L2 Writing Proficiency and Mastery of Complex Sentence: A Study of Indonesian English Education Major University Students

L2 Writing Proficiency and Mastery of Complex Sentence Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics Vol. 3 No. 1, 2018 eISSN: 2503-4197, pISSN: 2527-5070 www. indonesian-efl-journal.org L2 Writing Proficiency and Mastery of Complex Sentence: A Study of Indonesian English Education Major University Students Adaninggar Septi Subekti English Education Department, Duta Wacana Christian University, Indonesia e-mails: , Abstract: This study investigated the extent of learners’ mastery of complex sentences in predicting L2 writing proficiency. This study used forty essays of ten students of English Education Department. It found that complex sentences became the most frequently written sentences in the analysed essays. The mean of their level of mastery was 57.58%, suggesting that their mastery in general was quite low. Furthermore, learners’ number of complex sentences did not have any significant relationship with L2 writing proficiency, r (40) = -.08, p > .05, but their level of mastery of complex sentences positively correlated with their writing proficiency, r (40) = .44, p < .01, suggesting that number of complex sentences regardless of grammaticality did not significantly correlate with L2 writing proficiency and only grammatically correct complex sentences, seen through learners’ mastery, had positive correlation with L2 writing proficiency. Furthermore, learners’ mastery of complex sentences could predict 19% of their writing proficiency, R2 = .19. From the results, implications and limitations of the study as well as suggestions on future studies were stated. Keywords: L2 writing proficiency, complex sentences, mastery Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, Vol. 3(1), 2018 19 L2 Writing Proficiency and Mastery of Complex Sentence 1. INTRODUCTION Second language (L2) learning typically involves various aspects, among which writing plays in a very important role. Learners typically need to learn four basic skills of the language, which are reading, listening, speaking, as well as writing, and three basic elements, which are vocabulary or lexicon, grammar, and pronunciation. Among Indonesian learners of English, writing, more specifically, is probably often considered relatively more difficult compared to the other language skills. In regard with this, Oshima and Hogue (2006) attributed learners’ difficulties in writing to the various components learners need to master in order to write well. They include content, organization, language use, vocabulary or lexicon, as well as mechanics such as spelling and punctuations (Oshima & Hogue, 2006). Furthermore, Hartfield, Jacobs, Zinkgraft, Wormuth, and Hughey (1985) asserted that communicating ideas to readers becomes the primary purpose of writing and thus contents become the most important component of writing and the other components, such as language use, vocabulary, organization, and mechanics, should support this primary purpose. In other words, writing proficiency can be measured through how well learners convey their ideas or topics using accurate grammar, coherent organization, various and relevant dictions, as well as good mechanics (Hartfield et al., 1985). In relation with that, grammar is often considered a frame through which learners can express ideas or meaning (Krashen & Terrell, 1983; Radford, 1990) and as such grammar mastery is an important aspect contributing to writing performance. Bram (1995), however, asserted that writing grammatically accurate sentences in writing is not enough. Expressing ideas in complex sentences, he continued, will enhance the flow of thoughts much more smoothly compared to expressing ideas in series of simple sentences. That is because complex sentences allow learners to put emphasised ideas in independent clauses, and the less important idea in dependent clauses. This statement gives some kind of support to the importance of the mastery of complex sentences in enhancing writing performance compared to other grammatical aspects. 1.1 Rationales Acknowledging the importance of complex sentence in writing, Cahyono, Mukminatien, and Amrina (2016) investigated the relationship between the number of complex sentences learners’ write and their L2 writing proficiency with undergraduate students of English Department as the participants. They found that there was a significant correlation between the number of complex sentences and learners’ L2 writing proficiency. As such, there was a tendency that the more complex sentences students wrote the higher their writing scores tended to be. They also found that complex sentences became the most frequently written sentences among all types of sentences. In line with that, Subekti (2017) found that 48.5% of all sentences English Education undergraduate student participants wrote in their essays were complex sentences. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, Vol. 3(1), 2018 20 L2 Writing Proficiency and Mastery of Complex Sentence Despite the possible contributions of the previous studies on complex sentences in writing contexts among Indonesian students above, there are still some points that need to be further investigated. First, Cahyono et al.'s (2016) study investigated the relationship between L2 writing proficiency and the number of complex sentences, whether or not these sentences were grammatical. Some people may be left wondering whether or not the accuracy of these written complex sentences contributed to learners’ L2 writing proficiency as measured with their scores. There was also a possibility that these complex sentences contained errors and still significantly had positive correlation with writing scores regardless. However, if the intention is to find the possible role of grammar in writing context, investigation of the relationship between learners’ mastery of complex sentence seen from the percentage of correct complex sentences rather than merely the number of complex sentences per se should be more emphasised. In addition, this study can inform both teachers of Writing class and Structure class at any English Education Departments in Indonesia on possible pedagogical actions in accordance with the findings in the field of grammar especially complex sentences, writing, and the relationship between them. 1.2 Research questions Based on the rationales mentioned above, this study seeks to answer the following research questions: 1. How is the relationship between their number of complex sentences and their L2 writing proficiency? 2. How is the English Education Department’s students’ mastery of complex sentences? 3. To what extent does their mastery of complex sentences predict their L2 writing proficiency? 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Debates on the Position of Grammar Teaching in L2 Learning Before the elaboration on complex sentences, the bigger umbrella under which complex sentences are located in L2 learning components, grammar, should be put forward first. Despite the importance of grammar, many Indonesian (...truncated)