Journal Evaluation in Education (JEE)
Journal Evaluation in Education (JEE)

an Open Access Journal

SINTA

1.6519

Impact

GScholar

16

H-Index

Journal Evaluation in Education (JEE)

an Open Access Journal


Linguistic and Textual Structure Representation in Biographical Writing: Insights from BIPA Learners

Share
  • Purpose of the study: The study aims to comprehensively map the ability of BIPA students from Timor-Leste in writing biographical texts, while identifying their strengths and weaknesses in several key aspects: clarity of content, writing structure, creativity and language style, adherence to theme, and spelling and grammar accuracy.

    Methodology: Data were collected through a biographical writing task, which was assessed using a specially designed rubric. A mixed-method approach was applied: quantitative analysis was used to examine the distribution of ability levels across categories, while qualitative analysis explored detailed patterns of strengths and weaknesses for each aspect.

    Main Findings: The findings show that most students achieved a medium level for clarity of content (57.5%) and writing structure (60%). However, creativity (65% low) and spelling and grammar (52.5% low) emerged as the main challenges. Specific difficulties were identified in the formation of derived words, the use of temporal conjunctions, and the construction of complex sentences.

    Novelty/Originality of this study: This study places biographical writing as an instrument for diagnosing the writing skills of BIPA students  in the  sociolinguistic context of Timor-Leste, a domain that is rarely explored. This  approach allows for a more detailed mapping of students’ strengths and weaknesses rather than just measuring final scores  for pedagogical intervention. The implications suggest that BIPA teachers should prioritize fostering grammatical cohesion, enhancing creativity, and refining the reorientation section of biographical texts. The implementation of a scaffolding model progressing from guided examples to independent production is recommended to systematically develop students’ writing competence.

  • How to cite

    [1]
    “Linguistic and Textual Structure Representation in Biographical Writing: Insights from BIPA Learners”, Jor. Eva. Edu, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 1094–1100, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.37251/jee.v6i4.1956.
  • 361
    Abstract views
    218
    Downloads

    Metrics — Badges

    1. H. Wibowo, “Pengajaran BIPA di Pusat Budaya Indonesia [BIPA teaching at the Indonesian Cultural Center],” BIPA KEMDIKBUD.
    2. Editor, “Peningkatan kualitas pembelajaran bahasa Indonesia di Timor-Leste Melalui Program BIPA [Improving the quality of Indonesian language learning in Timor-Leste through the BIPA program],” KABAR SASANTI Berita Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan.
    3. H. F. Nurramdhani, N. S. Idris, and I. Widia, “Technology in listening and writing learning for BIPA learners,” Inov. Kurikulum, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 323–334, 2024, doi: 10.17509/jik.v21i1.65481. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/jik.v21i1.65481
    4. Y. Yulianeta and D. P. Amandangi, “Learning to write descriptive texts based on batik culture of BIPA Students at the Indonesian embassy in London,” Parol. J. Linguist. Educ., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 29–40, 2021, doi: 10.14710/parole.v11i1.29-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/parole.v11i1.29-40
    5. N. M. Arief, D. R. Lazuardi, I. Yulianisah, and A. Hidayati, “The effectiveness of cultural literacy based BIPA course teaching materials to improve students’ indonesian language proficiency,” J. Sci., vol. 13, no. 04, pp. 1634–1643, 2024.
    6. Y. Sari, “Peran dari biografi dalam sejarah intelektual [The role of biography in intellectual history],” J. Pustaka Ilm., vol. 7, no. 1, p. 54, 2021, doi: 10.20961/jpi.v7i1.50940. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20961/jpi.v7i1.50940
    7. A. R. Septiana, “The indonesian grammatical interference on EFL students’ writing,” J. Res. English Lang. Learn., vol. 1, no. 1, p. 46, 2020, doi: 10.33474/j-reall.v1i1.5610. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33474/j-reall.v1i1.5610
    8. I. Widia, “Jenis kesalahan bahasa Indonesia tulis pembelajaran asing [Types of written Indonesian language errors in foreign language learning],” Ojs, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 75–84, 2021, doi: 10.17509.
    9. A. Sahan, M. P. Saridewi, R. J. Wabang, and A. Nabung, “Higher institution students’ challenges in writing journal articles: characteristics and proposed solutions,” English Rev. J. Englis Educ., vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 269–282, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v12i1.8595
    10. D. Suherdi, E. Kurniawan, and A. H. Lubis, “A genre analysis of research article ‘ findings and discussion ’ sections written by Indonesian undergraduate EFL students,” Indones. J. Aplied Linguist., vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 59–72, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v10i1.24989
    11. S. W. Fitriati and Y. A. Solihah, “Non-native writers and the use of appraisal resources in research article introductions,” Indones. J. Aplied Linguist., vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 638–645, 2019, doi: 10.17509/ijal.v8i3.15265. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i3.15265
    12. C. Kapeta, “Main difficulties of non-native speakers in written production,” IOSR J. Res. Method Educ., vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 31–42, 2024, doi: 10.9790/7388-1405013142.
    13. Z. Canli and O. Yagiz, “A contrastive investigation into the non-native speakers of english academicians’ academic writing cognitions and challenges in the first and second languages,” Arab World English J. Vol., vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 117–131, 2024, doi: 10.24093/awej/vol15no1.8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol15no1.8
    14. R. Rusmiyanti and H. Hermanto, “Wordwall sebagai media pembelajaran kosakata bahasa indonesia bagi peserta didik autis [Wordwall as a learning media for Indonesian vocabulary for autistic students],” Ideguru J. Karya Ilm. Guru, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 1470–1476, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51169/ideguru.v10i2.1841
    15. N. Suyana, “Peningkatan penguasaan kosakata siswa smp melalui penggunaan media daftar kosakata [Improving junior high school students’ vocabulary mastery through the use of vocabulary list media],” Util. J. Ilm. Pendidik. dan Ekon., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 86–93, 2017.
    16. S. Pujiono and P. Widodo, “Implementasi budaya dalam perkuliahan menulis akademik mahasiswa BIPA Tiongkok [The implementation of culture in academic writing lectures for Chinese BIPA students],” Litera, pp. 142–157, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/ltr.v20i1.37927
    17. V. Sardila, “Strategi Pengembangan Linguistik Terapan Melalui Kemampuan Menulis Biografi Dan Autobiografi : Sebuah Upaya Membangun [Strategies for developing applied linguistics through the ability to write biographies and autobiographies: an effort to build students’,” J. Pemikir. Islam, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 110–117, 2015.
    18. Y. Wang and Q. Xie, “Diagnostic assessment of novice EFL learners’ discourse competence in academic writing: a case study,” Lang. Test. Asia, vol. 12, no. 1, 2022, doi: 10.1186/s40468-022-00197-y. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-022-00197-y
    19. J. Kong and M. Pan, “The role of diagnostic writing assessment in promoting Chinese EFL students’ learning autonomy: An action research study,” Lang. Teach. Res., 2023, doi: 10.1177/13621688231178465. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688231178465
    20. Y. Sawaki, Y. Ishii, H. Yamada, and T. Tokunaga, “Developing and validating an online module for formative assessment of summary writing with automated content feedback for EFL academic writing instruction,” Lang. Test. Asia, vol. 14, no. 1, 2024, doi: 10.1186/s40468-024-00325-w. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-024-00325-w
    21. H. Mayrita and M. Abror, “Issues of writing skills: Case study of indonesian errors by foreign speakers from Timor Leste,” J. Lang. Lang. Teach., vol. 12, no. 3, p. 1174, 2024, doi: 10.33394/jollt.v12i3.11132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v12i3.11132
    22. B. T. Sari, A. Chasiotis, F. J. R. van de Vijver, and M. Bender, “The importance of language vocabulary and language usage for sociocultural adjustment among Indonesian adolescents from three bilingual ethnic groups,” J. Multiling. Multicult. Dev., vol. 41, no. 6, pp. 531–546, 2020, doi: 10.1080/01434632.2019.1630417. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2019.1630417
    23. D. B. Sutrisno, “Multilingualism & translanguaging: A review of translanguaging practices in the linguistically diverse Indonesian EFL classrooms,” J. Lang. Lang. Teach., vol. 11, no. 3, p. 547, 2023, doi: 10.33394/jollt.v11i3.8265. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v11i3.8265
    24. Devina, “Cross-linguistic influence of propositional and lexical semantics errors in Indonesian learner texts,” Indones. J. Appl. Linguist., vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 527–538, 2022, doi: 10.17509/ijal.v11i3.36618. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v11i3.36618
    25. E. Zalli, “Globalization and Education: Exploring the Exchange of Ideas, Values, and Traditions in Promoting Cultural Understanding and Global Citizenship,” Interdiscip. J. Res. Dev., vol. 11, no. 1 S1, p. 55, 2024, doi: 10.56345/ijrdv11n1s109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56345/ijrdv11n1s109
    26. J. Cutri et al., “Academic integrity at doctoral level: the influence of the imposter phenomenon and cultural differences on academic writing,” Int. J. Educ. Integr., vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1–16, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s40979-021-00074-w. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40979-021-00074-w
    27. S. Li and H. Akram, “Navigating Pronoun-Antecedent Challenges: A Study of ESL Academic Writing Errors,” SAGE Open, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 1–11, 2024, doi: 10.1177/21582440241296607. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241296607
    28. D. Wahyuni, R. Risnawaty, S. Sutikno, and R. Kartolo, “Development of writing teaching materials with a contextual approach of public junior high school (SMPN 1), Pinang City, South Labuhan Batu, Indonesia,” Int. J. Res. Community Serv., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 54–57, 2022, doi: 10.46336/ijrcs.v3i2.266. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46336/ijrcs.v3i2.266
    29. S. Rejeki and C. Asari, “Peluang pengajaran BIPA di tingkat pendidikan tinggi di Timor Leste [Opportunities for BIPA teaching at the higher education level in Timor Leste],”,” Bahastra, vol. 39, no. 1, p. 55, 2019, doi: 10.26555/bahastra.v39i1.11309. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26555/bahastra.v39i1.11309
    30. H. Efendi, Sutama, A. Sutopo, Musiman, and Salamah, Flipped Learning-Based Indonesian Module Foreign Speakers: BIPA Students’ Communication Skill Improvements, vol. 1. Atlantis Press SARL, 2023. doi: 10.2991/978-2-38476-086-2_80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-086-2_80
    31. R. N. Dirga, “Problematika pemelajaran Bahasa Indonesia bagi penutur asing (Bipa) Di Timor Leste [Problems of Indonesian language learning for foreign speakers (BIPA) in Timor Leste],” Anal. Standar Pelayanan Minimal Pada Instal. Rawat Jalan di RSUD Kota Semarang, vol. 3, pp. 103–111, 2015.
    32. Permendikbud no 23 tahun 2015, “Membangun budaya membaca pada anak melalui program gerakan literasi sekolah [Building a reading culture in children through the school literacy movement program],” J. Pendidik. dan Pembelajaran Dasar, vol. 4, pp. 151–174, 2017.
    33. M. I. Khaudli, A. Dzofron, and A. Tsaqib, “Menakar mutu dan kesetaraan dalam urgensi standarisasi penilaian hasil belajar [Measuring quality and equality in the urgency of standardization of learning outcomes assessment],” vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 5790–5801, 2025.
    34. I. Sujarwati, “Cultural influences on english writing styles: A review of studies on Indonesian ESL learners,” vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1–7, 2025, [Online]. Available: ttp://ejournal.radenintan.ac.id/index.php/JLSS/index%0ACultural
    35. A.-U. Sani and A. Rabi’u Bakura, “South Asian research journal of arts, language and literature,” SSRN Electron. J., 2025, doi: 10.2139/ssrn.5032088. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5032088
    36. L. Kieran and C. Anderson, “Connecting universal design for learning with culturally responsive teaching,” Educ. Urban Soc., vol. 51, no. 9, pp. 1202–1216, 2019, doi: 10.1177/0013124518785012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124518785012
    37. H. Septiana, W. N. Ardiyanti, and S. Dudek, “Grammatical errors on BIPA students (Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers) in writing practice for beginner level,” Proc. Int. Jt. Conf. Arts Humanit. 2021 (IJCAH 2021), vol. 618, no. Ijcah, pp. 159–162, 2022, doi: 10.2991/assehr.k.211223.029. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.211223.029
    38. H. Herman, R. Purba, N. Van Thao, and A. Purba, “Using genre-based approach to overcome students’ difficulties in writing,” J. Educ. e-Learning Res., vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 464–470, 2020, doi: 10.20448/JOURNAL.509.2020.74.464.470. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.509.2020.74.464.470
    39. B. Kindenberg, “Narrative and analytical interplay in history texts: recalibrating the historical recount genre,” J. Curric. Stud., vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 85–104, 2022, doi: 10.1080/00220272.2021.1919763. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2021.1919763
    40. C. M. Karasinski, “Microstructure and macrostructure measures of written narrative, expository, and persuasive language samples,” Commun. Disord. Q., vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 152–162, 2023, doi: 10.1177/15257401221111334. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/15257401221111334
    41. M. S. Kadwa and H. Alshenqeeti, “The impact of students’ proficiency in English on science courses in a foundation year program,” Int. J. Linguist. Lit. Transl., vol. 3, no. 11, pp. 55–67, 2020, doi: 10.32996/ijllt. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2020.3.11.5
    42. Z. Aden, A. Akhmet, A. Akzhigitova, S. Sansyzbayeva, and L. Tursalieva, “Developing a bilingual linguistic identity through the written scientific texts creation,” Lang. Teach. Res. Q., vol. 47, pp. 214–235, 2025, doi: 10.32038/ltrq.2025.47.12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2025.47.12
    43. R. A. Siregar, D. Sukyadi, and F. N. Yusuf, “A critical content analysis of writing materials covered in Indonesian high school English textbooks,” Stud. English Lang. Educ., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 205–227, 2024, doi: 10.24815/siele.v11i1.30169. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v11i1.30169
    44. C. Kalaitzi and D. Theocharis, “A creative writing intervention for second language acquisition development in multilingual students,” J. Educ. Train. Stud., vol. 12, no. 1, p. 35, 2023, doi: 10.11114/jets.v12i1.6375. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v12i1.6375
    45. P. Irgin, “Storytelling in a bilingual classroom through the lens of epistemic diversity and translanguaging,” Int. J. Appl. Linguist. (United Kingdom), pp. 1–11, 2025, doi: 10.1111/ijal.12714. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12714
    46. E. Petrocelli, “Enhancing Socio-pragmatic competence through storytelling exploring discourse markers in ESL college learners’ oral narratives,” no. 25, pp. 510–536, 2025, doi: 10.13136/2281-4582/2025.i25.1587.
    47. D. Bitetti, C. S. Hammer, and L. M. López, “The narrative macrostructure production of Spanish-English bilingual preschoolers: Within- A nd cross-language relations,” Appl. Psycholinguist., vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 79–106, 2020, doi: 10.1017/S0142716419000419. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716419000419
    48. N. C. Ellis, “Second language learning of morphology,” J. Eur. Second Lang. Assoc., vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 34–59, 2022, doi: 10.22599/jesla.85. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/jesla.85
    49. A. C. S. D. Mohammad Syam’un Salim, “Pemerolehan Bahasa Kedua Menurut Stephen Krashen [Second language acquisition according to Stephen Krashen],” At-Ta’dib, vol. 8, no. 2, 2013, doi: 10.21111/at-tadib.v8i2.504. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21111/at-tadib.v8i2.504
    50. H. Liu, L. Ismail, and N. K. Ahmad, “Genre-based Approaches and ESL/EFL Writing: A Review of the Literature,” World J. English Lang., vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 25–35, 2024, doi: 10.5430/wjel.v14n2p25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v14n2p25
    51. T. D. Wijayatiningsih, M. Muhibbi, D. Mulyadi, D. C. Prasetyanti, and R. E. Budiastuti, Hybrid Learning: EFL Student’s Perspectives in Writing through Genre-Based Approach. Atlantis Press SARL, 2023. doi: 10.2991/978-2-38476-078-7_39. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-078-7_39