Writing: Outlining

INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses a general portrait of this study that deals with the background of the study, the statement of the problem, the objectives of the study, the significance of the study, the scope of the study, and the definition of the key terms.

1.1 Background of the study

English is one of the compulsory subjects that are taught starting from junior high school up to the university level in Indonesia. It is very important to master the language because, besides being the language of science and technology, it is also a tool for communication in economic and trade, multi-lateral and cultural relationships, and for career development.

According to the School-Based Curriculum, as stated by Depdiknas (2006:287), the objective of the teaching and learning English in junior high schools in Indonesia is to develop the ability to communicate in the language, both spoken and written. The ability to communicate involves the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

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Among the four language skills, writing is considered as the most difficult and complicated skill to be learned compared to other language skills. Nunan (1992 : 35) argues that learning to write fluently and meaningfully is considered the most difficult of the macro skills regardless of whether the first, second, or foreign language.  In line with Nunan, Richard and Renandya (2002 : 303) state that writing is the most difficult skill for second language (L2) students to master. The difficulty lies not only in organizing and generating ideas, but also in translating ideas into readable texts. The skills involved in writing are highly complex, so L2 students have to pay attention to higher level skills of planning and organizing as well as lower level skills of spelling, punctuation, word choice, and so on.

In addition to writing difficulties, Mukminatien (1991) argues that the difficulties are not merely caused by the students themselves but they can be caused by inappropriate techniques or ways of teaching languages. These will result in the students’ boredom and lack of motivation in learning it. Unfortunately, writing is not a favorite subject, not only for the students but also for the teachers. Very few of English teachers are interested in teaching writing because the activity needs much time to prepare and to evaluate.