My Article

Improving Writing Skill Using Diary or Journal

Zanuar Dwi Pranata Putra

University of Nusantara PGRI Kediri

Abstract

This study is conducted to discover whether or not using a diary or journal in improving writing ability. Hopefully, this article or will inspire English teacher to be more creative in creating new techniques or activities in teaching English, especially in teaching writing. As we know that between Writing skill and Diary have significant relationship. They can complete each other. It is happened because without writing skill the writer of that diary can not be good writer, and in other hand, without a technique especially writing diary, writing skill also can not be developed. It is proving that both of them are important to do and develop  since we were child.

Keywords : writing skill, diary, benefits of writing in a journal or diary

Introduction 

            Writing has become central in today’s schools and universities as a measure for  academic success. Students work hard to learn how to make more informed decisions about their writing and gain more control over improvement of English writing skill. Teachers also work hard helping students write fuller, more descriptive and specific papers. Theoretically,  writing  can  be  taught  following a  process  of  writing,  but  in  reality, it is a very complex activity that  needs  hard  work. In  teaching  learners  sow  to  write  any  type  of essay for example, teachers by the way explain to the students the process of developing an essay , in example, brainstorming,  revising, etc. Despite, all the  efforts done by students and teachers, the students’ essays are under expected.

One of University in Saudi and its college students regard writing as the most difficult component of their English language acquisition skills, “it is a complex process which is neither easy nor spontaneous for many second language learners” Hedge (2000:302). This perception is supported by the researcher’s English teaching experience in higher education in Saudi Arabia. A consensus seems to prevail among language instructors that students view writing not only as a particularly challenging discipline but as the singly most difficult aspect of English language acquisition. So that is why teacher must be creative to make their student like in writing something, one of way is writing diary. By learning to evaluate one another’s writing, students can also learn new ideas and vocabulary and internalize criteria of good writing so that they can apply them to future writing situations include writing diary. Besides, when students know they have more readers for their compositions, they are more motivated to invest efforts in writing. Another reason was the finding of research studies (e.g. Jahin, 2007; Jahin and Idrees, 2010) that indicated that writing is the most challenging skills for Saudi prospective EFL

teachers. 

Diaries  are  a  hobby  for  some  students  to  write  on  whatever  it  comes  to  their  minds  or whenever they face a difficulty. For other students, a diary is a way to improve and look for the  language  difficulties.  Teachers  sometimes  ask  their  students to  write  their  diaries  but without  telling  them  that  they  are  a  way  of  helping  them  to  improve  their  writings. Sometimes, they are discussed in the classrooms.

As  the  name  indicates,  learning  journals  have  to  do  with  learning  matters,  that  is  to  say, learners  use  this  type  of  journals or diaries  in  order  to  overcome  their  learning  difficulties.  Learning journals  can  be  written  on  a  notebook  or  even  a  tape  recorder.  Progoff  (1975)  suggests  that learning  journals  help  making  ‘inner  conversations’,  that  is  to  say,  they  help  students  make conversations with themselves (p. 87). A  diary  comes  from  daily  writing,  which  means  writing  everyday.  Progoff  (1975: 87) defines diary  as “typically a notebook, booklet of blank pages, or any source for students to record  thoughts,  reactions  to  learning  experiences,  and  even  inner  most  fears  about  a learning  activity”.  One  benefit  of  diaries  is  ‘being  able  to  look  on  specific  days  or  time periods in an attempt to sort out personal feelings. Here are the complete explanation about the theory of improving writing skill using diary or journal, that consists of writing skill, diary, and the benefit of writing in a journal or diary.