2

the revision process, and the importance of voice in writing. Donald

Graves, in writing instruction, is remembered for his research on

teaching writing and the role of modeling in writing instruction. These

authors have made significant contributions to the field of writing

studies, advancing our understanding of writing processes, strategies,

instruction, assessment, and the impact of technology on writing

practices.

Writing has an important role to play in the creation and training

of intellectuals. It conveys prose thoughts, expectations, desires, and

plans, which need knowledge rather than expertise (Daud, et. al.,

2016; Kassem, 2017). When English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

learners are more competent in writing, they are beginning to extend

their knowledge of the target language further and move beyond their

learned abilities. The written achievement can be described as the

written presentation of one's ideas in a second or a foreign language,

and with fair precision and accuracy (Erenler & Cetin, 2019).

Writing is an important aspect of interacting with other people.

There are many ways for us to inspire, educate, and make connections

with others. The main aspect of education is often having students

improve their communication skills or desire to engage in

communication. Teachers and educators use various methods and

activities to help students develop expertise in teaching. This involves

 3

the usage of mentoring texts, comprehensive guidance on various

ways of writing, and the ability to learn.

Furthermore, writing skills are one of the skills that must be

learned by language students. According to Byrne (1988), writing is an

activity intended to convey ideas or feelings in the form of structured

sentences by using graphic symbols in a medium. Writing is noted as a

difficult skill that requires more attention. This is because someone

requires many supporting factors to be able to write. This is in line with

the statement that writing is a difficult skill to teach and learn because

it is complex and needs grammatical, rhetorical devices, conceptual,

and mental elements (Byrne, 1988). This means that writing is not

easy to do without preparation. However, writing is an important skill

that students in all levels of language learning need to master.

According to Chappell as cited in Klimova (2012), writing is important

because it can help a person with many things such as expressing

personality, encouraging communication, improving thinking skills,

creating logical persuasive arguments, giving and receiving feedback,

and preparing for education and work.

Writing, as well as speaking, is a skill that produces an

expressive product. Through writing, writers can convey ideas and

convince others. According to Hyland (2003), writing is a way of

sharing personal ideas that are built on a particular topic. He added

that writing is also defined as a development process that forces a

 4

person to stimulate and generate ideas. In addition, Nunan (2003) as

cited in Novariana et al. (2018), states that writing is a thinking

process that includes thinking activities to generate ideas, to convey

ideas, and to compile ideas into good writing. Hence, the effectiveness

of using sentences to convey ideas is part of the goodness of writing,

which makes it easier for the readers to understand the meaning of the

writing. Writing also means using coherently arranged words to

express an idea or information. Furthermore, Byrne (1988) stated that

writing is an activity to form and arrange symbols based on certain

rules so that the symbols can form words and sentences. He also

added that writing means producing sentences that are arranged and

connected with other sentences to become a harmonious form.

Moreover, Langan (2010) claims that writing is a discovery skill activity

that carries out several steps that are often winding. He further

mentioned that writing is an exploratory activity that requires specific

details to strengthen the ideas developed, so writing also becomes a

continuous process of discovery. Similarly, Oshima and Hogue (2007)

define writing as an ongoing activity. One needs to think about what

and how the next idea is written to support the idea that has been

written before. According to Axelrod and Cooper (2010), writing

activities can support one's mind to be creative, logical, and organized.

They show that writing is an important skill to learn for everyone who

learns a language so that one can develop the mind. Oshima and
 5

Hogue (2007) further explained that thinking, reading, writing,

connecting, correcting, and revising are some of the processes

required in writing activities.

Overall, writing requires good preparation with the support of

many skills to create ideas that can be translated into perfect writing

for the reader to comprehend a text.

The process of writing, according to Harmer (2004), is a method

that people use to write texts. He states that there are four steps in the

writing process which includes planning, drafting, editing and final

version. Planning is the earliest stage of the writing process. It is a part

of the writing process that is important to do before writing begins. By

planning, a writer will find it easier to organize ideas. There are various

activities carried out by the writer at the planning stage. One of them

is brainstorming. According to Oshima and Hogue (1999),

brainstorming is a useful and an important activity for generating ideas

in the writing process, so writing will become faster and more efficient

in the next step. He added that listing, free writing, and clustering are

techniques of brainstorming that can be done. Moreover, the writer can

make notes or keywords from the topic of the writing. The writer can

also start writing ideas in small parts to support their thinking concept

in the next stage.

Drafting is the second stage of the writing process. In this stage,

the writer begins to write down their ideas in a semi-structured format.

 6

In the drafting process, the writer may focus more on the content of

the writing than on the writing system so that all thoughts, ideas, and

feelings can be put into writing without messing with the rules of

writing itself. There is no perfect writing at the beginning stage

because it will need improvement and development throughout the

writing process (Oshima & Hogue, 1999). To facilitate the writing

process, writers can refer to concepts that have been prepared before

writing is done.

The third stage of the writing process is editing which is also

known as revising or reflecting stage. According to Langan (2010),

revising is one of the core activities in the writing process which

requires rewriting by considering what has been written so that it

becomes stronger. In the editing stage, the writer needs to reread the

text he has written in the drafting stage. Rereading aims to find parts

of the text that are deemed inappropriate. It can mean that the writing

has an ambiguous and confusing meaning. Therefore, the editing

process can be done by adding supporting information, changing the

subject, and rearranging the structures.

According to Harmer (2004), to make appropriate editing, the

writer can ask other people or writers for suggestions regarding the

writing he has written. The final version is the last stage of the writing

process. In this stage, the writer ensures that the final writing is

polished before the writer publishes the writing. This means that the
 7

writer needs to reread the writing that has gone through the editing

stage. Even though the writer has edited the draft, it is necessary to

double-check it to make sure it is free from errors because the final

version may also need a little or a lot of changes. Oshima and Hogue

(1999) mentioned that writing is an iterative process that is completed

when the author is satisfied with the results of his writing. In the last

stage, the writer needs to pay attention to errors and accuracy of the

draft, which must match the details that have been given.

Writing is indeed a complex activity and students may find

difficulty in following the writing process. Students’ difficulties in

writing can be attributed to various factors. According to Alfaki (2015),

five factors can cause students' difficulties in writing. The first one has

to do with the nature of writing. Writing is an activity that requires

mastery of writing knowledge so that it is not difficult to do. According

to Pratiwi (2015), the basic thing that becomes difficult for someone in

writing lies in a person's ability to use aspects of language in writing

such as punctuation, spelling, grammatical, vocabulary, and so on. He

added that a writer can describe their ideas in structured writing if the

writer masters writing skills. This means that students who do not have

good writing knowledge will have difficulty in writing. In addition, the

lack of writing knowledge can make students commit errors. The

second factor is the lack of motivation. Motivation is an important thing

that students need to have as a supporting factor for writing skills.

 8

Harmer (2007) states that motivation is an inner state that can provide

encouragement and regulate attitudes directly. He described

motivation as a kind of control within a person that spurs a person to

achieve certain goals by doing something. It can be concluded that

students' writing skills not accompanied by good writing motivation are

not perfect. This causes students to be lazy in writing which will affect

the development of their interests and writing skills. The third factor is

inadequate time. Writing is an activity that takes time. This is because

many things need to be done in the writing process, such as making

plans, formulating ideas, editing drafts, and finishing drafts. If students

have insufficient time to write, it will be difficult. According to Brown

(2001), the right amount of time for writing can make students write

well while limiting writing time can make students demand writing. It

can be concluded that writing within a small amount of time can make

students feel pressured. This can make it difficult for them to write,

resulting to suboptimal writing. Developing the habit of writing within a

time limit is essential before students can master writing within a

specified time frame. The fourth factor is the lack of practice. Writing is

a skill that requires practice before mastery. According to Ismail

(2011), when students devote their interest and take the time to

practice writing, their writing skills can develop. This statement proves

that the lack of writing practice can affect students' writing skills.

Students will feel that writing is difficult because their writing skills are
 9

not honed. By practicing writing often, difficulties can be overcome

gradually. Lastly, the lack of teacher feedback can also cause writing

difficulties. Brown (2001) states that giving feedback to students is an

important thing to do in the writing process to improve students'

writing skills. According to Wahyuni (2017), giving feedback will make

students pay more attention to their strengths and weaknesses in

writing so that they will also be able to take advantage of their

strengths and improve their weaknesses. This means that if the writing

feedback provided by the teacher is lacking, then this can hinder

students from reducing their difficulties in writing.

One of the writing activities frequently given in schools is writing

descriptive texts. Descriptive text is a text that provides images to the

reader regarding the object presented in a topic. According to Axelrod

and Cooper (2010), description is writing that evokes imagination of

what is happening by creating a clear and distinctive picture. In

addition, Zemach and Rumisek (2003) state that a descriptive

paragraph explains how something looks or feels. Gerot and Wignell

(1994) also define descriptive text as a text that contains descriptions

made by the writer to readers about specific things such as a person,

difference, animal, or event. It can be concluded that a vivid

description brings writing to life, allowing the reader to fully immerse in

it.
 10

Descriptive texts are written with descriptive language which

aims to describe a specific area, thing, or person, to describe a unique

location and explain why it is unique, to describe the most significant

person in one’s life, and to describe the habitat of an animal in a

report. The generic structures of descriptive texts, according to

Hartono in Yanora (2005), are identification and description.

Identification means to identify the person, location, or thing to be

described, while description involves describing parts, attributes, and

features. The term "description" refers to the separation of one person,

item, place, or event from all others to show what the selected topic is

like. It is found in circumstances that demand specific information. For

instance, to be effective, police reports, order letters, lab tests, and

leases all require description. Furthermore, by putting feeling, sound,

taste, smell, and appearance of things into words, description

recreates a sensory impression. The reader can imagine a place or a

person by using their imagination, or understand a sense or an

emotion by using description.

In writing descriptive texts, the writer needs to provide a realistic

description of the object. Langan (2010) states that a writer must

explain as clearly as possible to describe the word. He also added that

writers must pay attention to specific details related to the senses,

such as sighting, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching, to write a

descriptive text. This will make the writing in the descriptive text
 11

colorful. According to Knapp and Watkins (2005), writing a descriptive

text is one of the first skills used by new language learners. It is also

said to be one of the basic functions of the language system. In

addition, the writer can organize the writing by categorizing an infinite

variety of experiences, observations, and interactions in writing

descriptive text, either subjectively or objectively. Furthermore,

Axelrod and Cooper (2010) purport that by using descriptions, writers

can give an impression, illustrate ideas, provide information, and

support arguments about something to the reader.

In writing a descriptive text, several factors may affect students’

skills in writing English. In a study conducted by Haridayi and Wennyta

(2018) involving the tenth-grade students of SMAN 11 Jambi academic

year 2017/2018, identified primary difficulties encountered by the

students. The first difficulty is the problem of developing the ideas for

starting and ending the paragraph. The second one is difficulty in

organizing the ideas in a descriptive text. The last one is difficulty is

encountering confusion in writing their ideas about the topic, arranging

and developing the sentences into good paragraphs.

Similarly, Perdani (2022) conducted research in Indonesia which

aimed to know the difficulties encountered by students. He let the

students write a descriptive text of a person and an animal and

interviewed them by group. It was found out that the commonly

encountered difficulty in descriptive writing of people and animals is

 12

utilizing good grammar and arrangement. Furthermore, the sources of

the difficulties are a lack of knowledge, poor initial knowledge, and

poor memory.

Another study in Indonesia by Manullang (2020) focused on

descriptive writing. The researcher asked the respondents for their

definition of descriptive text, then, gave an hour to write a descriptive

text about places, people and animals. Afterwards, the text was

analyzed based on the generic structure. He had fifteen (15) students

tested and only five got the correct identification and correct

description, the ten (10) students got incorrect description and

identification. He suggested that English teachers be used as a

material to add their knowledge about students’ difficulties in writing

descriptive text.

In the study conducted by Nurfidoh and Keraviate (2021), the

same strategy was utilized. They presented the findings through a

table showing the results of the error analysis they had done. They

discovered that the factors that caused students’ difficulties in writing

descriptive text are a lack of interest in learning English, poor

understanding of the generic structure of the descriptive text, poor

grammar knowledge use, and low motivation in writing descriptive

text. Comparatively, in a study by Asyikin (2021), the majority of

students in MADDI Kulo has a low level in writing descriptive texts. The

findings showed that 65.22% of students still commit a lot of errors in

 13

writing descriptive text like developing and organizing ideas, grammar,

vocabulary, and mechanics, and also in writing sentences and correct

spelling.

Yoandita (2019) conducted a study among students enrolled in

vocational schools. The study discovered that the major difficulties

encountered by students are in developing ideas and organizing ideas

in writing descriptive texts.

In another study conducted by Apriliana et al. (2020) in SMAN 4

Sanayang in 10th grade 2018-2019, the difficulties students come

across in writing descriptive text are difficulty in choosing the topic

related to the subject, developing ideas related to the topic, writing

descriptive texts with correct grammar, and lack of vocabularies.

Moreover, in a study by Kasisni et al. (2019), the seventh graders

in the junior high school in Cimahi had the most errors in writing

descriptive texts. Most of the errors committed are omission,

adding/addition, malformation and misordering. Cipta et al. (2021) who

conducted a study in Jebus Bangka found out that the main difficulties

in writing descriptive texts were in describing objects in detail,

grammar mastery, spelling, and poor vocabulary.

Turnip et al. (2019) concluded in their study that there were still

students who had difficulties in writing descriptive text properly and

correctly, especially in using the correct generic structure including

coherent transition from one sentence to another, putting the correct

 14

punctuation and correct choice of words. Noprianto (2017) who

conducted a study at the Indonesia University of Education (UPI) stated

that the major problems of the students in writing a descriptive text

are the inability to adjust the social function of the text, difficulty in

writing descriptive text with chronological schematic structures, and

difficulty in filling the text with appropriate language features.

Yaumil et al. (2020) conducted their research study at the

University of Islam Malang and found some difficulties in writing

descriptive texts including developing ideas, organizing ideas, poor

grammar knowledge, lack of vocabulary, and generic structure.

Situmorang and Manurong (2020) also found that difficulties in writing

descriptive text were in the use of prepositions, creating articles, and

correct grammar. Ismayanti and Kholiq (2020) found that the

difficulties among the tenth-grade students of SMAN I Sukodawi were a

lack of proficiency in grammar and in arranging correct words and

sentences, lack of knowledge relating to the subject content of the

script to be written, and lack of interest in learning English. Their

findings concide with the results of the study conducted by Afiani

(2022) among the VIII class students of a private school in Jakarta

which concluded that the difficulties encountered by the students were

lack of mastery in grammar and vocabulary, low motivation, lack of

writing practice, and inadequate time (limited time to write).

 15

The aforementioned studies illustrate how students experience

difficulties in writing texts particularly in grammar, vocabulary,

organization and mechanics. This is due to the nature of writing a

descriptive text which includes various components that work together

to form a unified and comprehensible text.

One of the components of a descriptive text is the content which

refers to the topic that is used by the writer in writing a descriptive

text. A writer should find a suitable topic for writing the text. Also, the

details of the topic is also important in writing a descriptive text. Brown

(2001) suggests that in writing an English text, content constitutes

30% of the overall effectiveness. Therefore, the writer needs to pay

attention to the content in writing a descriptive text.

Another crucial component of writing is organization which

involves skillful arrangement of ideas in a descriptive text. This

encompasses the generic structure of the descriptive writing, namely,

identification and description. Identification is essential in descriptive

writing as it enables writers to avoid vague statements within a

paragraph. Essentially, learners should pinpoint specific subjects to be

elaborated upon in the text. In the identification phase, the learners

introduce the subject serving as the introductory paragraph.

Subsequently, the description phase ensues which consists of a

detailed explanation of the subject is described including the

characteristics, qualities, and constituent parts. Novita (2014) states

 16

that description is a part of a paragraph explaining the object

described. Therefore, the learner should describe the information

completely that is related to the topic.

Another crucial element in writing lies in the grammatical

features of the descriptive text which focus on using language

characteristics. Specifically, sentences within descriptive texts employ

the simple present tense, adjectives for noun clarification, and action

verbs for portraying movement or activity (Toago & Usman, 2013).

Subsequently, a writer should master the use of the simple present

tense. Proficiency in descriptive writing not only facilitates clear

expression of ideas but also enhances the overall writing quality.

Additionally, understanding the patterns of simple present tense

encompassing subject, verbal, and nominal sentences, is paramount

for effective instruction. Moreover, adjectives play an important role in

descriptive writing. They enrich the reader’s understanding by

providing more details about the subject. Butt et al. (2012) stated that

adjectives in descriptive text describe the subject by providing

information about the object described in clauses, nouns, or noun

phrases.

Vocabulary is another essential element of writing a descriptive

text. A writer can simply make the reader understand the text's main

point from the vocabulary used in writing the text. Johnson et al.

(2013) highlighted the importance of vocabulary selection in writing an

 17

English descriptive text emphasizing the need for effective choices that

accurately represent the subject. It means that the learner should pay

attention in choosing the correct word that is suitable for the context.

Incorrect vocabulary usage can lead to misunderstanding and can

hinder comprehension.

Another component of writing is mechanics which is an aspect in

writing refers to the writer's ability to write the text correctly using

punctuation and spelling (Heaton, 1988). Similarly, Afifuddin (2016)

defines mechanics in writing as using capitalization, punctuation, and

spelling correctly. Punctuation is a term that refers to marks that are

used to organize and clarify texts, primarily by separating or

connecting words, clauses, and phrases. According to Oshima and

Hogue (2006), proper punctuation is critical because it conveys

meaning. Spelling, on the other hand, indicates how the word appears.

If the writer uses incorrect spelling, the result will be unintelligible

words.

Effectively utilizing the abovementioned features of writing helps

writers achieve the goal of writing a descriptive text which is to provide

the reader with a vivid picture of a person, location, thing, or event. By

using description as a tool in writing, authors can influence others to

think or act in certain ways. It also allows them to entertain, and

express emotions. Because description is emotive in nature, it

frequently aids writers in sharing their thoughts.

 18

Therefore, this research study focused on assessing students’

ability to write descriptive texts particularly targeting the difficulties

faced by the BSE first-year students of IFSU Lagawe Campus in their

descriptive text writing endeavors.

Theoretical Framework

The objective of this research is to investigate the challenges

faced by BSE first-year students at IFSU Lagawe Campus when writing

descriptive texts. This study aims to identify the specific difficulties

encountered by these students, explore the underlying reasons for

these challenges, and propose recommendations to address and

overcome these difficulties effectively.

This study is guided by the Discourse Theory also known as

Discursive Psychology. It is a method of analyzing and understanding

communication that emphasizes how language shapes and constructs

social reality. This theoretical framework originated from the work of

French philosopher, Michel Foucault, and has been further developed

by scholars such as Judith Butler, Ernesto Laclau, and Chantal Mouffe

(Macdonell,1992).

Discourse Theory posits that language is not just a tool for

expressing pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but rather, that language

actively constructs and shapes the world around us. It focuses on how

power, knowledge, and social identities are produced and maintained

 19

through discourse. By examining how language is used in different

contexts, discourse theory seeks to uncover the underlying power

dynamics and social structures that shape our understanding of the

world.

One key concept within Discourse Theory is the idea of discursive

formation, which refers to how language constructs and organizes

knowledge within a specific social context. Discourse Theorists argue

that different social groups may have competing or conflicting

discourses that shape their understanding of reality and guide their

actions. Overall, Discourse Theory provides a lens through which to

analyze how language, power, and social relations intersect and shape

our understanding of the world.

Discourse Theory can greatly impact writing descriptive texts, as

it focuses on how language is used to create meaning and construct

reality. In descriptive writing, it can help writers understand how

language shapes and represents the objects or events being described.

According to Fairclough (2001), Discourse Theory emphasizes

the role of power relations, ideologies, and social structures in shaping

language use. This means that descriptive texts are not just neutral

descriptions of reality, but are influenced by the social, cultural, and

political contexts in which they are produced.

Additionally, van Dijk (2009) argues that Discourse Theory can

help writers analyze how descriptive texts construct identities,

 20

boundaries, and hierarchies. By examining the language choices and

framing techniques used in descriptive writing, writers can gain

insights into how certain perspectives are privileged or marginalized.

Additionally, it can also be valuable in identifying difficulties in writing

descriptive text by examining how language is used to construct

meaning and convey information. Discourse analysis can help writers

better understand how certain linguistic choices can impact the clarity

and effectiveness of their descriptions.

One study that explored the application of Discourse Theory in

language writing is by Hyland (2009) who discussed how discourse

analysis can be used to uncover the complexities of academic writing

and identify areas where students may struggle to create descriptive

and detailed texts.

Additionally, Fairclough (2013) argues that discourse analysis

can uncover the power dynamics and ideologies at play in language

use, which can help writers better understand the social contexts in

which their descriptions are situated.

By applying Discourse Theory to the analysis of descriptive texts,

students can gain insights into how language shapes meaning and how

they can improve the clarity and effectiveness of their descriptions.

Conceptual Framework
 21

This section discusses the flow of the study to elaborate the

paradigm that consists of the input, process, and output (IPO).

The process is about how the researchers will conduct their study

in the specific areas. The researchers will provide a topic which the

students will write about. With this, the researchers are expecting the

respondents’ participation and cooperation in providing their best

descriptive text. The respondents will be given enough time to do the

given activity while researchers observe and take notes. After the

activity, the researchers will analyze the data.

The output explains the expected results of the researchers

regarding the research. This research will be able to identify the

different difficulties the students in their writing abilities in writing

descriptive texts. Through the identified difficulties, the researchers

will distinguish and find suggested ways for the students to overcome

the challenges in writing a descriptive text.

INPUT PROCESS Output

1. Profile of the respondent. 1. The researchers will provide 1. Difficulties of students in
a topic for the students to writing descriptive text
make an Descriptive text. 2. Remedial activities to
2. Researchers will observe overcome difficulties
while the respondents are
answering.
3. Researchers will analyze the
data
 22

Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

Statement of the Problem

This research study aims to find out the difficulties encountered

by the students in writing descriptive texts utilizing the English

language. Specifically, this research sought to answer the following

questions:

1. What are the various difficulties faced by the first-year BSE

students in writing descriptive texts?

2. What are the reasons behind the difficulties?

3. What are remedial ways to overcome the difficulties?

Significance of the Study

The study helps offer students practical solutions to the

difficulties they face in descriptive writing. Upon completion, the

researchers are expected to provide or share their results and

recommendations, enriching both students and teachers within the

said school and department. By providing a platform for students to

articulate their ideas and writing struggles, this research facilitates a

collaborative learning environment where the students are able to

share their ideas and their difficulties in writing descriptive text.

Moreover, implementing the suggested solutions can empower

respondents to overcome their difficulties and showcase their

 23

enhanced descriptive writing skills, ultimately producing enhanced

literary pieces.