Maria Oktaviarini
081214005
oktaviarinim@yahoo.com
Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta
A. Abstract
There are four important skills that are learning in English teaching. One of them is writing. In writing we have to think about what and how we build one topic to be a big discourse that is readable. This is one problem that face by many students in the senior high school. Many students in senior high school and in the college who get difficulties in develop their topic and to build a good content in their English writing. So, from this essay, we will see how to solve this problem.
B. Introduction
In our life we usually found that many students think that there are some subjects in the school are very terrible. English is one of them. And we are able to see their burden is when their teacher asked them to do their writing task. A long writing task for senior high school, like they write five paragraphs that their teacher wanted and it consists of one paragraph as introduction, three paragraphs as the content and one paragraph as the conclusion or closing, and then some page of paper writing, at least three pages for college student. There are some difficulties that students found their writing. These difficulties are about build the topics, ideas and develop good content in their writing.
This essay sees that writing problem is a matter that static faced by the students and in fact, we may see in around us. According to Sarah Warshauer (1992) this problem is not only faced by students who do not use English as first language. So, we may conclude that students abroad also find this problem.
C. Building The Topic with Main Map
When students are going to write a paper they should fine an interesting idea, because a paper with interesting idea will persuade the reader to read their paper. Then after the students have already found the idea, they should build it to be a or many paragraph. There is a way to help them to develop its. They may use main map. This way is commonly used to help a writer.
Main map or spidergram is a strategy to make notes on the topic. By this structured way, we are going to shows the relationship of ideas, as opposed to an unstructured strategy, such as brainstorming, in which the learners make notes at random on paper. By having some words that have relationship with the topic, it may help students to make their simple draft first, while for building longer paragraph.
Commonly, students are given a topic to write on by their teacher. However, with certain classes, students may prefer to nominate the topic themselves. But in senior high school, teacher gave some topics to the students to choose. Then the teacher asked them to choose one of them and make a paper that is usually consist of five paragraph, an introduction paragraph, three main paragraphs and one conclusion. In the college, the students got freedom to choose their own topic. Then they build it at least three pages. But sometimes there are some lecturers that asked them to write in a certain topic.
The mind map strategy can be used to explore almost any topic. This is one of the advantages using main mapping. We may explore our topic with everything that is related to it. We will really to make a main idea for each paragraph. After we finish the main idea, then student may start in build a paragraph.
D. Some factors that students need to concern in writing
“When you have to write a good paper for the English class, it is your teacher who is going to review it first. If you are smart, you would know what your teacher expects from you to give a good rating to your English paper” (C.V. Rajan). In writing paper, students need to make a draft first with a topic and the main idea for each paragraph. Then still there are some others things that need to concern. For the first is that student need to aware with their spelling and grammar. Some students are usually using abbreviation in their writing. As in formal writing that abbreviation is do not exists. So the students to decrease it by write in a good structure. Sometimes, students write “i” for “I” then OMG for oh my God, these are example the abbreviation.
Then students need to aware to structure, length and the format of the text they are going to write. Always, that every text is started by introduction, and then it followed by the main content and closed by the conclusion. Students have to always remember these structures because there is no text without introduction or conclusion. If students make text without these two things, the readers then will be confused. For every main idea, student may build as one paragraph that is consists of at least five sentences. So from the main idea that the made, they may see how many paragraph that will they create. Next, a good formatting in make paper gives students more value in making a good readable text. The important thing in this case is how is the students in build the paper or make a good English paper to present their ideas in neatly formatted style.
The next thin is the content itself, when someone read something, it means that he or she need something to know, they need something to learn. So, here is the challenge for every student that the content of an English paper is only simple, sometimes need to give more explanation. Because of that, to make a good English paper, students need to make researches on something. They may look up in the internet to find much important information that is very support to their writing. They may go to the library to find some books that help them in make their paper. So, after get some resources, hopefully students may create a good content for their English paper.
E. What teacher need to do to the students
To help students in improving their skill in develop their topic and content in English writing, teacher may do some things. Teachers may give them prompt writing for a weekly assignment. Just give some hour to the students to choose or find their topic first. If they are focus on you, they will find it faster. Then after they find the topic, asked them to make the drafts first then you may revised their draft after they are finish to make it. After you revised the draft of your students, do not forget to give them feedback, so they know what should the write.
Then teachers should give some advices to the students, to do not do plagiarism. So, help them to make quotation or to paraphrase the sentence. Because in the writing English paper is very difficult to avoid plagiarism. If the teacher is smart, they will always know which one is the pure student creation and which one is using plagiarism. They will know it by the style that usually used by the students are will very different with the text that is created by experts. Because, the choosing of word of student will look very different with the experts have.
F. Conclusion
So, for the conclusion, to help the learners to develop their topics and the content in English writing is by do some things. Teachers may give some students many practices in English writing paper. Teachers need to help student to find an appropriate topic for their paper. Guide them to find any sources that may support their English paper. Always teach them to build text in the good structure that is always consists of introduction, content and the conclusion.
For the students, do not worry in build the topic and the content. You may make a main map to help you and you may go searching in the website or find some book in the library. Do not worry to ask some advices to your teacher, to get their feedback in purpose to help you to build your text. And do not forget to make good content that present useful information for the reader.
References
Byrom, josh. How to write a good paper for your English class. Retrieved on November 6, 2010 from <
Freedman, Sarah W. and Hechinger F. Writing Matter. Retrieved on November 6, 2010, from <
Rajan, C. V . How to write a good paper for your English class. Retrieved on November 6, 2010 from <
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar