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Developing an Interculture-Based Language Learning (IBLL) Model in the
Teaching of Writing Skills for English Language Department Students
in Higher Education

by Haerazi
A. Introduction

The writing skill is often referred to as the last language skill that is the
most difficult in the practice of language learning (Hasani, 2016; Suriyanti &

Yaacob, 2016) for foreign language learners and even for native speakers
(Richards & Renandya, 2002: 303). For one thing, learners need to practice

writing much more in the class. Writing is needed because it is a way of

communicating ideas and thoughts to readers in that they can understand
messages and ideas expressed by the writer. For students, the writing skill is one

competency which is useful when they express their ideas and feelings.
It is often a fact that learning to write is not simply a matter of ‗writing

things down‘. Most classes of writing in English as a foreign language (EFL) face

the same problems. Sersen (2011: 339-345) shows that in Rajabat University,
Thailand, the first language appears to affect students‘ English writing products in

a direct and negative way. It is often hard for students to mitigate these effects.
Haerazi & Hanan (2013: 61) elaborate that, when English students of writing

classes in IKIP Mataram compose an introductory paragraph, their writing is no
more than the mere transcription of a speech. In Beijing China, the students face

difficulties to increase their writing competences from sources in English

(Cumming et al., 2018) and difficulties to put grammatical accuracy (Tan &
Manochphinyo, 2017: 430-442). For these reasons, students need special

instructional treatment to develop their writing skills.
Writing is basically a process for expressing ideas and thoughts using the

knowledge of grammar and vocabulary (linguistic knowledge). The knowledge of

the grammatical structures is not only a way to express ideas from the object
world, but is also one to express man‘s subject world (Zhou & Liao, 2018: 19).

Writing can also develop students‘ ideas and enlarge their vocabulary mastery
(Jaelani, 2017: 156). For one thing, students need the linguistic and cognitive

knowledge to write. In addition, Hyland (2002: 42) states that ―writing is a

product constructed from the writer‘s command of linguistic and cognitive

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