International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)

ISSN (Online): 2319-7064

Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296

The Use of Genre-Based Approach Instruction to

Improve Students‟ Ability in Writing Short-Essays
Phatthaya Douangmala1*, Agus Widyantoro2
1*
English Education Department, Graduate School, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2
English Education Department, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Corresponding Author∗ : phatthaya93[at]gmail.com

Abstract: This paper presents a critical review of research on the use of the genre-based approach instruction in order to improve
students’ ability in writing short essays. Writing is one of the most difficult and important skills in learning the English language.
Therefore, it is not an easy task for English teacher to teach writing to EFL students. It requires the English teachers to consider what
approach they are going to apply in the classroom teaching. This paper reveals the potential benefit of genre-based approach for writing
instruction in EFL contexts. The genre-based approach has been proved to serve as an influential and benefit writing tool both learning
and teaching. A qualitative research display the outlines of the primary argumentations from the various theoretical orientations and
empirical evidence within the confines of EFL learning and teaching, especially teaching and learning writing process. For the
improvement of implementation the genre-based approach instruction, this paper attempts to theoretically justify the utilization the four
stages of implementing the genre based, as well as the ways to solve the students’ problems in learning writing through the
implementation of the genre-based approach in order to improve students’ writing skills.

Keywords: Genre-based approach instruction, Teaching and learning writing process, improvement students‟ writing ability, EFL

1. Introduction becoming more demanding in the age of entire

communication via email and other communicative
Writing is one of the language skills belong to the technologies. According to [5] explainsthere are three
productive skills. As one of English language skills, reasons making writing increasingly essential which are 1)
writing is an important skill to be learnt by students at all more international linguists arepromoting writing as their
levels. It is the mostdifficult skill because it is much more field of specialization, 2) more articles and journals are
complex than the others. As it is a complex process being published in English, and 3) more international
requiring language skills in order to express the idea. For students are pursuing their degrees in English speaking
producing effective writing task the competence in variety countries. Therefore, to improve and encourage the
of components are required, such as Grammatical students produced the effective writing is one of the
competence: the competence in grammar, lexis and important tasks for teacher to seek for the appropriate
language system knowledge; Discourse competence: the approach in order to teach English writing. For these
competence in genre and rhetorical pattern; Sociolinguistic studies, it is clearly expected that one of effective ways to
competence: the competence in using appropriate language improve student‟s writing ability was through
in different contexts; and Strategic competence: the implementing the Genre-based approach instruction for
competence in using various communicative strategies. language learning and teaching. Previous studies have
Therefore, writing itself has been identified as one of the been reported from writing instructions reveal successes in
essential skills in the world that is more than ever driven the Genre-based approach [6, 7, 8, ].Process writing is also
by text and numerical data [1, 2]. From the statement, reportedto have effect in heightening the writing abilities
writing is mental work for creating idea, thinking about andconfidence of students [8, 9, 10].
how to express them, and organizing them into statements
and paragraphs that will be explicit to a reader. Writing is On account of its important, many colleges and
a thinking process. Furthermore, writing can beplanned universities thus offer more writing courses, for example,
and given with an unlimited number of revisions before its Writing for Specific Purposes, Academic Writing,
release [3]. Writing are provided many benefits and Paragraph Writing, and so forth to students who need to
powerful to all people, in particular it is used in improve their writing.To become effective writers,
extensively in field of study and work, such as running students have to devote a greatdeal of time and effort to
businesses, explaining work tasks, official communication, continuously practice writing, which makes them feel
education, and even job applications. All of these require depressed and finally give up onwriting
writing skills to communicate in order to understand each accomplishment.In reference to this, the paper draws
other. inferences from various theoretical orientations and
empirical evidence within the confines of EFL learning
To improve student‟s writing English ability, practicing is and teaching, especially teaching and learning writing
required. Nonetheless, not only practice can allowed the process. For the improvement of implementation the
students produce effective writing compositions, but the genre-based approach instruction, the genre is the text
experiences and the communicative approaches used in types that can be identified as a culturally specific text
writing process are also essential [3, 4]. Nonetheless, types which is result from using language both in written
writing is perceived to be the hardest skill to acquire, it is and spoken forms to help accomplish something. In the

Volume 7 Issue 5, May 2018

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Paper ID: ART20182226 DOI: 10.21275/ART20182226 1141
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296
Genre-based approach to writing, students study certain
texts in genre they are going to write before they embark 3.2 Academic writing
on their writing.
Academic writing uses authentic text and examples taken
2. Methods from a wide range of discipline. Academic writing differs
from other types of writing such as journalistic or creative
This paper uses a qualitative inquiry that is based on writing. In most forms of academic writing a detached and
library documentation. Given the ground that the genre- objective approach is required. An academic argument
based approach has considerably received a hefty of appeals to logic and provides evidence in support of an
contending views, this paper finds it exceedingly important intellectual position. It is important to present our
to review previous research and the theoretical underlying arguments in logical order and to arrive at conclusions.
the significant contribution of genre-based approach to However, academic writing can take many forms. we may
second or foreign language teaching and learning of be asked to write an essay, a report, a review or a reflective
writing process. Therefore, this library-based paper article. Different styles adhere to each of these types of
theoretically analyzes research that support genre-based as academic writing, so always check with our lecturer. In
an approach in teaching and learning of writing classrooms. academic writing, writers always interact with each other‟s
Firstly, the paper reviews the theories and previous studies texts and so there will be frequent references to the ideas,
that both corroborate and oppose the concept and the thinking or research of other authors writing in this field.
process of writing and the use of genre-based approach in What we would mainly get is tips like never use the first or
teaching and learning second or foreign language second person, be formal in our own languages, things and
classrooms. Secondly, it analyzes studies that underpin the so on. we must give credit to those with whom we are
incorporation of genre-based approach as regards to its interacting and there are structured guidelines for
functions in teaching and learning of writing process and referencing and citation. Also, in academic writing it is
particularly in order to ascertain its significant contribution important that when a claim is made it is backed up by
to the improvement of students‟ ability in writing. In the reasons based on some form of evidence; it is expected
final analysis, the paper ends with the improvement that the author takes a critical approach to the material
implications with a particular focus on how teachers and being explored [16, 17].
students should maximize the genre-based in their teaching
and learning practices, much to the subsequent of In academic writing types, paragraph is one of the writing
production the writing work efficiently and effectively. types that mostly have been taught in EFL, it is a group of
sentences about a topic. A typical paragraph beings with a
3. Theoretical Based topic which introduces the topics. The supporting
sentences that follow support the ideas in the topic
3.1 Concept and process of writing sentences with explanations, reason other detail. The
concluding sentences bring the paragraph to an end.
Producing good writing is a challenging task for all Moreover, paragraphs are the one of important part of
language learners and even for native speakers of the academic writing. Well-structured paragraphs help the
language. Based on the six processes of writing which can reader understand the topic more easily by dividing up the
be used for any kind of writing, i.e. getting ideas or argument into convenient sections[18].
information, choosing ideas or information, outlining,
drafting, revising and editing [11].The activity of getting Writing an academic essay means the manners of a
ideas or information can be done using brainstorming consistent set of the ideas into argument, because of essays
techniques such as listing, mindmapping or free writing are essentially liner, they provide one idea at a time they
[12]. Listing is an activity where all ideas are listed must present their ideas in order to makes most sense to a
without rejecting any of them, because they might turn out reader. Successfully structuring an essay means attending
to be useful later on. Mind mapping is an activity where an to the readers' logics. In recent times, essay became a
idea or concept is linked to related information by drawing major part of a formal education. Secondary students are
lines. Finally, free writing is an activity of writing down all taught structured essay formats to improve their writing
thoughts continuously without worrying about skills, and essay is often used by universities in selecting
organisation or grammar. The writing process is not only a applications. In education, essays are used to judge the
structure for how to write, but also a procedure to follow mastery and comprehension of material. Students are
[13]. This statement shows that writing is a procedure that asked to explain, comment on, or assess a topic of study in
the writers have to follow step by step in order to have the form of an essay. Academic essays are usually more
good and meaningful content. The writing process contains formal than literature ones. In additional, essays writing
seven subprocesses which are considering goals for the are frequently more discursive, sometimes begin with a
writer: having a model for the reader, gathering ideas, short summary and analysis of what has previously been
organizing ideas, turning ideas into written text, reviewing written on a topic, which is often called literature review
what has been written, and editing. Moreover, there are [18].
four steps of the writing process: planning, drafting,
editing/revising, and the final version [14, 15]. 4. Writing in EFL
Writing is a skill that demands great effort and
commitment. For this reason, it is often difficult for
Volume 7 Issue 5, May 2018
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Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20182226 DOI: 10.21275/ART20182226 1142
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296
students tomaster this skill in a foreign language. Writing approach sees communicative competence as involving the
is among the most complex human activities because it mastery of different types of text [23]. It means that some
involves the development of a design idea, the capture of people is considered to have communicative competence
mental representations of knowledge, and of experience when he/she can create different text types. It is because
with subjects [19]. Without doubt, writing is considered a language is supposed to occur within texts and language is
challenging task even inone‟s mother tongue. To be able to spoken in the form of texts. Learners are required to
write is just as vital for “speakers” of a foreign language as master different types of texts since every type has its own
it is for others who speak their native tongue. Despite the purpose which is specifically different from others. The
fact that writing is not learned naturally and needs to be genre-based approach designed to encourage language
systematically taught, it is essential for communication [13] learning as a social process.
For this reason, it constitutes a fundamental aspect of
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) courses. The process of learning with the genre-based approach
There is a demand today for teachers with a high level of includes joint construction and scaffolding in which
pedagogical understanding and expertise in the different students and the teacher work together. At the stage,
aspects of writing instruction, from curriculum students are provided with opportunities to interact with
development, to classroom pedagogy, to assessment [20]. other students through activities, and also consult with the
Consequently, teachers should remain informed of these teacher through guidance that given. The collaboration
aspects of the teaching-learning process and acquire should be occurred among students, as long as between
expertise in EFL writing instruction. One of the key students and the teacher.
problem area is the mother tongue influenced, which is the
tendency of the learners to employ the rules of the native The Genre-based approach views writing as essentially
language since they do not know the structures of the concerned with knowledge of a language, and as being tied
target language[21]. closely to a social purpose, while the development of
writing is mainly viewed as the analysis and imitation of
5. Genre-based Approach in Learning and the contribution inthe form of texts provided by the
Teaching Writing teacher.the process approach basically represents a
reaction against the product-based approach whereas the
Before we wrestle around the concept of genre-based genre-based approach represented a reaction to the so-
approach, it is important to have a clear understanding of called the progressivist curriculum [24]. In addition, the
what the term “genre” means. The genre has been long genre-based approach because of its limit focus on
considered and recognized as a word that refers to different language and text and its lack of attention to the
literary discourse such as sonnets, tragedies, and romances. instructional and disciplinary contexts in which texts are
However, theterm „genre‟ now has shifted, in terms of constructed [25]. To point out how rhetorical instruction
what it is referred to. The genre is said to be different types plays aroleas pivotal in writing improvement as prior
of communicative events. When people are knowledge. In this context, the genre-based approach is
communicating with others in a specific situation, they really useful because it brings together formal and
have an intention or function that becomes the goal of their functional properties of a language in writing instruction,
activity in that situation. This function, then, brings its own and it acknowledges that there arestrong associations
genre [22]. The genre, which is also known as a text, it is between them [26]. There is no doubt that writing tasks
the use of language in specific contexts. The text or genre can be more demanding than other language skills, thus
refers to structured sequences of language that are used in students at the lowlevel of proficiency absolutely need
specific context in specific ways [23]. People make text something that they can depend on since they have limited
when they are communicating with others, which is exposure to English writing.
different from each stage and depending on the context.
The context and the way of people communicating are 6. The Use of Genre-based Approach in
specific since differences in one or both points will bring Instruction
different texts. For example, a conversational exchange
with a friend is different from another one with a teacher The genre-based approach instruction has come to be an
on the phone. The differences among genres or texts could important part of ethnographic research in the writing
be in the form of, such as organization and content. classroom [1]. The genre-based approach has as a goal the
creation of “a conscious understanding of target genres and
Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that the ways language creates meanings in context”. When
genre or text is communicative events or languages applied used effectively, it can be seen as amore pointed version of
which is occurred in a specific context. It bears a complete ethnography in which students identify a community that
meaning or intention to convey. It has a function that theywill be asked to join or are hoping to join in the future,
comes with the goal of communication. Due to the fact and they look closely at the frameworks present in the
that every genre has a different function or meaning, the written genres of that community [26].
genre is specific and it is different from others in terms of
organization, content, and language features. However, the genre-based approach has the potential to
point the majority of focus on the formal featuresof the
The genre-based approach is an approach which is also genre, more specifically on researched essays rather than
known as text-based instruction. It is an approach that uses how to raise an understanding of the genre characteristics.
texts as a means of learning a language. The genre-based The goal of the genre-based approach then becomes
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Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY
Paper ID: ART20182226 DOI: 10.21275/ART20182226 1143
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296
instilling greater genre awareness in students, which will expected to comprehend the text types in English. Since
allow them to approach writing situations and determine themastery of text types is involved in communicative
how to succeed in those situations by following or competence, at this stage students‟ competence in
disobeying the rules [27]. Therefore, the genre-based communication is developed.
approach in teaching writing should help students become
more autonomous writers who have agency and use that 8. Conclusion
agency to accomplish goals with the strength of voice.
Indeed, the current direction of L2 writing seems to be The principal argument of this paper stresses that use of
moving toward a focus on learner autonomy, which will the genre-based approach is one of the potential approach
lead students to paygreater attention to the processes in teaching and learning of writing process, specifically
involved in writing and how those processes can be English language, teaching and learning process in EFL
applied to the world outside of the classroom. environments. To illustrate its potentiality, the paper
critically reviews relevant literature regarding the
The genre-based approach consists of the awareness of the practicality of the functions of the genre-based approach
particular cultures utilize different genres, which means plays in learning English as foreign language settings. In
that L2 students may not have the schema necessary for reference to the above examination, it clearly indicates that
most academic writing in the English language. This alternating approaches during the process of teaching and
knowledge, then, urges teachers to go further in writing learning of writing, specifically in learning English writing,
instruction and challenge students to explore the specific the genre-based becomes an approach that suitable for EFL
contexts in which the genre is most often used. Such learner in order to produce and practice in English
exploration allows students to see not only how texts are language contexts. This observation puts aside the notion
structuredwithin the student‟s chosen discourse that the genre-based approach is practiced students to write
community but also to investigate why they arewritten as sub-consciously by English teachers during their
they are [28]. In order to be successful writers, the learners classroom teaching practices. While this paper
mustunderstand the patterns and expected characteristics acknowledges the notion that excessive use of genre-based
of the writing task that he/she is approaching. This in EFL classrooms may lead to students being overly
awareness is developed throughout the genre-based writing dependent and confident with their writing works. It
class. nonetheless encourages teachers to use it in a complete
view of it as a teaching and learning tool that facilitates
7. To improve Students’ Writing through students‟ ability and knowledge of their writing skills in
Implementing the Genre-based approach order to construction in the target language, and most
significantly, that it enhances interpersonal interaction
All the previous principles that mentioned are gathered in between themselves and the teachers, much to the ultimate
the teaching and learning cycle of the genre-based increase of teaching and learning efficiency. Thus, it is on
approach. They are integrated into the stages of the genre- this ground that this paper suggests that the use of genre-
based cycle. There are five stages in order to based approach in teaching and learning of writing is the
implementation the genre-based to improve students‟ most significant approach. However, it can be conclude
ability and that the teacher and students go through to that the teacher is implementation of genre-based approach
achieve the objectives of the learning and teaching, that is, represents the well implementation of genre-based
mastery of a text type and improve their writing skills [29]. approach in the teaching of writing. The teacher
Firstly, to build the context the tudents are introduced to implements the genre-based approach in his/her design of
the social context, explore features of the general cultural lesson plan, in the classroom teaching, and she/he should
context and explore the immediate context of situation. give more attention to the elements of teaching writing,
Second is to model and deconstructing the text. In this such as feedback and scoring system. In addition, the
stage the students investigate the structural pattern and overall the activities should be arranged and implemented
language features of the model and compare the model them in relevant with the theory of genre-based approach.
with other examples of the text type. Third stage is joint Thus, this paper is strongly of the view that further
construction of the text, the students start to contribute in research may be needed to explore more on how the genre-
order to the construction of the entire examples of the text based approach facilitates the improvement of students‟
type and the teacher gradually reduces the contribution to ability in learning writing.
next construction while students move closer to being able
to control the text type independently. Forth, independent References
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Paper ID: ART20182226 DOI: 10.21275/ART20182226 1144
 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296
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Paper ID: ART20182226 DOI: 10.21275/ART20182226 1145