Due to the complicated nature of writing activities, many students tend to
face constraints in developing their writing skill. Some teaching practitioners (e.g.
Ong, 2011; River, 1981: 291) assume that examination papers in composition of
the world are, with few exceptions, disappointing. In addition, Ong (2011) states
that in spite of the remarkable progress in the English learning process, writing
skills still become the weakest area in the students‘ overall performance. It is
argued that writing exercises only keep students busy and out of mischief.
Besides, exercises given are mostly of conventional type in which it is easy to
construct. The inexperienced or poorly qualified teacher may take them directly
from textbook, with which an answer booklet is usually provided. They may often
be corrected as a group procedure in the classroom, and they yield a wide spread
of evaluative grades for the teacher’s records. In response to such practices, it is
therefore reasonable that students acquire difficulties in improving their writing
skill.
On the teaching and learning process of writing, there are some kinds of
media: visual media, audio media and audiovisual media used to improve the
students’ writing skill. The use of those media is expected to minimize the
students’ constraints in writing mentioned above. For that reason, the researcher
applied movies that are expected to improve students’ writing skill. It is because
movies can help the students explore and develop ideas as well as contents to
write. In addition, a movie can guide the students to construct their texts through
its story. Related to this, Champoux (2003) states that movies in literature studies
suggest some unique features that make them uncommonly powerful learning
tools. Some unique aspects of movies let the media show organizational behavior
and management concepts in an uncommonly powerful way. It is also argued that
these aspects of movies will help students understand how viewing movies can
improve their learning.
This study tries to propose a solution as a way to improve the learners’
writing skill. The teaching of writing skill must be innovative and attractive in
order to get effective learning outcomes. Reflecting on the students’ problems
related to writing skill, the use of movies in teaching writing should be attempted
to minimize those constraints on their learning process.