.
Kann, C. L. 2001. The effects of gender on Internet-assisted English writing
instruction for senior high school students. Unpublished master’s thesis,
National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan.
Kintz, L. 1987. The dramaturgy and construction of the subject to include gender
and materiality..
Moloney,2002 Me read ? No way! A Practical Guide To Improving Boys’
Literacy’ Skill Ontorio Education Excellence for All .
Romatowski, J. A. & Trepanier-Street, M. L. (1987). Gender perceptions An
analysis of children's creative writing Contemporary Education, 59(1), 1719.
Shapiro, A. R. 1986. A separate sphere: The woman question in selected fiction
by nineteenth-century American women, 1852-1899. Abstract from:
Dissertation Abstracts International Order: AAC 8521990.
68
Susan Jones, Debra Myhill 2007 Discourse of Difference? Examining Gender
Writing Canadian Journal of Education 30,2
Steve Graham, 2008 Effective Writing Instruction for All Students Renaissance
Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
Tuula Merisuo-Storm 2006 Girls and Boys Like to Read and Write Different Texts
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 111–125
Wong, L. A. 2004. Culture, language and self in Maxine Hong Kingston’s The
Woman Warrior, and Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter’s
Daughter. Unpublished master’s thesis, Chinese Culture University,
Taiwan.
MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS AT SAINT THOMAS 1 MEDAN
A Thesis
Submitted to Post-Graduate School English Applied Linguistic Program in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
BY:
LIM A SUI
Registration Number : 8126111018
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
2014
WRITING NARRATIVE AND ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION GENRES BY
MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS AT SAINT THOMAS 1 MEDAN
A Thesis
Submitted to Post-Graduate School English Applied Linguistic Program in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora
BY:
LIM A SUI
Registration Number : 8126111018
ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
2014
A Sui Lim, Registration Number : 8126111018, Writing Narrative and Analytical Exposition
Genres by Male and Female Students at Saint Thomas 1 Medan, English Applied Linguistics
Study Program , Postgraduate School, State University of Medan, 2014
ABSTRACT
The objectives of the research are to show and explain the differences between male and
female students’ narrative and exposition genres (based on social function, generic
structures and linguistic realization of narrative and exposition genres), to elaborate how
the male and female students understand the social function, generic structures, and
linguistic realization for both genres, and to reasons for different narrative and analytical
exposition writing competence of male and female students at Saint Thomas1 Medan.
This research is qualitative and quantitative research. Instruments used to gather the data
are Documents. (1) These refer to the students’ final drafts of the analytical exposition
and narrative genre, a. Social function, b. Generic structure, c. Lexico-grammatical/
linguistic realization (2) Observation a. Male and female students’ interest and motivation
in writing both genders. b. The writing processes that male and female students used (3)
Questionnaire which include or cover probing the students’ attitudinal Statements. The
data for this research were about male and female students’ competencies to write
narrative and analytical exposition genres. The data derived from grade XII high school
students at Saint Thomas 1 Medan. The findings of the research are that there are some
differences between male and female students’ narrative and analytical exposition genres.
For the generic structure of narrative genre, male students wrote better, but for the lexicogrammatical features of narrative genre, female students wrote better. For analytical
exposition, either generic structure or lexico-grammatical features, female students wrote
better than male students. Some male students could write their narrative and analytical
exposition essays with more words and with the shortest time but even not following
some of the writing processes at all. Strangely, though they could do so, they had
weaknesses in lexico-grammatical features of both genres. The reasons for their different
competencies in writing are due to different backgrounds of previous teaching and
learning processes they experienced, parents’ supports, and different attitudes towards
writing subject itself at school.
A Sui Lim, Nomor Induk Mahasiswa : 8126111018, Menulis Karangan Narative dan Eksposisi oleh
murid pria dan wanita Santo Thomas 1 Medan , Program Kajian Linguistik Bahasa Inggris Terapan,
Pasca Sarjana, Universitas Negeri Medan, 2014
ABSTRAK
Tujuan-tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menunjukkan dan menjelaskan perbedaan
kemampuan menulis karangan narasi dan eksposisi di antara murid pria dan wanita yang
didasarkan pada “Systematic Functional Approach” (fungsi sosial, sisitematika penulisan dan
penerapan linguistik) dari karangan narasi dan eksposisi, menguraikan bagaimana murid-murid
pria dan wanita memahami fungsi sosial, sistematika dan penerapan linguistik dari kedua jenis
karangan tersebut dan mendiskusikan alasan alasan atas perbedaan kemampuan menulis
karangan narasi dan karangan eksposisi di antara murid murid pria dan wanita di SMA Santo
Thomas 1 Medan. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Alat penelitian yang
digunakan untuk mengumpulkan data adalah dokumen–dokumen. (1) Hal ini berhubungan
dengan kertas karangan analytical exposition dan narrative dari para murid pria dan wanita
mengenai a. social function, b. generic structure c. Lexico-grammatical/ linguistic realization (2)
Observation a. Minat dan motivasi sisiwa siswi dalam menulis karangan narasi dan ekposisi b.
Proses-proses karangan yang digunakan yang digunakan siswa-siswi. (3) Angket yang mencakup
penyataan sikap siswa siswi. Data dari penelitian ini mengenai kemampuan menulis karangan
narasi dan ekposisi murid pria dan wanita. Data diperoleh dari murid-murid kelas XII SMA
Santo Thomas 1 Medan mengenai perbedaan kemampuan murid-murid pria dan murid -murid
wanita untuk menulis karangan narasi dan ekposisi. Temuan dari penelitian ini adalah adanya
beberapa perbedaan kemampuan di antara karangan narasi dan esposisi yang ditulis murid pria
dan wanita. Untuk sistematika karangan narasi, murid pria mengerjakannya lebih baik, namun
untuk ciri-ciri tata bahasa dari karangan narasi, murid wanita mengerjakannya lebih baik dari
pada murid pria. Anehnya, beberapa murid pria mampu menuliskan karangan narasi maupun
esposisi dengan jumlah kata yang lebih banyak dari murid-murid wanita, dan bahkan dari segi
waktu singkat sekali, tanpa mengikuti proses-proses penulisan karangan sama sekali. Meskipun
murid-murid pria mampu mengerjakankan hal tersebut, mereka memiliki kelemahan dalam ciriciri tata bahasa dari kedua jenis karangan tersebut. Alasan-alasan untuk perbedaan kemampuan
menulis antara murid-murid pria dan wanita dikarenakan perbedaan latar belakang proses belajar
mengajar mereka sebelumnya yang mereka alami, dukungan orang tua dan perbedaan sikapsikap mereka terhadap pelajaran menulis di sekolah.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A major research project like this is never the work of anyone alone. but the support
of many people. The contributions of many different people, in their different ways, have
made this possible. I would like to extend my appreciation especially to the following.
Thank God for the wisdom and perseverance that he has been bestowed upon me
during this research project, and indeed, throughout my life: "I can do everything through
Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4: 13).
First and foremost my first debt of gratitude must go to my first and second advisers,
Prof. Amrin Saragih PhD, and Dr. Sri Minda Murni M.S, who have given your patience and
immense knowledge, support, guidance, useful comments, advice throughout this research
project. Both of you have been tremendous mentors for me. I would like to thank you for
encouraging and allowing me to grow as a research scientist . Indeed, without your guidance,
I would not be able to put the topic together. You have been strong and supportive advisors
to me throughout my graduate school career, but you have always given me great freedom to
pursue independent work. I attribute the level of my Masters degree to your encouragement
and effort and without you this thesis, too, would not have been completed.
Special thanks to my committee, Prof. Dr. Busmin Gurning, M.Pd, Prof. Dr. Lince
Sihombing, M.Pd and Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A for your support, guidance and helpful
suggestions. Your guidance have served me well and I owe you my heartfelt appreciation. I
also want to thank you for letting my defense be an enjoyable moment, and for your brilliant
comments and suggestions, thanks to you.
Special thanks also to all her graduate friends, and most importantly, I would like to
thank my boyfriend, Subono Hutagalung who has given his support, encouragement, quiet
patience and unwavering love and his invaluable assistance. Not forgetting to Mr.Farid
Ma’ruf who has always been willing to make friendship and assistance has meant more to
me than I could ever express.
Last but not least, the author wishes to express her love and gratitude to her beloved
families, for their understanding and endless love, through the duration of her studies. Their
love provided my inspiration and was my driving force. The writer owes them everything
and wish the writer could show them just how much the writer loves and appreciates them.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT .....................................................................................................
vi
ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH ................................................................................................. vii
ABSTRACT IN INDONESIAN .........................................................................................
iii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................
1
1.1
The Background of the Study .............................................................................
1
1.2
The Research Question .......................................................................................
9
1.3
The Objectives of the Study................................................................................
9
1.4 The Significance of the Study.............................................................................. 10
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................... 11
2.1. Writing ................................................................................................................ 11
2.2 Gender............................................................................................................................ 12
2.3 Genre ............................................................................................................................... 13
2.4 Theories About Different Gender Writing .......................................................... 16
2.5 Understanding the Writing process ..................................................................... 21
2.6 Components of Writing Process .......................................................................... 22
2.7 Systematic Functional linguistics ........................................................................ 23
2.8. Narrative Genre ................................................................................................... 26
2.9 Principle of Writing Narrative Essays ................................................................. 27
2.10 Conventions of Narrative Essays ........................................................................ 27
2.11 Planning the Narrative Essay .............................................................................. 30
2.12 Analytical Exposition Genre .............................................................................. 33
2.13 How is Narrative Different From Analytical Exposition Text ? ........................ 40
CHAPTER III METHOD OF RESEARCH ..................................................................... 42
3.1. Methodological Approach .................................................................................... 42
3.2. Participants/ Subjects............................................................................................
43
3.3. Research Instrument……………………………………………………………
43
3.4. Data Analysis Approaches ................................................................................... 44
CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS, AND DISCUSSION
DATA ANALYSIS.................................................................................................................... 45
4.1 Different Competencies of Male and Female Students ............................................ 45
4.2 The Individual Writing Competency Backgrounds (Interest, Motivation Ability to
Produce Words, and Quickness to Write) Affect Male and Female Students at Saint
Thomas1 to Write Narrative and Analytical Exposition Genres .............................. 48
4.3 The Reasons For Saint Thomas1 Male and Female Students’ Writing
Competencies Can Be Different ................................................................................ 53
FINDINGS ................................................................................................................................. 56
DISCUSSIONS ......................................................................................................................... 59
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ....................................................... 62
5.1 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 62
5.2 Suggestions ............................................................................................................... 63
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 69
APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................... 71
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background of the Study
Writing plays an important role not only in the success of learning process
but also in the daily life. The development of language skills affects a person‟s
productive ability.Foong (1999) claims that learning to write is important and
useful for language and rhetorical practice for communication, and as a discovery
as well as cognitive process. Several researchers have demonstrated personal
success in disciplines is strongly related to a person‟s writing ability (Lerstrom,
1990) and depends on good writing skills (Cho & Schunn, 2007). This is also
realized by the decision maker of education in Indonesia. Therefore, the
government of Indonesia, the department of education in particular, nowadays
pays more special attention in the development of writing skill than they used to.
Among the four language skills taught in schools, writing is the most
difficult skill to learn. It needs specialized skills that include the ability to express
the writer‟s opinions or thoughts clearly and efficiently. These abilities can be
achieved only if a learner masters some techniques of writing such as how to
obtain ideas about what s/he will write on, how to express them in a sequence of
sentences, how to organize them chronologically and coherently, and how to
review and then to revise the composition until the writing is well-built
(Ratnasari, 2004).
Schools in Indonesia especially schools for grade XII still apply the
School Based Curriculum or KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan) as a
1
2
reference to teach English. The aim of English teaching and learning process in
High School is to enable the learners to reach the functional level, i.e. to
communicate in both spoken and written form. In relation to written
communication, writing becomes the important skill to be mastered.
For years, the researcher has practiced teaching English at Saint Thomas 1
in Medan. It is a private Roman Catholic high school educating male and female
students in the Catholic tradition of youth formation. Most of them come from
Bataknese and Chinese tribes. Normally, they are highly motivated to learn any
subject at school including English. For grade XII students, they are taught by
three teachers. One teacher teaches written skill, another teaches oral skill in the
class and the other teacher coming from the Philppines teaches oral skill in a
language lab.Some of them are active in extracurricular activities. One of them is
English club. It‟s no wonder, some of them are ESL learners.
Anyway, through researcher‟s teaching experience as an English teacher
there, she senses there is a gap between male and female students to achieve basic
and standard writing competencies. She finds that male and female students in
classrooms learn in gender-specific ways. She is always finding some difficulties
in teaching male students writing subject. She always finds that female students
write better than male students in English writing.
From her everyday observation of her students, it was found that the major
problem the students encountered, other than the language barrier, was idea
generation. She found that it was difficult for the male students to accomplish
their writing tasks. Most of them would rather copy from other sources than write
themselves or only have fewer words to write whenever they are asked to write an
3
essay. In other words, they lack ideas. Evidence from a preliminary study showed
that the major aspects of the students‟ weaknesses in their writing were lack of
ideas and poor ability to organize them. These difficulties lead them to lose
motivation in writing.
Research that describes the differential performance of boys and girls has
drawn on what might be considered stereotypical notions of gender as well as on
features of the learning context. For example, from psychological view, writing is
viewed as a passive, reflective act that is incompatible with the stereotyping of
boy as being more active than girls.
Then, David Geary, PhD, professor of psychological sciences at the
University of Missouri says,”when males listened, only the left hemispheres of
their brains were activated. The brains of female subjects, however, showed
activity on both the left and right hemispheres.This activity across both
hemispheres of the brain may result in the strong language skills typically
displayed by females. "If there's more area dedicated to a set of skills, it follows
that the skills will be more refined.
Furthermore, Gardner's (1985) socio-educational model is designed to
account for the role of social factors. It interrelates four aspects of L2 learning: the
social and cultural milieu (which determines beliefs about language and culture),
individual learner differences (related to motivation and language attitude), the
setting (formal and/or informal learning contexts), and learning outcomes.
Integrative motivation involves a desire to learn an L2 because individuals need to
learn the target language to integrate into the community. In addition to this
interest, the people or the culture represented by the other language group may
4
also inspire them. On the other hand, instrumental motivation acknowledges the
role that external influences and incentives play in strengthening the learners'
desire to achieve. Learners who are instrumentally motivated are interested in
learning the language for a particular purpose. Learners' attitudes, motivations,
and goals can explain why some writers perform better than others.
As Millard (2001, p. 1) states, the difference between primary school
boys‟ and girls‟ writing attitudes becomes apparent at an early stage: even boys
who are skilful writers do not find school writing interesting.
Having a positive attitude toward the language and culture and toward
learning a foreign language is an important contributor to the success of foreign
language learning. A positive attitude might spur learners to interact with native
speakers, which in turn increases the amount of input that learners receive. A
positive attitude often leads learners to use a variety of learning strategies that can
facilitate skill development in language learning. A positive attitude brings out
greater overall effort on the part of language learners and typically results in
greater success in terms of global language proficiency and competence in
specific language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. A
positive attitude also helps learners maintain their language skills after classroom
instruction is over (Gardner, 1985).
The study supports the idea that writing without a purpose does not
interest boys. Many of them have already found out that writing requires great
effort, and they do not start writing without a good purpose. As was mentioned
earlier, often boys who in school dislike writing nevertheless use it for many
purposes outside school. Therefore, it is important that the teacher pays attention
5
to his or her pupils‟ interests when planning writing exercises. A pupil finds
exercises that are connected to his or her interests meaningful. Pupils can feel that
they are „„experts‟‟ when writing about their own hobbies, whereas this is not the
case when the topic of the writing task is unfamiliar
However, if students show an overall interest in the target language
(integrative motivation), perceive that there is parental and social support, and
have a desire to achieve their professional goals (instrumental motivation), they
can become more proficient in their ability to write in English, despite the initial
lack of self-motivation.
Recent studies highlight a long-held suspicion about the brains of males
and females. They're not the same, so how does the brain of a female look and
function differently from a male's brain, and what accounts for these differences?
According to Dingwall (1998) males and females tend to function
differently in their brains. He concluded that language function may be more
organized in females.
Scientists now know that sex hormones begin to exert their influence
during development of the fetus. A recent study by Israeli researchers that
examined male and female brains found distinct differences in the developing
fetus at just 26 weeks of pregnancy. The disparities could be seen when using
an ultrasound scanner.
The corpus callosum -- the bridge of nerve tissue that connects the right
and left sides of the brain -- had a thicker measurement in female fetuses than in
male fetuses.
6
Observations of adult brains show that this area may remain stronger in
females. "Females seem to have language functioning in both sides of the brain,"
says Martha Bridge Denckla, PhD, a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger
Institute.
Researchers concluded that when it comes to math, the brain of a 12-yearold girl resembles that of an 8-year-old boy.
Conversely, the same researchers found that areas of the brain involved in
language and fine motor skills (such as handwriting) mature about six years
earlier in girls than in boys.
The following are some of the characteristics of girls' brains:
A girl's corpus callosum (the connecting bundle of tissues between
hemispheres) is, on average, larger than a boy's—up to 25 percent larger by
adolescence. This enables more “cross talk” between hemispheres in the female
brain.
Girls have in general, stronger neural connectors in their temporal lobes
than boys have. These connectors lead to more sensually detailed memory storage,
better listening skills, and better discrimination among the various tones of voice.
This leads, among other things, to greater use of detail in writing assignments.
Boys and girls perform differently in class. Lee (1996) found that while
male students talk, female students write. Each of the female students in his study
wrote more and wrote better than any of the males. Besides, the literature dealing
with language function and brain also arouses her interests in conducting this
study.
7
Female students performed significantly better than male students in terms
of content, organization, grammar, and diction. Still, it was beyond the scope of
the current study to draw a concrete conclusion on gender differences in English
writing performance Kann (2001)
Therefore, from her teaching experiences and psychological, science, and
social theories above have made her realize that as a teacher she has never been
aware of the differences how female and male students learn writing. This also
makes her curious to know more about what are the different writing
competencies between her male and female students if they are analyzed based on
Systematic Functional Linguistics like the social function, generic structure and
the lexico-grammatical features. She analyzed her students‟essays based on SFL
because the English teaching curriculum in Indonesia stated by Ministry of
National Education has been concerned with communicative competence of the
students. In turn, in high school level, the students are targeted to be able to
communicate through spoken and written language appropriately (Depdiknas,
2003). Concerning the communicative competence through written mode, the
national curriculum prescribes that the writing competence to be achieved by the
high school students is not determined by the number of words that the students
can produce but more on the quality of the writing they produce (Depdiknas,
2003). In addition, by analyzing the students‟ essays based on SFL it enabled her
to analyze her students‟ writing competency to write essays based on
communicative context emphasizing various text genres either in oral or written
context and native speakers‟culture and contexts. Then, from grammatical
8
analysis shows whether students have capability to convey their ideational, textual
and interpersonal meanings through written context.
As far as the researcher knows, normally writing teachers analyze
students‟ writing competency based on only five aspects: content is weighed 30
points, language use is 25 points, organization and vocabulary are weighed 20
points, and mechanics is weighed 5 points, but SFL genre approach analysis is
more effective and that students benefit more in aspects of content development
and rhetorical organization than in such domains as linguistic accuracy and lexical
diversity.
Then, the researcher also would like to find out how the students‟
individual writing backgrounds affect their writing competencies and whether
there are still other factors making male students weak in writing subject.
In order to get the findings, the researcher gets her students to write
analytical exposition as a representation of informational genre as well as non
fiction and narrative genre as representation of fiction.”, she does this because in
Getting going: generating, shaping and developing ideas in writing (DCSF, April
2008,14 ), Professor Richard Andrews says, techniques for improving writing will
include practice in writing, not only of literary and fictional genres but also in
informational and argumentative genres.
The narrative and analytical exposition drafts written by her male and
female students will be analyzed by using Functional Writing Approach like based
on their social functions, generic structures, and linguistic realization or lexicogrammatical features of both genres.
9
1.2. The Research Questions
In relation to the background of the study, the problems are formulated as
the following.
(1) What different competencies do male and female students at Saint Thomas 1
Medan have to write narrative and analytical exposition genres?
(2) How do the individual writing backgrounds (interest, confidence, following
writing processes and abilities to produce words) affect male and female
students at Saint Thomas 1 to write narrative and analytical exposition genres?
(2) Why can Saint Thomas1 male and female students‟ writing competencies be
different?
1.3. The Objectives of the Study
With reference to the research questions, the objectives of the study are:
(1) to describe the different competencies of male and female students‟ narrative
and exposition genres (based on social function, generic structures and
linguistic realization of narrative and exposition genres),
(2) to elaborate how the male and female students understand the social function,
generic structures, and linguistic realization for both genres, and
(3) to reasons for different narrative and analytical exposition writing
competence of male and female students at Saint Thomas 1 Medan there is a
relationship between different gender with their writing narrative and
exposition genre ability competency.
10
1.4 The Significance of the Study
Theoretically, the significance of this study is to give contribution to
development of linguistic studies especially for writing studies about some insight
of possible obstacles faced by students in writing narrative and exposition genres.
For practical significance, hopefully, the findings of this research can be
used as a reference in the process of teaching writing to the students. Furthermore,
EFL Language teachers could use the results as diagnostic information to provide
appropriate assistances toward different gender to facilitate learning. EFL
Language teachers could further understand students‟ weaknesses and help solve
their learning problems.
Then, the research findings also provides insights into Saint Thomas 1
students‟ responses either to the approach and the effect on learning out
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1.1 Conclusions
After analyzing the data, conclusions are drawn as the following:
(1) Female students at Saint Thomas 1 did better for the narrative and analytical
exposition genres analyzed based on generic structure, and lexico
grammatical. For narrative genre, male students only did better for the generic
structure. However, for the analytical exposition either for generic structure or
lexico grammatical features, female students did much better than male
students for over all. For the social function of both genres, both female and
male students didn’t have different competencies at all.
(2) High interest, confidence, abilities to produce words, and to write quickly
apparently affected their writing competency. Male students did worse than
female students because they had less interest. For individual confidence, the
researcher could sense that there were 72.7% male students who didn’t follow
the writing process at all. Most of them felt quite confident that they could
produce their essays without planning, drafting, evaluating and revising. For
the time allocated between 30-45 minutes, apparently 13.6% male students
could finish their analytical essays in 30-35 minutes, but 9.1% could finish in
30 -35minutes for narrative genre. Though, they started writing their essays
after the female students had been writing for a few minutes, there were still
male students who could finish earlier .They were busy listening to music but
they could write with more words because of the music influence.
61
62
(3) The reasons for their different competencies are: Male students had never been
motivated by their own parents to write better and given English literature
books to read. They had worse attitude towards writing subject. This might
happen because they experienced worse method of teaching for writing
subject from their writing teachers than female students. On the other hand,
female students could achieve that stage because they had ever been supported
by their parents to be professional writers. Some of them were ever provided
with books concerning with literature like English novels and they also had
high interest in learning writing and they were taught more grammar before
that’s why they know more linguistic skill and these also changed their
attitude towards writing.
5.2 Suggestions
In relation to the conclusion, suggestion are stated as the following:
(1) a) The teachers’ methods of teaching for writing subject should be improved
especially for teaching linguistic skill. Teachers may not teach their students
grammar separately from contextualizes writing with inappropriate use of
interventions, misuses of writing work and criticism of failure of school.
However, the following is a list of selected teaching practices by Charles
Whitaker, Ph.D. that are well recognized in the profession as being effective in
helping students develop as writers. Establish a positive atmosphere for writing
It is important in teaching writing for teachers to create a positive
environment for writing, an atmosphere of mutual respect, positive regard, safety.
Teachers often draw on our profession’s understanding that, especially with young
63
adolescents, engaging students’ senses and emotions, for example, through a
colorful room, artwork, and music, is a way to hold students’ attention and make
them feel comfortable. Encouraging students to talk with each other and allowing
them to move occasionally from their seats to participate in an appropriate task or
project can help, especially with middle school students Respect for and among
students Essential for a positive environment is respect for students, their ideas,
emotions, cultural backgrounds, interests, concerns, etc. This respect is modeled
by the teacher in a variety of ways and is expected in the interactions of students.
Teacher as writer
Ideally, writing teachers are practicing writers. By sharing their writing—
particularly when it’s in draft form—teachers model respect for themselves, for
their students, and for the act of writing itself. They communicate that they are
part of the writing community in the classroom and in the world at large and that
they feel safe sharing this part of themselves Organize for writing.
Though teachers will be flexible to help their students and meet
instructional goals, they also are thoughtful and systematic in organizing for
writing. Organizing, of course, refers to planning the curriculum as well as the
classroom activities and routines, practices established to help student develop as
writers (and usually as readers and learners in a study area). Often teachers are
required to address certain standards and assessment, and in organizing for
writing, they keep these curriculum needs/goals in mind. A meaningful approach
to writing A third important way of organizing is through selecting a meaningful
approach to writing. Teachers draw on their experience, on their understanding of
their students, and on professional literature to select an approach that will be
64
effective. Teachers might, for example, decide to use a multi genre approach or an
approach based on immersion in literature.
Arrange for meaningful-to-students reasons to write.
Teachers must think carefully about the approach they will use to arrange
for students to write for meaningful purposes. True, it may not be easy to
determine what will engage all students, and, true, some students are reluctant to
write, but teachers should strive to “invite writing” to improve the odds that all
students will be engaged and interested in writing. Reading and talking about a
variety of genres are important practices, and a variety of other practices can stem
from this reading. Teachers can help students develop as writers by encouraging
students to apply the techniques and characteristics of materials they read.
Teachers can construct mini-lessons drawing on reading materials, and they can
ask students to identify in the reading material important features they can apply
in their own writing
b) People who read a lot will be easier to write essays. In order to write a
particular kind of text, it helps if the writer has read that kind of text. In order to
take on a particular style of language, the writer needs to have read that language,
to have heard it in her mind so that she can hear it again in order to compose it.
Students should also have access to and experience in reading material that
presents both published and student writing in various genres. Through immersion
in a genre, students develop an internalized sense of why an author would select a
particular genre for a particular purpose, the power of a particular genre to convey
a message, and the rhetorical constraints and possibilities inherent in a genre.
Students should be taught the features of different genres, experientially not only
65
explicitly, so that they develop facilities in producing them and become familiar
with variant features. If one is going to write in a genre, it is very helpful to have
read in that genre first.
(2) a) Listening to music while writing can make us write with more words.
Listening to music facilitates the recall of information. Researchers have shown
that certain types of music are a great "keys" for recalling memories. Information
learned while listening to a particular song can often be recalled simply by
"playing" the songs mentally. Music becomes stimulus for students who try to
express themselves by writings (Brown &Brown, 1997 and Donland, 1976).
b) We should follow writing processes in order to get better result like: planning,
drafting, evaluating and revising.
(3) a) Parents’ supports are very important for students who are still in the process
of learning .Students’ attitudes towards writing should be guided all the time by
their teachers. Their families particularly their parents should always support
them. Parents should let their children know that one of the most important
academic skill a child can acquire is writing. Being able to write well and
concisely can help a person to succeed, both academically and in the job market.
And as with other subjects learned in school, writing skills can be improved when
integrated into a child's home life.
b) As a parent or guardian, you naturally want to help the children become a good
writer so that they will have the ability to communicate in a clear, effective
manner. One simple way to help a child reach this goal is to make as many
connections between reading and writing as possible. For instance, books that
they enjoy reading and that are well-written can provide examples of good writing
66
such as well-written sentences and paragraphs, which they can use as a guide to
improve the children’s quality of writing. Help support the efforts of your child’s
teachers at home by using a writing process chart. The writing process involves a
few simple steps that are used as a guide for creating well-developed writing
skills. In other words, the writing process ensures that the writer expresses what
he/she means to articulate by helping the writer avoid senseless errors
Teachers and parents should provide students literary books to read because
literary books help students a lot. Good literature exposes children to correct
sentence patterns, standard story structures, and varied word usage. Students can
improve their English with the interesting context, and all children benefit from
new vocabulary that is woven into the stories. Then, we do not learn to be great
writers just by writing, but by studying the writings of greater and more
experienced writers than ourselves. The more great writing the students read and
the more intensely they will interact with it, the more your own writing will
improve.
(c) Attitude is very important in language learning, instructional activities and
materials should be exciting, stimulating, and interesting to learners. Moreover,
teachers should pay special attention to the attitudes students bring to second
language learning as teachers may have to overturn stereotypic or negative views
toward the target culture, language, people and language learning process.
67
REFERENCES
Coates, J. (ed.) (1998) Language and Gender: A Reader (Blackwell, Oxford)
Dan Hodgins Male and Female Differences Volume 1, Issue 1
Dingwall, W. O. 1998. The biological bases of human communication behavior.
In J. B
Department for Education 2012 What is the research Evidence on Writing?
Research Report DFE RR 238 ISBN: 978-178105 144-3
Francis Ltd. Li, Y. H. 2004. Gender differences in conversational styles among
senior high school students in Taiwan. Unpublished master’s thesis, FuJen Catholic University, Taiwan
Gleason & N. B. Ratner (Eds.), Psycholinguistics (pp. 51-105). Fort Worth:
Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Goldberg, G. L., & Roswell, B. S. 2002. Reading, writing, and gender:
Instructional strategies and classroom activities that work for girls and
boys. NY: Eye on Education
Halliday, M. A. K. (1994). Introduction to Functional Grammar (2nd ed.)
(Arnold, London
Huang, L. H. 2000. The role of gender in Chinese textual discourse. Unpublished
master’s thesis, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan.
Kann, C. L. 2001. The effects of gender on Internet-assisted English writing
instruction for senior high school students. Unpublished master’s thesis,
National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan.
Kintz, L. 1987. The dramaturgy and construction of the subject to include gender
and materiality..
Moloney,2002 Me read ? No way! A Practical Guide To Improving Boys’
Literacy’ Skill Ontorio Education Excellence for All .
Romatowski, J. A. & Trepanier-Street, M. L. (1987). Gender perceptions An
analysis of children's creative writing Contemporary Education, 59(1), 1719.
Shapiro, A. R. 1986. A separate sphere: The woman question in selected fiction
by nineteenth-century American women, 1852-1899. Abstract from:
Dissertation Abstracts International Order: AAC 8521990.
68
Susan Jones, Debra Myhill 2007 Discourse of Difference? Examining Gender
Writing Canadian Journal of Education 30,2
Steve Graham, 2008 Effective Writing Instruction for All Students Renaissance
Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
Tuula Merisuo-Storm 2006 Girls and Boys Like to Read and Write Different Texts
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 111–125
Wong, L. A. 2004. Culture, language and self in Maxine Hong Kingston’s The
Woman Warrior, and Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter’s
Daughter. Unpublished master’s thesis, Chinese Culture University,
Taiwan.