Class Review 10: Language is Deeper than the Hindia

Every language in around the world is not really different.  Even if language is looked at the function, language will be totally same, communication is the target of every single language.  No wonder, if language is learned more deeply, especially about the kinds of the text, language will not be too different.  In Bahasa, people recognize the kinds of text, for example like narrative, persuasive, or descriptive.  This also happens in English when there are some kinds of text.  Actually text is only one of the doors for students to know and learn the language.  It is because language is deeper than the Hindia.

The students will recognize the text of English gradually.  First, students will know what is recount and also narrative text when they are in the junior high.  Procedure text will follow the both text and it is accompanied by the descriptive text.  After that, the students will know more about another kind of text which are more difficult, for example explanation text, exposition, and spoof.  In this school period the students are only assigned to know the information around the text, such as the purpose and the generic structure of the text.  It is absolutely different in the university world because the students will be assigned to write the text and make it interesting so that the readers want to read that text. This is what will happen to the students of English department IAIN Cirebon.  They will write and produce the new kind of text that they have never written before, the argumentative essay.

The normal response of the students regarding this assignment is they have to know first what argumentative essay is.  If the word “argumentative” is the resource for taking the definition of the argumentative, so argumentative essay will talk about the writer opinion about something because the meaning of argumentative is about opinion.  To make the understanding towards the definition of this essay, students have to know also what the expository is.  In the next paragraph, the explanation about expository will be brought.

Exposition is one of the essential texts in English lesson and it has two kinds.  Exposition simply can be called as a comprehensive description.  The first is analytical exposition.  It is a text which gives the explanation comprehensively about one problem and also presents the supporting arguments carefully.  Then, the purpose of this text is to attempt or to persuade the reader to believe something by presenting one side of the argument.  So, this text has so many arguments but in the same purpose.  Here is the generic structure of analytical exposition:

·   Thesis

·   Series of argument

·   Conclusion

The second is hortatory exposition.  It explains one theory or problem comprehensively with one purpose to encourage the other person doing something.  So, persuasion is the only difference between analytical and hortatory exposition text.  Then the purpose of this text is surely to persuade the readers to do something.  Here is the generic structure:

·   Thesis

·   Arguments

·   Recommendation

So, students will write the kind of text like those both texts above.  Argumentative essay is more challenging than the both, that is what make argumentative different.  It is because the argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.  Actually argumentative essay seems like hortatory exposition when there is a persuasion, the writers try to persuade the readers even though the readers do not agree, but at least the writers try.  Research, that is the other aspect which makes argumentative essay different.  Research is not occurred, but it will be involved.  So, in the other hand the students imagine themselves as someone who has done the research.  Here is the generic structure of argumentative which is really similar with hortatory exposition:

·   Introduction

·   Body

first point and supporting info

second point and supporting info

third point and supporting info

·   Conclusion

Argumentative essay can be called also as the complicated essay, but that is what makes challenging.  There are many things which the writers should think about when they want to write this text. 

1.      Defining the Topic

For example, if the topic is “Should Papua still integrates with Indonesia” the writers have to define the key words in that topic; Papua, integrated, and Indonesia.  Here is the example of the definition:

·         What this essay means regarding “Papua” is, the name of the Island or people usually call it as Irian Island.  It is the second biggest Island in the world after the Greenland.  Then, this Island is divided into two parts, the west part is owned by Indonesia while the east is owned by Papua New Guinea.

·         What this essay means regarding “Integrate” is, combining.  It means this essay want to make Papua still a part of Indonesia.

·         What this essay means regarding “Indonesia” is, the biggest archipelago country in the world and it is in the equator.  Indonesia consists of 13.667 Islands, whether the small or big Island.  Not only that, Indonesia also is the 1 per 5 population of the world with the Malay and Polynesia as their original people.  Then, it has more than 300 tribes with their own tradition.  Indonesia also is identical with Sabang to Merauke because those area is the sign of west and east tip of Indonesia.

2.      Limitation of the topic

Limitation here means that the writers want to help the readers to know where the text will go so that readers will not be confuse.  Let’s take a look at the example “Should Papua still integrate with Indonesia?” the readers will be confuse about what the writers mean with the word “Papua”.  It is because Papua has two part; the east as the Papua New Guinea and the west as the Indonesia, in this part the writers have to limit the topic.  For example, what the writer means about “Papua” is the west part of Papua Island which is owned by Indonesia, so the east part is not being talked in this essay because that is the area of Papua New Guinea.

3.      Analyzing the topic

Everything surely will have two sides and also it is impossible for the writers to use both sides.  So this point actually talks about the writer’s point of you whether they agree or not. 

The three points above are the basic thing regarding what the writers have to do before write the argumentative essay.  The next is thesis statement.  The writers usually use the word “Should”, “Bad”, or ”Good”.  For example:

·         Papua should be a part of Indonesia

·         Papua is good for Indonesia

Here is the complete thesis statement:

“This essay will explain the reasons and the purposes why Indonesia should do everything to keep Papua still in NKRI; education, natural resources, culture, history, art, economic, and politic”.

Papua is the diamond for Indonesia, no wonder Indonesia should keep Papua whatever the situation.  Then also, there are some reasons why Indonesia should do that.  Here is the time to explain little bit about those reasons.

1)      Education

Comparison is one of the ways to know the education quality of Papua.  If the comparison is done and Papua is compared with the other Province or Island, Papua will be able to be seen whether the education is good enough or not.  Mostly people in the other Island (for example Java) are the graduates of senior high school even college, while Papua people are mostly never touch the school or they are only the graduates of elementary school.  So it is impossible for Papua to lead their Island by themselves with that education quality.  The possible one is the other country will help them to lead the area, for example England, Netherland, and Australia.  In the other word, allowing Papua to separate with Indonesia is like Indonesia gives Papua to the other country.

2)      Natural Resources

Indonesia has a diamond in its hand and it is weird if they let that diamond falls.  That is the illustration that separating with Papua does not make sense.  Papua has so much natural resources and that is why people said Papua with the diamond.  Natural resources like wood, gold, petroleum, even fish, and the other can find easily in Papua.  So it is not weird if Indonesia keeps Papua.

3)      Culture

Papua is different with the other Indonesia Island and also they are rich not only the natural resources but also the culture.  Traditional house and dancing of Papua are unique and so many.  Then also, the language in Papua makes Indonesia as the country who has many languages.  So, when Papua separate with Indonesia, Indonesia is the most harm one because they will no longer have Papua culture.  No wonder, it is mandatory to keep Papua.

4)      History

Actually Indonesia has done many things since they got their independence to keep Papua.  The Indonesia efforts are New York appointment, KMB, PEPERA, and then the other ones.   Letting Papua go is not wise because there are many things that have been sacrificed.  There is a time for people to give up but not now and today, Papua needs Indonesia.  So what Indonesia should do is continuing the efforts.

5)      Art

People will surely know this lyric “Dari Sabang sampai Merauke berjajar pulau-pulau”.  It is the lyric of one of the national songs.  This song explains that Indonesia is big; it starts from Sabang and Merauke as the end.  The question will be what will happen with this song if Papua separates? Perhaps this is only the joke but alsp as the sign that Papua should be a part of Indonesia.

6)      Economic

Papua is rich but unfortunately Indonesia is not the main user.  It is because there are many big foreign companies who exploit the natural resources in Papua.  Even though the companies only give a little bit tax for Indonesia but still Indonesia get the income from the tax.  When the Papua can be still in Indonesia, that is the time for Indonesia to make the tax system better and they can get the biggest tax from it.

That is all the explanation.  The writer do hopes this is going to be beneficial for those who read and will open the mindset of people to keep Papua together.  Indonesia is from Sabang and Merauke as the east tip, that is absolute.