Introduction to Writing

Writing is one of the four language skills required by human beings to use language as a mean of communication in various levels. Whether you are a passionate writer or student, understanding writing is important although in the writing practice you may not need to recall what it is.

Writing as a Language Skill

Language has four main skills, namely listening, speaking, reading, and writing. These four skills are further divided into two sub-skills that cover (1) productive-receptive skill and (2) natural-non-natural skill.

Productive skills are skills required to produce language (sentence, utterance, paragraph, and so on) and this includes speaking and writing. Receptive skills are skills required to receive language and this includes listening and writing.

Natural skills are skills that are natural to human and this includes speaking and listening. Non-natural skills are skills that are not natural to human so that human must deliberately practice to master them and this incudes reading and writing.

Based on the division of language skills above, writing is categorized as productive and non-natural skill. This classification defines writing itself and determines the way to master writing skill.

Definition of Writing

In English, the word writing can be found in two word classes, noun and verb. As a noun, writing is any text in any length produced by a writer, while as a verb, writing is an activity of producing text in any length. The writer is someone who has a certain degree of writing skill.

Writing has been considered as the most difficult language skill to master. In other words, it is easier to speak than to write. It is so because of several reasons:

1. In speaking, context helps us building meaning while in writing, the context is absent.
2. In speaking, mimic and intonation influence the meaning while in writing, mimic is absent and intonation is replaced by punctuation.
3. In speaking, there is no punctuation while in writing, punctuation exists.
4. In speaking, acceptability and understandability are more important while in writing, grammaticality, acceptability, and understandability are all important.
5. In speaking, immediate correction is possible while in writing, immediate correction is not possible once the text publishes.
6. In speaking, pronunciation plays important role but pronunciation mistake is tolerable while in writing, spelling plays important role and misspelling is not tolerable.
7. In speaking, repetition and recursion are possible while in writing, repetition and recursion are limited and sometimes not tolerable.
8. In speaking, telling stories and scientific speech have no difference while in writing, each genre has their schematic structures. Etc.

Based on the list (and it can go longer), it is acceptable that writing is, to some extent, more difficult than speaking. It is also true because humans, as long as born normal, are destined to speak and listen. Writing, and reading as well, is not natural to human so human must practice writing in daily basis to master that skill.

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There is no other way to improve writing skill but practice. Writing can only be done after reading. It is through reading that our ideas generated and developed. Without ideas, even professional writers find writing difficult.

Writing can be time consuming. Therefore, mastering writing skill takes time and requires a huge level of writing motivation. Without being motivated, even brilliant ideas will stay in the mind and in turn they fade.