PENDALAMAN MATERI WRITING

CHAPTER I

ABSTRACT
This material will discuss a lot about writing skill in general, then explain
teaching writing skill which is needed by English language learners in learning
writing. In learning writing there are several language components that
involves I it like a basic language structure, vocabulary, grammatical rules
writing forms. It also talks about tips for writing. Following this we will
discuss about teaching writing in EFL context. The stages of writing, writing
process, involves the nature of writing, approaches in teaching writing, finally
it will give several example of teaching writing.

Key words: English as Foreign Language, structure, grammar, approaches

A. Background
The most important factor in writing exercises is that students need to
be personally involved in order to make the learning experience of lasting
value. Encouraging student participation in the exercise, while at the same
time refining and expanding writing skills, requires a certain pragmatic
approach. The teacher should be clear on what skills he/she is trying to
develop. Next, the teacher needs to decide on which means (or type of
exercise) can facilitate learning of the target area. Once the target skill areas
and means of implementation are defined, the teacher can then proceed to
focus on what topic can be employed to ensure student participation. By
pragmatically combing these objectives, the teacher can expect both
enthusiasm and effective learning.

Choosing the target area depends on many factors;

 What level are the students?,
  What is the average age of the students,
 Why are the students learning English,
 Are there any specific future intentions for the writing (i.e school
tests or job application letters etc.).
Other important questions to ask oneself are:
 What should the students be able to produce at the end of this
exercise? (a well written letter, basic communication of ideas, etc.)
 What is the focus of the exercise? (structure, tense usage, creative
writing).
Once these factors are clear in the mind of the teacher, the teacher can
begin to focus on how to involve the students in the activity thus
promoting a positive, long-term learning experience.

Having decided on the target area, the teacher can focus on the means to
achieve this type of learning. As in correction, the teacher must choose the
most appropriate manner for the specified writing area. If formal business
letter English is required, it is of little use to employ a free expression type
of exercise. Likewise, when working on descriptive language writing
skills, a formal letter is equally out of place.

With both the target area and means of production, clear in the teachers
mind, the teacher can begin to consider how to involve the students by
considering what type of activities are interesting to the students; Are they
preparing for something specific such as a holiday or test?, Will they need
any of the skills pragmatically? What has been effective in the past? A
good way to approach this is by class feedback, or brainstorming sessions.
By choosing a topic that involves the students the teacher is providing a
context within which effective learning on the target area can be
understaken.

Finally, the question of which type of correction will facilitate a useful

writing exercise is of utmost importance. Here the teacher needs to once
again think about the overall target area of the exercise. If there is an
immediate task at hand, such as taking a test, perhaps teacher guided
correction is the most effective solution. However, if the task is more
general (for example developing informal letter writing skills), maybe the
best approach would be to have the students work in groups thereby
learning from each other. Most importantly, by choosing the correct means
of correction the teacher can encourage rather
 CHAPTER 2

A. Teaching Writing Skills

Writing, while natural talent helps, is primarily a learned art, with

students being taught all the formal and technical aspects and relying primarily
on their own creativity to create. Teaching writing skills can be difficult for
any teacher, since the approach will be different for almost every student.
Some will learn quickly, while others will need some encouragement and
more attention to ensure they understand what they are being taught. There is
a general learning arc that most students will go through, regardless of their
age.

 Learning basic sentence structure.

 Increasing vocabulary and spelling,
 Increased knowledge of grammatical rules.
 Introduction of new forms of writing.
 Perfecting the language used in each of these new forms.

There's the basic in a nutshell, but how do you create writers using
these basis for teaching? One thing excluded from this is actually knowing
script and print writing. You can use a cursive writing chart to learn the basics
of script writing, while print should already be known.

B. Learning Basic Sentence Structure

You have to crawl before you can walk, so this is where every student will
begin, giving they know how to read and write. Start with basic sentences,
then advance to longer, more complex sentences. In order to make sure they
will have it easier down the road, students should know the parts of a sentence
forwards and backwards. Grammar, one of the most complex parts of writing,
is learned much easier if this is understood. Make sure your students know;
 Subjects and Nouns- be able to identify the subject of the sentence. Also,
they should know formal nouns and pronouns.
 Verbs and adverbs- the actions words and the words that modify them.
 Adjectives- words that modify nouns.
 Predicates- the part of a sentence where the action occurs.
 Prepositions- a word that comes before a noun to help explain action.
 Conjunctions- words that join other words together.
 Interjections- a phrase that shows surprise.

If students can identify these easily in a sentence, you are ready to move them
on. Make sure they have all of these correct, otherwise you will develop
issues later in their teachings.

C. Increase Vocabulary and Spelling

This is where you start to build them up from the basics. Teaching them new
words, including proper spelling rules and definitions will make them more
versatile writers, and will help them to develop their craft on their own. Don't
just teach them how to properly spell words and what they mean, but teach
them how to find it themselves. People learn new words everyday, no matter
how old they are. Teach your students how to use a dictionary and thesaurus
at this point in time, both online and offline.

At this point in time, they should be writing more complex sentences. Start
getting them to write small projects, including short stories, essays, letters, and
poetry. This will provide them will an application for their knowledge, and
will also teach them how to put their ideas and thoughts logically on the page.
Do not overwhelm them though, start small. Make their first projects easy,
like a letter to their mother, a few paragraphs on what they did yesterday, or
even just a quick story they can make up. Anything to help them develop
structure in their writing.
 Practice with them, and get them working on developing longer form ideas,
showing them where things don't make sense and how to improve them.

D. Increased Knowledge of Grammatical Rules and Introducing New

Writing Forms

Grammar, much like spelling, is something everyone will learn as they grow
as a writer, but they will need guidance in this process the ensure they learn
things write. Grammar is the most difficult part of writing to learn. Introduce
rules slowly while helping them to develop the range of their writing.

You should also be introducing them to other forms of writing, and showing
them the differences. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, letters, notes,
narratives, book reports, and even e-mails all have a different structure and
purpose. They should be taught about these and many other writing styles and
when to use them. This will make them all well-rounded writers who are
prepared for any situation. Everyone should at least understand the basics of
these to be able to function in most walks of life, including upper level
education.

Have them work on project with each style, and the more they work with a
specific writing style, the better they will get. Start them off easy, then
increase their requirements.

E. Tips For Teaching Writing Skills

Learning how to write can be difficult, especially if you are trying to learn
both the rules of writing, writing styles, vocabulary, and grammar all at the
same time. These tips can help you to both teach writing skills and help your
students to learn.
 Have students write about familiar subjects. Things like what they did
over their Christmas vacation, about the pets they own, and what kind of food
they like are great ways to start. Over time, start making it more specific.
Things like what Native Americans lived in Montana or what did you do for
Christmas last year will start to help them develop analytical thinking skills
while still developing their writing skills.
 Teach them brainstorming techniques early. This will help them to
develop clear thoughts and stay organized in their writing.
 Have students write letters and stories to each other. Note passing may
become a problem, but if you build it into your lesson plan, where's the issue.
This will show students how others are writing and bring give them new ideas
on how to develop their writing.
 Revision is the best way to learn spelling and grammar. Those who can
edit writing can write, and the other way around.
 Start to introduce different styles of writing and tones, giving young
writers a more dynamic range they can build on later.
 Encourage Reading. This is very important. Students will gain a more
diverse pool of examples they can draw from in their own writing. Students
who read will become students who write well.
 Be patient with students. If you become frustrated with them, they will
become discouraged. Some people learn faster than others, but all students
will learn more from a calm teacher than and angry one.
 Writing does not just include one medium. Make sure your students are
familiar with both electronic writing and handwriting. Even with the advances
in computer technology, handwriting is still a key skill to have.

CHAPTER 3
 Teaching Writing in ESL Context

A. How to Teach Writing Skills to ESL Students

The teachers of speakers of English as a second language (ESL students) have

a challenging but rewarding job. ESL students in a classroom may perform at
different levels and come from countries with vastly different cultures. The
teacher must not only find out how much the students know about writing in
English but also learn about the differences in cultures within the classroom.
The first milestone for students learning to write in English as a second
language is that the message is clear and meaningful. Use of correct grammar
and punctuation will develop, but the meaning can often be understood without
proper grammar and spelling. Only after the students are able to write simple
lists and sentences should they begin to learn to edit and revise their work to
achieve acceptable grammar. The teacher who works with patience and
respects for differences and effort will be rewarded with evidence of progress
in her students' writing.

B. The Stages
1. Provide a notebook for each student. Ask the students to write in their
journals every day. Write the day of the week and the date on a board. Read
the day and date, then ask the students to copy the date in their journals and
to write about anything they choose. Some students will write sentences,
some may write paragraphs and some may write only words. Tell students
to raise their hands if they want to know how to spell a word. Write the
word on the board. Suggest topics that the students might like to write
about: their friends, their family, how they feel, their favorite food or their
favorite book. Give students the opportunity to read their entries to their
classmates. The teacher does not correct the writing at this point, but she
may want to write a brief comment in a few of the journals each day.

o
 2. Have the students brainstorm a topic such as "family." Draw a word web on
the chalkboard. Write the word "family" in the middle circle. Then ask for
words that tell about families in the circles that you draw around the main
circle. Ask the students to make sentences from the words you have written
on the board. Start the sentences by writing "Four people live in my house."
Write all the sentences on the board, reading them as you write.

3. Ask the students to make up a story together. The story can be something
that really happened, such as a game they played outside or a trip that
someone took, or it could be a made-up story, such as "One day Juan saw a
flying car." Write the sentences on the board as the students say them. Do
not correct grammar at this point. Read the story aloud, then ask the students
to read it in unison. Have them read it several times. Ask if anyone would
like to read the story by himself. Explain why you put punctuation and
capital letters in the sentences.

4. Use fill-in-the-blank activities. Adjust the difficulty level according to the

ability of your students. Give the students a worksheet, and ask them to
write the words in the correct places. Write a story on the board the first
time. Complete it with the students.For example:keep asked feed little
kittenIngrid found a - - - - - - kitten.She wanted to - - - - the - - - - - -.Ingrid -
- - - - her mother if she could keep the kitten.Her mother told her she would
have to - - - - it and give it water.

5. Have students make a mural that tells or retells a story--for example,

summarizing the events in a story they have read or how their family makes
preparations for a holiday. Provide butcher paper, markers, tape and
crayons. Ask them to draw a picture showing what happens first, second and
the next steps. Then ask them to write sentences below the pictures that
describe the action. Help the students tape the mural to a wall. Organize an
 exhibit of the mural. Appoint a student to stand in front of each picture to
read the sentence under that picture and explain what is happening in the
picture. The other students form a line and walk past the mural listening to
the information about each picture. Let the students take turns describing the
pictures.

6. Give the students opportunities to do functional tasks such as making lists of

things they need to bring for a party, writing friendly letters, reading and
copying poems that you write on the chalkboard and writing notes to their
families about school events.

CHAPTER 4
 WRITING PROSCESS

A. The Nature of the Writing Process

Writing is a complex process that allows writers to explore thoughts and

ideas, and make them visible and concrete. Writing encourages thinking and
learning for it motivates communication and makes thought available for
reflection. When thought is written down, ideas can be examined,
reconsidered, added to, rearranged, and changed.

Writing is most likely to encourage thinking and learning when students

view writing as a process. By recognizing that writing is a recursive process,
and that every writer uses the process in a different way, students experience
less pressure to "get it right the first time" and are more willing to experiment,
explore, revise, and edit. Yet, novice writers need to practice “writing” or
exercises that involve copying or reproduction of learned material in order to
learn the conventions of spelling, punctuation, grammatical agreement, and the
like. Furthermore, students need to “write in the language” through engaging in
a variety of grammar practice activities of controlled nature. Finally, they
need to begin to write within a framework “flexibility measures” that include :
transformation exercises, sentence combining, expansion, embellishments, idea
frames, and similar activities).

Obviously, not all students of the same age or grade level write in the
same way; students pass through several developmental writing stages:

Stage 1

Novice Writer (unskilled, unaware, teacher-dependent writer)

- has little, if any, individual style
- has little awareness of writing process
- has undeveloped skills and techniques
- seeks approval from teacher
- is reluctant to revise any writing
- believes good writing comes easily

Stage 2

Transitional Writer (transitional, self-involved, self-delineating writer)

- needs support and coaching in order to develop
- learns from modeled behaviors
- is developing a degree of comfort with the craft
- is anxious to stand alone, yet is uncomfortable with peer collaboration
- is developing an awareness of personal needs, interests, and preoccupations

Stage 3

Willing Writer (peer-involved, willing writer)

- is able to collaborate well with others
- requires external feedback to shape progress
- is able to profit from criticism
- is developing objectivity concerning work
- enjoys practicing craft
- is developing a sensitivity to audience

Stage 4

Independent Writer (independent, autonomous writer)

- makes highly objective self-assessments
- has developed a sophisticated personal style
- has developed a writer's voice
- takes risks and experiments
- is self-motivating and self-aware as a writer
- is a craftsperson
B. There are several approaches to teaching writing that are presented by
(Raimes, 1983) as follows:

a. The Controlled-to-Free Approach

In the 1950s and early 1960, the audio-lingual method dominated

second-language learning This method emphasized speech and writing
served to achieve mastery of grammatical and syntactic forms. Hence
teachers developed and used techniques to enable student to achieve this
mastery. The controlled-to-free approach in is sequential: students are first
given sentence exercises, then paragraphs to copy or manipulate
grammatically by changing questions to statements, present to past, or plural
to singular. They might also change words to clauses or combine sentences.
With these controlled compositions, it is relatively easy to for students write
and yet avoid errors, which makes error correction easy. Students are
allowed to try some free composition after they have reached an
intermediate level of proficiency. As such, this approach stress on grammar,
syntax, and mechanics. It emphasizes accuracy rather than fluency or
originality.

b. The Free-Writing Approach

This approach stresses writing quantity rather than quality. Teachers

who use this approach assign vast amounts of free writing on given topics
with only minimal correction. The emphasis in this approach is on content
and fluency rather than on accuracy and form. Once ideas are down on the
page, grammatical accuracy and organization follow. Thus, teachers may
begin their classes by asking students to write freely on any topic without
worrying about grammar and spelling for five or ten minutes. The teachers
does not correct these pieces of free writing. They simply read them and
may comment on the ideas the writer expressed. Alternatively, some
 students may volunteer to read their own writing aloud to the class. Concern
for “audience” and “content” are seen as important in this approach.

c. The Paragraph-Pattern Approach

Instead of accuracy of grammar or fluency of content, the Paragraph-

Pattern-Approach stresses on organization. Students copy paragraphs and
imitate model passages. They put scrambled sentences into paragraph order.
They identify general and specific statements and choose to invent an
appropriate topic sentence or insert or delete sentences. This approach is
based on the principle that in different cultures people construct and
organize communication with each other in different ways.

d. The Grammar-Syntax-Organization Approach

This approach stresses on simultaneous work on more than one

composition feature. Teachers who follow this approach maintain that
writing can not be seen as composed of separate skills which are learned
sequentially. Therefore, student should be trained to pay attention to
organization while they also work on the necessary grammar and syntax.
This approach links the purpose of writing to the forms that are needed to
convey message.

e. The Communicative Approach

This approach stresses the purpose of writing and the audience for it.
Student writers are encouraged to behave like writers in real life and ask
themselves the crucial questions about purpose and audience:

Why am I writing this?

Who will read it?

Traditionally, the teacher alone has been the audience for student
writing. But some feel that writers do their best when writing is truly a
 communicative act, with a writer writing for a real reader. As such, the
readership may be extended to classmate and pen pals.

f. The Process Approach

Recently, the teaching of writing has moved away from a

concentration on written product to an emphasis on the process of writing.
Thus, writers ask themselves:

How do I write this?

How do I get started?

In this approach, students are trained to generate ideas for writing,

think of the purpose and audience, write multiple drafts in order to present
written products that communicate their own ideas. Teachers who use this
approach give students time to tray ideas and feedback on the content of
what they write in their drafts. As such, writing becomes a process of
discovery for the students as they discover new ideas and new language
forms to express them. Furthermore, learning to write is seen as a
developmental process that helps students to write as professional authors
do, choosing their own topics and genres, and writing from their own
experiences or observations. A writing process approach requires that
teachers give students greater responsibility for, and ownership of, their own
learning. Students make decisions about genre and choice of topics, and
collaborate as they write.

During the writing process, students engage in pre-writing, planning,

drafting, and post-writing activities. However, as the writing process is
recursive in nature, they do not necessarily engage in these activities in that
order.

CHAPTER 5
 TEACHING WRITING MODELS

A. Simple Description with Visuals. (For cycles I & II only)

Have students examine a picture and ask them to name the objects in it. Then
ask students to write a paragraph to describe the picture. The procedure for the
activity may be as follows:

Provide the class with a picture of a room such as the one below. Ask students
to label the objects in the picture and have them write a paragraph to describe
the picture. Provide students with expressions and language structure if needed
such as: “In the classroom there is “ and have students complete the paragraph.

B. Completing a Description Paragraph. (For cycles I & II only)

Have students examine a picture and complete a description paragraph. The

procedure for this activity may be as follows:
Examine the picture in Activity 1 and complete the following paragraph:
Paragraph:
Mary lives in a very nice room. In her room, there is a ———, ———, and a
———. There are also several———. There are no ———, but Mary does
have some ———. She wants to get a ——— for her wall and a ——— for
the desk this afternoon when she goes shopping.

C. Completing a Description Paragraph: (For cycles I & II only)

Function Words

Give students a picture and have them complete a description by supplying the
prepositions and expressions required by the context.
The procedure for this activity may be as follows:
Have students examine the picture in Activity 1 and complete the following
paragraph:

This is a picture of Mary’s room. Her bed is ——— the window. ——— the
bed and the window is a small chest of drawers. There is a bookcase ———
her bed on the ———. She has a radio that is ——— the book case, and she
puts her books ——— the book case ——— three shelves. ——— the room.
She has a very nice desk where she prepares her work for school.
D. Writing a Description from Questions. (For cycles I & II only)

Have students examine a picture and use a set of questions as a guide to write a
short description of the picture.
The procedure for this activity may be as follows:
Examine the picture in Activity 1 and write a description of it, using the
questions below as guide lines.
Questions :
1. Does Mary have a nice room?
2. What kind of things does she have in the room?
3. What do you like in Mary’s room?
4. Do you have a room like Mary’s room? Describe your room in a few
sentences.

E. Slash Sentences (For cycles I & II only)

Give students a set of sentence cues and have them write a short narrative
paragraph.
The procedure for this activity may be as follows:
Make complete sentences according to the model.
Model: The Smiths / Summer / in the country/ spend
The Smiths spend Summer in the country.
1. all / family / In the morning / to get up / arround / 8’oclock.
2. Mr. Smith / the kitchen / coffee / to prepare / to go down strairs.
3. his / wife / then / breakfast / to go outside / in / the garden.

F. Sentence Combining

Give students a set of propositions and have them combine them into complete
sentences:
The procedure for this activity may be as follows:
Provide students with set of propositions such as the ones below:
1. The man is tall.
2. The man has dark hair.
3. The man is standing by the door.
4. The man looks suspicious
Have students combine the propositions in one sentence.
G. Composition based on oral interview.

Have students interview a partner and a composition telling what they

learned about the person they interviewed.
The procedure for this activity may be as follows:
Have students interview a partner a certain topics and have then write a
composition to tell what they had learned about this partner sample topics:
1. Talk about yourself and your family (i.e., where are you from, where your
family lives, your hobbies, etc…).
2. Talk about what you like and dislike about your school.
3. Describe a memorable event.
4. Describe your goals and future plans.
5. Describe a recent vacation.

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