CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background English is international language that is widely spoken by people in the world. We can see that English is considered as the compulsory subject in Junior High School and Senior High School as well as in university level. Moreover, it is taught in the elementary school and kindergarten as the local subject since it contributes positively to their language development. The English teaching is intended to improve the four language skills namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. Each skill supports the other skills. Realizing the important role of English as international language the students are expected to have interest and ability to communicate in English either orally or written. However, among the four skills, writing is considered to be the most difficult. Many students are able to get good mark in reading test, but when they are asked to write they are very likely to make many mistakes. Christopher (1996:61) states that writing is difficult and very few people have the ability to write an essay at one sitting in a form that is adequate. Culham, Ruth (2004) states that writing is difficult and teachers often find it challenging to know what to do help those students who find writing to be a chore takes the wonderful stories they have in their mind and put them down on paper. Concerning with writing composition, students have to prepare and know everything related their composition such as topic, rules, and words to be used. As Gavin and Christopher (1996:80) suggest that there are three technical aspects of writing, punctuation, spelling and grammar. In addition, in teaching writing is lack of variation. The teachers always use the traditional methods of evaluation or assessment, so the students are lack of motivation for practicing their writing skills because: Writing is difficult The students do not know what to do Writing is not interesting In the traditional assessment of writing, the teacher assigns the students to write paragraphs about the given topics in a limited time, the students write and

hand in the papers, and then the teacher check the papers and gives written comments and a score on the papers. From the design of the evaluation procedures that did not truly reflect the students' capabilities in the application of the English language. Coming from this situation, we started to have interests in different kinds of assessments, namely portfolio assessment. The portfolio can give students to be more involved in the classroom because they feel that they have control in the classroom and in their own learning rather than just having the teacher tell them what they have to learn. 1.2 Problem Related to the previous discussion of background, the problem to be investigated is Minimizing intermediate students writing problem with portfolio assessment in the EFL classroom.

CHAPTER 2 DISCUSSION 2.1 The Writing Skill Writing is an active skill which concerns with transformation of ideas in written form. In this case, Gavin and Christopher (1993,31) state that writing, like speaking is a form of communication. Further it is stated that writing is about conveying meaning by selecting words and putting them together in written and printed form. One of the objectives of teaching English at intermediate school, students should have a sufficient writing skill, which means they are able to write in a good sentence. To achieve this objective, the students should practice writing a composition either through guided or free writing. In evaluating the students writing skill, the teacher should create test items or tasks that will be tested to the students. In accordance with these case Hughes (1989,91-93) mentions that in testing the writing skill the teacher should prepare a list of language components that will be tested to the students such as grammar, mechanics and vocabulary. Based on the idea above, a portfolio assessment is used as writing test and the elements evaluated in the students writing skill. 2.2 Writing Difficulties The most difficult problem that face in writing skill for intermediate level are grammar, mechanics and vocabulary. The students feel that they still have problem with them. In addition they feel they have problem in writing development because of limited knowledge. 2.3 Definition of Portfolio A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the students efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas of the curriculum (www.pgcps.pg.kl2.md.us/~ek/portfolio.html). The portfolio is a compilation of students' work which demonstrates how much effort they have put into their work, their progress and achievement in their learning and their reflection on the materials

chosen for the portfolio. The portfolio is beneficial not only to students but also to teachers (www. eduplace.com/rdg/literacy/assess6.html) According to Widayati (2001), portfolio concerns the following important points. Portfolio is a systematic collection made by the students and teacher. Portfolio can be used as the basic of evaluating effort, developing process, and performance, and to meet the requirement of formal evaluation. 2.3.1 The purposes of portfolio The purposes of portfolios in an English Foreign Language classroom is to increase the level of students' motivation and to give them a sense of accomplishment and ownership in their own learning, (www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/asses6.html) 2.3.2 The different types of portfolio 1. Documentation Portfolio This type is also known as the "working" portfolio. Specifically, this approach involves a collection of work over time showing growth and improvement reflecting students' learning of identified outcomes. This documentation portfolio can include everything from brainstorming activities to drafts to finished products. The collection becomes meaningful when specific items are selected out to focus on particular educational experiences or goals. It can include the bet and the weakest of student work. 2. Process Portfolio This approach documents all facets or phrases of the learning process. They are particularly useful in documenting students' overall learning process. It can show students integrate specific knowledge or skill and progress towards both basic and advanced mastery. Additionally, the process portfolio inevitably emphasizes students' reflection upon their learning process, including the use of reflective journals, think logs, and related forms of metacognitive processing. 3. Showcase Portfolio This type of portfolio is best used for summative evaluation of students' mastery of key curriculum outcomes. It should include students' very best work, determined through a combination of student and teacher selection. Only completed work should be included. In addition, this type of portfolio is

especially compatible with audio-visual artifact development, including photographs, videotape, and electronic records of students' completed work. The showcase portfolio should also include written analysis and reflections by the students upon the decision-making processes used to determine which works are included. 2.3.3 The advantages of portfolio assessment From the book of Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners, the advantages of portfolio assessment are: 1. Portfolio encourages students to reflect on their work, to analyze their progress, and to set improvement goals. 2. Portfolio can be tailored not only to individual places but also to individual students, and portfolio result can be use the plan to instruction. 3. Portfolio can contain samples of work in native language as well as in English, class. As suggested by Tierney (Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan 2001), portfolio assessment has some advantages such as: students feel they possess their work, students begins to be aware of their strengths and needs, and assessment is a common procedure for them, students begin to understand what they want to read or write, what is expected from them, how they can develop, and they begin to know their own and others strength. 2.4 The implementation of portfolio in writing According to Widayati (2001) states that in implementing portfolio, it will be beneficial for the teacher to use process writing approach, which shifts from form and accuracy to content and fluency at initial writing stages. In process writing, there are five stages of activities: pre-writing, drafting, editing, revising, and publishing. The editing and revising stages are essential parts in portfolio. In those two stages, students have opportunity to edit and revise their paper before entering them in the portfolio. In editing, students can give self-response in order to get self-feedback and do peer conference or teacher-student conference in order to obtain peer response or teacher response. depending on the medium of instructions and the goals of each

Students feel happy when their peer comment on their work, but they hold the teachers comments are important as well because the teacher is more competent than the students. It will make positive effect is indicated by students ability to identify their mistakes and their problem. Students will have more knowledge, not only from the teacher explanation but also information from many books, magazines, internet, etc. So, it will make the students be active and creative. Based on the discussion above, the implementation of portfolio assessment is conducted in an attempt to minimize the students writing problem and grow students awareness of their writing problem.

CHAPTER 3 CONCLUSION and SUGGESSTION Based on the findings of this discussion, it can be concluded that the implementation of portfolio assessment can improve the quality of students writing in term of content, organization, and language use. In addition, the result of this discussion indicate that this model of assessment can grow students positive attitude and awareness that frequent practices can develop their writing skill and that checking their own writing is necessary in order to find their strength and weakness. Portfolio also motivates them to read more, they can write more fluently and they can learn more about grammar and vocabulary. Another positive effect is indicated by students ability to identify their mistakes and their problems. Moreover, they are able to evaluate their progress they achieve by the end of the program. They feel that their paragraphs are more organized and unified; they can write paragraphs in different methods of development about various topics; they can comment on their peers work; and they can write paragraphs using more complex sentences and a wide range of vocabulary. In order to gain better writing skills, students plan to do things in the future, such as writing more paragraphs, reading more books, and studying more about grammar. In regard to the positive results of this discussion, it is recommended that portfolio assessment be implemented in other writing class, that portfolio assessment be implied in other language skill classes.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Gavin, J Fairbrain and Christopher Winch. 1996. Reading, writing and reasoning. Open University Press: Buckingham, Philadelphia. Hughes, Arthur. 1989. Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge University Press: New York. Setyono, Budi. Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners. Culham, Ruth. 2004. Using Picture Books to Teach Wrting With the Traits: An Annoted Bibliography of More than 200 Titles With Teacher-Tested Lessons. New York. (http://www.scholastic.com/) www.pgcps.pg.k12.md.us/~elc/portfolio.html www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/assess6.html widayati, Sri. 2001. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan (hal.244-251). Universitas Negeri Malang: Malang.

Minimizing Intermediate Students Writing Problem with Portfolio Assessment in EFL Classroom

By: Eriesyah Anggana Lailatul Hasanah Fitra Rusdianto Imroatus Sholihah Arima Mardiani Sigit Rafika P (050210491052) (050210491041) (050210491055) (050210491056) (050210491057) (050210491043)

ENGLISH PROGRAM (NR) FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF JEMBER 2008