Synthesizing

Ways to Improve Students' Writing Skills

       Writing skills are one's skills to produce written messages from words, into sentences, into text, into a whole where the reader can understand the meaning or purpose of the writer. Writing skills is one of the English language skills that is quite important. Because, writing in English requires a lot of knowledge about the rules in writing itself, it also depends on the text we are going to write. In English, there are many kinds of texts, such as descriptive text, narrative text, recount text, report text and others. Each text, has different writing rules. Writing is also an activity that involves an iterative process, and requires a long period of thought in making the initial concept. Therefore, writing skills in English are very important to be improved. There are several journal articles that discuss how to improve students' writing skills. First, according to Milatasari (2013), argues that the process of learning English, especially in writing skills based on inquiry, can improve students' writing skills. Inquiry-based learning can be applied by teachers in learning to write in English. And teachers get good feedback from students in using learning questions based on teaching writing.

       Second, based on Dewi (2013), explaining that using cartoon films can improve students' writing skills in writing narrative texts. Third, guided writing is one way that can improve students' writing skills. In this guided writing, the teacher directs and teaches students who have difficulty using correct grammar, difficulty in developing ideas while writing, and lack of vocabulary knowledge. So, with guided writing, students' writing skills can be improved (Aryningtyas, Susilohadi, and Sarosa, 2013). Furthermore, fourthly, Imastuti, Sujoko and Suparno (2014) suggested that the use of a series of images in teaching writing in English can improve students 'attitudes toward the writer's skills, and also can increase students' motivation and confidence in writing activities during the teaching and learning process.

       And the last or fifth, Nugraha, Susilohadi and Pudjobroto (2014), they use the four-square writing method as a way to improve students' writing skills. And they argue that the use of four-square writing method applied in teaching writing in English can improve students' writing skills. From various strategies, ways or methods used to improve writing skills in English. Everything is good, appropriate and can provide changes that improve students' writing skills in English. However, it should be noted that the application implemented must be appropriate at the educational level (such as junior high school or senior high school), student feedback after the application of the method, and school facilities and infrastructure that support the use of methods in learning to write in English. In essence, if we want to improve students' writing skills in English. The teacher must be willing to use interesting learning methods, tools, or media that are easy to understand by students and students' writing skills in English can be improved.