LEARNING STRATEGIES USED BY STUDENTS IN WRITING AT THE EIGHTH GRADE OF SMP NEGERI 3 SEI BINGAI KABUPATEN LANGKAT

This research discusses about the eighth grade students‟ learning strategies in
writing and how are the use of those strategies. This research uses a descriptive
qualitative design in which data are taken from interview with teacher and
students and also from video recordings. The analysis found that students used all
the strategies presented by Oxford (1990). Where from the results of the video
recording the use of the most dominant strategy is the social strategy. The results
of the interviews show that the most widely used strategy is the social strategy
with percentage 85,71%. Followed by memory strategy with percentages 71,50%.
Continued with cognitive strategy 69,83%. Metacognitive strategy 61,31%.
compensation strategy 57,14%. The last one is affective strategy 23,80%. For the
use of those strategies are : the first is the used of memory by reviewing the
lessons that have been given by their teacher before writing, use picture and sound
to remember the words to be written, and practice the word before/after writing.
Then, cognitive strategy this strategy is carried out by students by writing
conclusions from what they have learned so that they understand more about the
material, bringing and opening a dictionary in writing to find words,then some
students who write notes/messages in English to practice their writing skills. Next,
compensation strategy, in this strategy students did it through : guess the meaning
of a word they don't know in writing but there is a similarity in meaning, look up
words in the dictionary and then write it down when they find words that are
rarely known. Next, metacognitive strategy, this strategy was used by students by
focus on the explanation or material given by the teacher first before writing,look
for other sources when writing such as other books and also the internet, and
make their mistakes in writing as information to improve their writing skills. Then
in the used of affective strategies is by doing relaxation such as taking deep
breaths and listening to music while at home, to focus more on writing, and also
writing positive words such as words of motivation. The last one is social
strategy, which this strategy is implement by students through interact with
friends and also the teacher about what they have written. As a result that all the
students mixed all of strategy in their writing process.