1.IMPROVING STUDENTS WRITING ABILITY
BY USING PORTFOLIO

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Writing is one of subject matter that has been introduced at elementary school up to university level. It has four languages skills, namely listening, speaking, reading, and writing. From the four basic skills above, writing is one of language skills that should be mastered by students in learning English. It is considered as the most difficult skill to develop, which the students often encounter. Moreover, the students could not develop their ideas in writing. The students tended to assume that writing was something dull, so they were not interested in writing. Moreover, there are many students who did not do the tasks, did not like doing the tasks, did not give high attention to tasks given, are did not complete the tasks by himself or herself but they tended to cheat to their friends works. Some of students did not collect their work. So, they did not have a mark to their work.

It is assumed that the above problem is caused by many factors. The first is the factor on the students’ side. They are lack of motivation in writing English, it can be the condition and media. Their lack of vocabulary and grammar.

The second factor tan be on the lectures side. Teacher used the same technique for every meeting, for example in present the lesson. The teachers did not focus in writing at all. This made the students bored. And the teachers did not give enough time to write for the students in the class because their teachers spent time to explain about tenses, they did not teach writing through process of writing. And then they did not give the students marks directly. So the students were not motivated to work their assignments.

There are many factors that might cause these problems, for example, many students say that there is nothing to say or to write, The students still got difficulty to express their ideas through writing, The students have lack of motivation in writing English, The students have lack of vocabulary of writing, The techniques that teacher used were not interesting.




1.2 The nature of portfolio

Writing is one of language skill is used to express ideas, tell a massage in written form and way of sharing information on the written form. Finnochiaro (1974) say that writing in characterized as a thinking process. In this case the students are encouraged to write.

According to Barnet and Stubb (I990:3) define that writing is physical act to be performed skillfully and to bring pleasure, it requires practice. It means that writing is the involving process of hand, eyes and human brain to compose many words into a paragraph, which need skill and practice to make it. It is clear that, both practice and knowledge of how to write are important factor that influence students is writing.

Improving students writing ability, they need to do much practice. It is said that they do more practice, they will try to write. Therefore, it is hope that students like doing practice. The phrase says that practice makes perfect.
To do practice, students should know how to write. The teachers should teach the students how to write. The students need to know the ways to write. This is useful for the students to guide them to write.

Based and the definitions above, as suggested by Barnet and Stubb, it is clear that in writing, these are two factors the students should do. The first, the students need to practice writing more and more. The second, before writing the teacher should teach the students some ways of writing and kinds of writing.

The second definition of writing by Harris (1979:49) who says that writing is one component of the English learning language beside the other component such as and listening, speaking, and reading. Through writing, the writer can communicate with reader and give some information to them about what the writers think because writing is also tool of communication.

Based on the definition above, it can be said that we can communicate by writing. In writing, the writer can express his/her ideas, opinions, suggestions, and feelings to the readers. To express them, the writer should arrange their sentences into good paragraph. Therefore, the readers can comprehend of writing itself.

From the definitions above, the writer concludes that writing is a skill needs practice and knowledge. Thus, it also can be said that writing is a tool of communication and productive skill that requires physical activity of language user. Finally, writing is a skill need ability to organize and state ideas.

Types of Writing

There are five types of writing in learning how to write. Kidskonnect (2001:1) proposes the first three types of writing. They are:
1. Narrative
Narrative writing tells a personal or fictional experience or tells a story based on a real or imagined event.
2. Expository
Expository writing is writing that is designed to convey information or explain
what is difficult to understand.
3. Persuasive
writing attempts to convince the reader to accept a particular point of view or to take a specific action.
4. Descriptive
Descriptive writing is writing that is developed by description basically employs sentence describing a person, place or things.
5. Argumentative
Argumentative writing is writing that is developed by argumentation which states and then explained a point of argument often uses a logical train of thought, leading from one point to another until the position of the writer has been effectively supported. Based on the types of writing above, there a kinds of writing that the students can follow. If the students ant to improve writing, they can choose one of the types above.

Nature of Portfolio

According to Ganessee and Upshur in Devlin (2005: 1) propose that a portfolio is a purposeful collection of students work that demonstrates their efforts, progresses and achievements in given areas. Then, Anderson (1995: 307) states that a portfolio is a collection of writing in a folder, notebook, binder. In addition, Coombe and Barlow (2004: 2) define that portfolio is a purposive collection of students writing overtime that shows the stages in the writing process a text has gone through and the stages of writers growth increasingly, portfolio are being compiled in a way that allows the student to provide evidence of self-reflection. Portfolio reflect accomplishment relative to specific instructional goal or objectives. Key of Portfolios are student reflection and self-monitoring. Then they said that portfolio as a measure of writing ability. In addition, Sweet (1993: 1) said that portfolio is a collection is a collection of students work representing a selection of performance.

Based on the definitions above, portfolio is a collection of students work. And also as a Measure of students ability.

Based on the explanations above, portfolio can be defined as a set of students assignment in writing. It can be a description of students efforts and achievement for the teacher. By using students progress in learning English. Not only the teacher can take information but the students also know their achievement in developing writing. Therefore, a portfolio is a tool know the students ability in writing. Portfolio is a collection of data.

Characteristic of Portfolio

Several well-known testers have put for the list of characteristic that exemplify good portfolio. According to Paulson and Meyer in Coombe and Barlow (2004: 3) portfolio must include than students participation in four important areas:
1. The selection of portfolio contents
2. The guidelines for selection.
3. The criteria for judging merit.
4. Evidence of students reflection.

1.3 CONCLUSION

English foreign language that is studies by the students in senior high school in Indonesia. So, a creative English teacher should have a medias to attract the in studying English some media that teacher usually uses in teaching writing are portfolio.

To be successful in teaching language, teacher prepares good technique. Portfolio is a purposeful collection of students work that demonstrates their efforts, progresses and achievements in given areas.

The technique some advantages, for example, portfolio can make students feel easy in learning.