TEACHING SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP N
20 SURAKARTA TO WRITE DESCRIPTION:
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
FINAL PROJECT REPORT
Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of Requirements in Obtaining Degree in The English
Diploma Program, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts,
Sebelas Maret University
By:
Resa Estiani Edi Putri
C9307072
ENGLISH DIPLOMA PROGRAM
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND FINE ARTS
SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY
APPROVAL OF CONSULTANT
Approved to be examined before the Board of Examiners,
English Diploma Program, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts
Sebelas Maret University
Title
: TEACHING SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP N 20
SURAKARTA TO WRITE DESCRIPTION: PROBLEMS
AND SOLUTIONS
Name
: Resa Estiani Edi Putri
NIM
: C9307072
Supervisor:
Prof. Drs. M. R. Nababan, M.Ed, M.A, Ph.D
( ………)
APPROVAL OF BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Report Title
: TEACHING SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP N
20 SURAKARTA TO WRITE DESCRIPTION: PROBLEMS
AND SOLUTIONS
Students’ name
: Resa Estiani Edi Putri
NIM
: C9307072
Examination date
:
Accepted and Approved by the Board of Examiners,
English Diploma Program, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts,
Sebelas Maret University
The Board of Examiners:
1.
………. ( )
Chairman NIP.
2.
………. ( )
Secretary NIP.
3.
……….. ( )
Main Examiner NIP.
Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts,
Sebelas Maret University
Dean,
MOTTO
H e wh o goes ou t weepi n g ,
Ca r r yi n g seed t o sow,
Wi l l r et u r n wi t h son g s of joy,
Ca r r yi n g sh ea ves wi t h h i m
DEDICATION
I w ou l d l i k e t o d ed i ca t e t h i s f i n a l p r oj ect r ep or t t o:
1. M y bel ov ed m ot h er
2. M y sp eci a l on e
PREFACE
First of all the writer would like to thank Jesus Christ who gives me
everything. Also, the writer would like to thank all of people for giving support and
guidance in finishing this final project entitled “Teaching Seventh Grade Students of
SMP N 20 Surakarta to Write Description: Problems and solutions”.
This final project is written to fulfill the requirement in obtaining the degree
in English Diploma Program after finishing the job training activities in SMP N 20
Surakarta. This report contains detailed information about the job training activities,
teaching descriptive text to the students, the problems and the solutions to handle
those problems.
The writer realizes that this final project report is far from perfect. Therefore,
the writer appreciates and accepts any advices and criticisms. Finally, the writer
hopes this final project report will be useful for all readers.
Surakarta, June 2010
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thank to God for giving me everything in my life.
I would like to express my gratitude for:
1.
Drs. Sudarno, M.A. as the Dean of Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas
Maret University.
2.
Yusuf Kurniawan, S.S., M.A., the Head of English Diploma Program, for
advice and support
3.
Prof. Drs. M. R. Nababan, M.Ed, M.A, Ph.D., my supervisor, thank you very
much for your time, guidance, patient, and advice in writing this final project
report.
4.
M. Farkhan Mujahidin, S.Ag, M.Ag., thank you for advice and support
5.
Dra. Rara Sugiarti, M. Tourism., my Academic Consultant. Thank you for the
guidance during study in English Diploma Program, Sebelas Maret University
Surakarta.
6.
Drs. H. Sambodo, MR, the headmaster of SMP N 20 Surakarta
7.
Primanda Dewanti. S.Pd,
the English teacher of SMP N 20 thank for guiding
me.
8.
All of teachers in SMP N 20 Surakarta and students of class VIIE
10.
My special one, thanks for your love and patience.
11.
My friends, Itha’, Nopha, Titi, Nhining, Nesi cs, Yuwda ndud, Alec, Rio,
Robi, Sigid, Yunux-Andre, I miss our togetherness, miss u all.
12.
All my friends in English Diploma, especially class B
Surakarta, June 2010
ABSTRACT
Resa Estiani Edi Putri. 2010. Teaching Seventh Grade Students of SMP N 20 To
Write Description: Problems and Solutions. English Diploma Program, Faculty of
Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas Maret University.
This final project report is written based on my job training activities as an English
teacher in SMP N 20 Surakarta. This final project report discusses the problems and
the solutions in teaching descriptive text for the 7
thgraders of SMP N 20.
By observing the class, giving questionnaire, interviewing the English teacher and
teaching directly at the 7
thgrade class, the writer could write the final project
completely, that illustrating the teaching English process in the class, the problems
that happen and the solutions for its problems.
The steps of teaching descriptive text are the writer gave example of descriptive text,
then the writer explained about social function, generic structure and lexico
grammatical features and gave several questions as guided writing activity.
The problems came from many aspects, from the students, the English teacher and the
writer. From the students, the students have less motivation in learning English.
Determining the first sentence to describe something is difficult for the students. The
students also have limited vocabulary and grammar and they are getting bored easily
during the lesson. The problems faced by the teacher, they have to control the noisy
students, teaching in limited time and material, the number of students and the
student’s ability in English. In the writer side, the writer should manage noisy class,
using limited time and material, handling the student’s motivation and their
vocabulary and grammar.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE
i
APPROVAL OF SUPERVISOR
ii
APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS
iii
MOTTO
iv
DEDICATION
v
PREFACE
vi
ACKNOWLEDGeMENT
vii
ABSTRACT
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
x
CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION
1
A.
Background
1
B.
Objectives
2
C.
Benefits
2
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW
3
A.
Teaching English to Young Learner
3
B.
Teaching Writing
5
B.1. Types of Writing performances
5
B.2. The Guideline for Writing Programme
5
B.3. The Tasks of The Teacher in Writing
6
C.
Teaching Description Genre
7
CHAPTER III: DISCUSSION
9
A.
Description of SMP N 20 Surakarta
9
A.1. Brief Description of SMP N 20
9
A.2. Extracurricular Activities
10
B.
The Activities During Job Training In SMP N 20 Surakarta
11
B.1. Class Observation
11
B.2. Lesson Plan
13
B.3. The Process of Teaching And Learning Activity in SMP
N 20 Surakarta
14
C.
Discussion
15
C.1. The Process of Teaching Descriptive Text to the Seventh
Graders of SMP N 20 Surakarta
15
C.2 The Problems and The Solutions of Teaching Descriptive
Text for 7
thGrade Students of SMP N 20 Surakarta
19
CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
27
A.
Conclusions
27
B.
Suggestions
28
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.
BackgroundEnglish has an im port ant role in global com m unicat ion. M ast ering English needs
abilit y bot h oral and w rit t en. It includes recept ive and product ive skills. Recept ive skills are list ening and reading skills, m eanw hile product ive skills are speaking and w rit ing.
English is one of t he m ain lessons t est ed in final exam . Thus st udent s have t o m ast er English in four language skills. Skill w hich is alw ays t est ed are reading and w rit ing. In fact ,
m ost st udent s are difficult t o do a w rit ing t est . Writ ing t est is considered t o be t he m ost difficult of t he language skills. The first st age in learning language is by hearing it . St udent s are able t o underst and w hat t hey heard but t hey do not know how t o w rit e it . M oreover
English as a second language is new t hing for t hem . ” We can now begin t o underst and w hy w rit ing is a difficult act ivit y for m ost people, bot h in t he m ot her t ongue and in a foreign language. We shall look at t he problem s w hich are caused by w rit ing under t hree
headings-psychological, linguist ic and cognit ive” (Byrne, 1988: 4). Writ ing is a very im port ant skill. Indeed, w rit ing skill requires some point s. It is not only on gramm at ical accuracy and vocabulary but also organizat ion and cohesion of our w rit ing.
In t his report , t he w rit er focuses on w rit ing skill because t here w ere m any problem s
handling t he problem s. Since w hen t he w rit er w as get t ing job t raining, t he t hem e chosen w as descript ion genre, t hus t he w rit er choose w rit ing descript ion as t he t opic discussed in
t his final project report . The t it le of t his final project is:
TEACHING SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SM PN 20 SURAKARTA TO WRITE DESCRIPTION:
PROBLEM S AND SOLUTIONS
B.
ObjectivesThis report has object ives :
1.To find out t he problem s in t eaching descript ion for 7t h grade st udent s of
SM P N 20
2.To find out t he solut ions for t he problem s in t eaching descript ion.
C.
BenefitsThe w rit er hopes t his final project w ill be useful for :
1.The Teacher
Especially for junior high school t eacher w ho t each w rit ing descript ion.
This final project is expect ed t o be beneficial for t he readers w ho are int erest ed in t eaching English, especially t eaching w rit ing.
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Teaching English to Young Learners
To focus on t he problem s in t his final project , t he w rit er t ried t o quot e t he definit ion of t eaching English t o young learners. The w rit er got fr om t he int ernet .
English is a new t hing for young learners. Teaching English t o young learners is different from t eaching t he sam e m at erial t o adult . Teachers should find appropriat e m et hods and approaches in order t o get t he learner’s int erest . As st at ed by M onique Barb, “ Teaching
English t o young learners is bot h a difficult and enjoyable experience” .
(ht t p:/ / art icles.fam ousw hy.com / t eaching_english_t o_young_learners_is_bot h_a_difficult _a nd_enjoyable_experience/)
According t o Carol Read, t here is anot her definit ion about t he charact erist ic of young learners. The t erm young learners can be used t o describe:
-
Pre-school learners-
Prim ary school learners andAnot her t heory of young learner indicat es som e of t he opt im al condit ions for helping young learners t o learn(Read, 2003), t hey are:
Learning is nat ural
Learning is cont ext ualized and part of real event
Learning is int erest ing and enjoyable
Learning is relevant
Learning is social
Learning belongs t o t he child
Learning has a purpose for t he child
Learning builds on t hings t he child know s
Learning m akes sense t o t he child
The child is challenged appropriat ely
Learning is support ed appropriat ely
Learning is a part of a coherent w hole
Learning is m ulti-sensory
The child w ant s t o learn
Learning is act ive and experient ial
Learning is m em orable
Learning allows for personal, divergent responses
Learning t akes account of m ult iple int elligences
The learning at m osphere is relaxed and w arm
The child has a sense of achievem ent(ht t p:/ / w w w .t eachingenglish.org.uk/ t ransform / t eachers/ specialist -areas/ t eaching-young-learners)
Read (2005) also suggest s an int egrat ed fram ew ork for m anaging children posit ively and creat ing happy w ork environm ent :
-
Relat ionshipCreat ing and m aint aining s posit ive relat ionship wit h learners is at t he heart of est ablishing a happy learning environm ent .
Est ablish a lim it ed num ber of rules and m ake sure t hey are clear, as w ell as t he reasons for having t hem .
-
Rout inesClassroom rout ines m ake it clear t o everyone w hat is expect ed of t hem and w hat t hey should do.
-
Right s and responsibilit iesAlt hough t hese m ay not be st at ed explicit ly w it h very young learners, t eachers can m odel t hrough t heir ow n act ions w hich of t hese t hey value
-
RespectSt udent s w ho are t reat ed respect fully by t he t eacher w ill respond in a sim ilar w ay t o t he t eacher.
-
Rew ardRew ards syst em s can be effect ive w ay of reinforcing appropriat e behavior e.g. using st ars, st ickers, point s, sm iley faces, raffle t icket or m ar bles in a jar.
B. Teaching W riting
B.1 Types of W riting Performances
According t o Brow n in his book ent itled Teaching by Principles : An int eract ive
approach t o Language Pedagogy, t here are a number of w rit ing perform ances in t he
classroom (Brow n, 2001: 343-346) :
At t he beginning level of learning t o w rit e, st udent s w ill sim ply “ w rit e dow n” English let t ers, w ords, and possibly sent ences in order t o learn t he convent ions of t he ort hographic code. Dict at ion falls int o t his cat egory, alt hough dict at ions can serve t o t each and t est high-order processing as w ell.
2. Int ensive or cont rolled
Writ ing is som etim es used as a product ion m ode for learning, reinforcing, or t est ing gram m at ical concept s. This int ensive w rit ing t ypically appears in cont rolled, w rit t en gram m ar exercises. A com m on form of cont rolled w rit ing is t o present a paragraph t o st udent s in w hich t hey have t o alt er a given st ruct ur e t hroughout .
3. Self-w rit ing
A significant proport ion of classroom w rit ing m ay be devot ed t o self-w rit ing. The m ost silent inst ance of t his cat egory in classroom s is not e-t aking, w here st udent s t ake not es during a lect ure for t he purpose of lat er recall. Diary or journal w riting also falls int o t his cat egory.
4. Display w riting
Writ ing w it hin t he school curricular cont ext is a w ay of life. For all language st udent s, short answ er exercises, essay exam inat ion, and even research report s will involve an elem ent of display.
5. Real w rit ing
The t w o cat egories of real and display w rit ing are act ually t w o ends of a cont inuum , and in bet w een t he t w o ext rem es lay some com binat ion of display and real w rit ing. Three subcat egories illust rat e how realit y can be inject ed: academ ic, vocat ional/ t echnical and personal.
B.2 The Guideline for W riting Programme
Byrne (1988: 27-29) in Teaching Writ ing Skills gives as several guidelines for a t eacher in a w rit ing program m e, as follow s:
b. Provide adequat e and relevant experience of t he w rit t en language
c. Show t he learners how t he w rit t en language funct ions as a syst em of com m unicat ion d. Teach t he learners how t o w rit e t ext s
e. Teach t he learners how t o w rit e different kinds of t ext s f. M ake w rit ing t asks realist ic and relevant
g. Int egrat e w rit ing wit h ot her skills
h. Use a variet y of t echniques and pract ice f orm at s i. Provide appropriat e support
j. Be sym pat het ic
B.3 The Tasks of The Teacher in W riting
Based on Harm er’s st at em ent in How t o Teach Writ ing, t eachers have a num ber of crucial t asks t o perform w hen helping st udent s in w rit ing act ivit y (2004: 41-42) such as:
1. Dem onst rat ing
St udent s need t o be aw are of w rit ing convent ions and genre const raint s in specific t ypes of w rit ing, t eachers have t o be able t o draw t hese feat ures t o t heir at t ent ion. 2. M ot ivat ing and provoking
St udent w rit ers oft en find t hem selves ‘lost for w ords’, especially in creat ing w rit ing t asks. This is w here t he t eacher can help, provoking the st udent s int o having ideas, ent husing t hem w it h t he value of t he t ask, and persuading t hem w hat fun it can be. 3. Support ing
Closely allied t o t he t eacher ’s role as m ot ivat or and provoker is t hat of support ing, st udent s need a lot of help and reassurance once t hey got going, bot h w it h ideas and w it h t he m eans t o carry t hem out . Teachers need t o be ext rem ely support ive w hen st udent s are w rit ing in class and prepared t o help st udent s overcom e difficult ies.
4. Responding
When responding, w e react t o t he cont ent and const r uct ion of a piece support ively and oft en m ake suggest ions for it s im provem ent .
There are m any occasions, how ever, w hen w e do w ant t o evaluat e st udent ’s w ork, t elling bot h t hem and us how w ell t hey have done.
B.4 Student’s Need in W riting Activity
Harm er (2004: 62-63) ident ifies w hat st udent s need in w rit ing act ivit y. They are:
1. Inform at ion and t ask inform at ion
St udent s need t o have t he necessary inform at ion t o com plet e t he t ask. This m eans t hat t hey need t o underst and clearly w hat w e w ant t hem t o do and t hey need, also, t o be absolut ely clear about any of t he t opic det ail t hat w e give t hem .
2. Language
If st udent s need specific language t o com plet e a w rit ing t ask w e need t o give it t o t hem (or help t hem t o find it ). This m ay involve offering t hem phrases, part s of sent ence, or w ords.
3. Ideas
Teachers need t o be able t o suggest ideas t o help st udent s w hen t hey get st uck. For som e t his m ay be just a w ord or t w o. For ot hers w e m ay need t o dict at e a half sent ence or even som et hing m ore subst ant ial.
4. Pat t erns and schem es
One w ay of helping st udent s t o w rit e, even w hen t hey m ay t hink t hey do not have m any ideas, is t o give t hem a pat t ern or a schem e t o follow .
A. Teaching Description Genre
According t o Pardiyono in his book ent it led Past i Bisa! Teaching Genre-Based
(Pardiyono, 2007: 37-40)
1. Giving M odel
-
Teachers need t o give a m odel of descript ive t ext .-
Teachers give some quest ions before discussing t he t ext , in order t o creat et heir ent husiasm .
2. Discussing t he st ruct ure and pract icing t o w rit e
-
Concluding t he com m unicat ive purpose of descript ive t ext-
Defining t he genre-
Ident ificat ing t he rhet orical st ruct ure of descript ive t ext-
Analyzing t he gram m at ical pat t erns of descript ive t xt3. Self-t ext const ruct ion
-
Giving t asks st udent s t o m ake a descript ive t extCHAPTER III
TEACHING W RITING DESCRIPTION IN SM P N 20
A. Description of SM P Negeri 20 Surakarta
SM P N 20 Surakart a is one of form al educat ion inst it ut ions ow ned by t he local governm ent . It is locat ed at Jl. Surya No 155, Jagalan Surakart a. The school w as built in
1982, based on Surat Keput usan M ent eri Pendidikan dan kebudayaan RI No.0299/ 0/ 1982.
SM P N 20 Surakart a is less favorit e t han t he ot her st at e junior high schools in Surakart a in t erm s of academy m at t ers. In opposit e the school has som e aspect s t o be considered. The school w on m any com pet it ions in ext r acurricular act ivit ies or in physical exercises, like high and jum p, arching, et c. Besides, the school has a large, clean and com fort able environm ent .
The school occupies 11.320 m ² area. The building of SM P N 20 Surakart a consist s of eight een classroom s. The school has som e educat ional facilities such as library, science
laborat ory, m ult im edia room , com put er room . Since it has a large area, SM P N 20 Surakart a has seven kinds of court s. One of t hem is used for flag cerem ony. The ot hers are used for physical exercises.
SM P N 20 uses t he present curriculum . It is curriculum of KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat
Sat uan Pengajaran). The school is led by Drs.H. Sam bodo,M R. The num ber of st udent s in SM P N 20 is 620 st udent s and 214 st udent s are sevent h graders. There are 47 t eachers and t en official em ployees. There are four English t eachers and five t eachers t each in
The t eaching and learning act ivit ies in SM P N 20 are held six days a w eek, beginning from 07.00 a.m t o 12.15 p.m on M onday t o Sat urday, except on Friday, held at 07.00
a.m t o 10.35 a.m .
A.2. Extracurricular Activities
The ext racurricular act ivit y is an act ivit y for support ing st udent ’s creat ivit y wit hin t he educat ion societ y.
SM P N 20 Surakart a has som e ext racurricular act ivit ies, as follow s :
1. Volley Ball. It is held t w ice a w eek, on Thursday and Friday at 03.00 p.m .
2. BTQ ( Baca Tulis Qur’an ), learning Al-Qur’an for t he M oslem st udent s t hat is held on Wednesday at 12.15 p.m .
3. PM R-Youth Red Cross. The m em bers of PM R are t rained every Thursday at 12.15 p.m .
4. Scout. Each sevent h grader m ust follow t his ext acurricullar act ivit y. It is alw ays held on Friday at 12.15 p.m aft er all of t he lessons are over.
5. Traditional dance. This act ivit y is held on Thursday at 12.15 p.m .
6. Pencak Silat. It is a kind of physical t raining as self defense. It is held t w ice a w eek on Thursday at 04.00 p.m and o Sat urday at t he sam e t im e.
B.1. Class Observation
The job t raining w as done by t he w rit er from January 4, 2010 t o February 6, 2010. The w rit er got an opport unit y t o t each English for t he first grade st udent s in class VII E. The English lesson is t aught t hree t im es a w eek.
In t he first m eet ing, t he w rit er observed t he t eaching and learning act ivit ies in
classes VII B, VII D and VII E. The w rit er observed t he w ay of t he English t eacher, M rs.Prim anda t aught t he st udent s, especially w hen M rs.Prim anda t aught class VII E.
As a general procedure, t he t eacher greet ed t he st udent s before st art ing t he lesson
by saying good m orning, how are you, et c. St udent s replied it w ell. Because it w as t he first m eet ing in semest er t w o, t he t eacher asked about t heir rank and t he holiday, et c. Before t he t eacher explained t he m at erial, she alw ays gave t he point s of lesson t hat st udent s w ould learn. In int roducing t he new m at erial, t he t eacher spoke in
com m unicat ive language t o creat e good em ot ional approach w it h st udent s. For exam ple, t he t hem e for t hat day w as about t hing around us. Thus M rs. Prim anda used t he condit ion of class as m edia.
M rs. Prim anda : “ Ok st udent s, now please t ake a look at your class.
What are t hings in your class?”
St udent s : “ Table, Chairs, Clock.”
St udent s : “ M arker, w hit eboard” et c.
Then M rs. Prim anda w rot e dow n t he nam e of each t hing on t he w hit eboard.
While t he t eacher w as explaining about t he m at erial, t here w ere som e st udent s w ho didn’t pay at t ent ion. They w ere t alking t o each ot her, playing w it h t hings in t heir ow n t able and som e st udent s w ere laying dow n on t he t able. It seem ed t hat st udent s
had less m ot ivat ion in learning English. Thus t o m ake st udent s pay at t ent ion t o her , M rs. Prim anda had t o be a firm t eacher. If she did not do t hat , st udent s w ould not pay at t ent ion t o her and m ade noisy in class.
In explaining t he m at erial, t he t eacher oft en used Indonesian language t han English. She spoke English w hen she gave sim ple questions or she gave quest ions t hen she t ranslat ed it int o Indonesian language.
Aft er explaining t he new m at erial t he t eacher alw ays asked quest ions about it . It
could be know n w het her st udent s underst ood t he m at erial or not . Thus t he t eacher gave exercise or hom ew ork t o t hem .
In t he second m eet ing, it w as t he opport unit y of t he writ er t o t each VII E. The w rit er had t o prepare som e m at erials t o cont inue t he last m at erial.
Because t hey w ere st ill young learners, t hey alw ays talked t o t heir friends w hile it w as in t eaching and learning act ivit y. Thus t he w rit er had t reat ed t he st udent s
Physically t he condit ion of class VII Eis effect ive for t eaching and learning act ivit y. The class is big enough for 36 st udent s and it is also provided w it h w hit eboard, m ap,
clock, garbage can, et c.
B.2 Lesson Plan
One of t he m ost im port ant t hings t o m ake t he t eaching and learning act ivit ies run sm oot hly is a lesson plan. Every t eacher ought t o m ake lesson plan. Lesson plan is a kind of guideline for t eachers in preparing t he m at erial t o reach t he goal of t eaching and
learning act ivit y.
The English t eacher asked t he w rit er t o m ake lesson plan before t eaching. The lesson plan w as m ade based on t he English syllabus of KTSP ( Kurikulum Tingkat Sat uan Pengajaran ) also, it w as m ade based on t he m at erials in sem est er t w o during job
t raining, t he w rit er got one t opic, t hings around us. The genre of t he t opic w as descript ion. In preparing t he lesson plan, t he w rit er used m at erials books provided by t he English t eacher and ot her source books, such as Smart St ep, English for junior high
school and t he Bridge English Compet ence.
B.3. The Process of Teaching and Learning Activity in SM P N 20 Surakarta
Aft er m aking t he lesson plan, t he w rit er applied it t o t he class. The w rit er t aught t he English lesson for st udent s in class VII E.
Based on t he schedule, t he English lesson in class VII E is held t hree t im es a week. The lesson begins at 11.30 a.m -12.55 p.m on M onday on Thursday, t he class begins at
07.40 a.m -08.20 a.m w hile on Sat urday, it begins at 07.40 a.m -08.20 a.m . English lesson is t aught 5 hours per w eek.
The w rit er prepared all m at erials needed in t eaching and learning process. In present ing t he m at erials, som et im es t he w rit er used addit ional books in order t o give
st udent s m ore exercises.
not if t here w as any hom ew ork, t he w rit er offered t he st udent s t o com e forw ard, w rit e dow n t heir answ er on w hit eboard and discussed it t oget her in class. The w rit er also
reviewed last m at erials given by asking som e quest ions t o rem ind t hem. Before st art ing t he lesson, t he w rit er usually gave lit t le w arming up about t he t opic or t hem e t hat w ould be learnt .
The t hem e w as about t hings around us. In explaining t he new m at erial, t he w rit er used t he hand book, t hings in t he classroom or st udent t hem selves as t he m edia. Som et im es, t he w rit er asked t he st udent s t o pronounce t he w ord w rit t en on t he w hit eboard. The w rit er read it first and follow ed by the st udent s. The w rit er also asked
t hem t o pract ice som e dialogues in front of t he class in order t o m ake t hem act ive.
Aft er explaining t he new m at erial, t he w rit er gave opport unit y t o t he st udent s t o
ask about m at erial t hey had not underst ood yet . When all t he m at erials present ed could be accept ed by st udent s, t he w rit er also gave exercises as a m easurem ent of st udent ’s underst anding in t he lesson t hey had learned before.
The w rit er gave homew ork by asking t hem t o do exercises on t he w hit eboard or
w orksheet -LKS.
C. The Process of Teaching W riting Descriptive Text to the Seventh graders of SM P N 20
Surakarta.
The t eaching of English in SM P N 20 is em phasized m ost ly on reading and w rit ing skills. The t eaching of w rit ing in t he school is concerned w it h t he exam inat ion from t he
governm ent . The source books provided by t he school som et im e w ere not suit able w it h t he m at erials needed. M ost of t he m at erials w ere about t ext s for t eaching reading. The w rit er had t o look for anot her source book.
SM P N 20 used English in focus-t he source book from t he local governm ent and
form at – w orksheet as an exercise book.
The first act done by t he w rit er w hen t he w rit er t aught w rit ing is focused on descript ive t ext . First ly, t he w rit er int roduced w hat descript ive t ext w as by giving t he m eaning and descript ive t ext of my class. Thus st udent s knew w hat t hey w ould learn
about .
This is an exam ple of descript ive t ext w rit t en by t he w r it er.
M Y CLASS
I am in seven junior high school, Surakart a. M y class is in VII B. The class is very clean. I like t his class very m uch because I feel com fort if I am in t his class. It is nice place t o st udy.
M y class is locat ed in t he second floor of school building. It is near t he
com put er room but it is far from t eacher room . There are m any plant s in front of m y class such as: grass, som e lit t le colorful flow ers, and som e kinds of leaf. There is also a w ood bench in t he left side of m y class.
The w rit er point ed som e st udent s t o read each paragraph. Then t he w rit er asked w het her t here w ere any difficult w ords or not and got t he st udent s t o find difficult w ords in dict ionary. By using dict ionary t hey w ould know t he m eaning of unfamiliar w ords. The w rit er also discussed it t oget her in class. In evaluat ing t he st udent ’s com prehension of t he t ext t here w ere also several quest ions about m y class. Thus t o
m ake st udent s m ore underst and about descript ive paragraph, t he w rit er explained about t he social funct ion, t he generic st ruct ure and t he lexico gram m at ical feat ures of descript ive t ext . The w rit er gave it just at glance and not t oo det ail. They are t oo young
t o underst and and learn descript ive t ext specifically. Before giving st udent s not es about it , t he w rit er alw ays asked t he m eaning of each it em . The w rit er gave st udent s as follow s:
1. The Social Funct ion
By giving it , st udent s w ould know t he funct ion of a descript ive t ext .
2. The Generic St ruct ure
t o t hem t hat t he first paragraph of m y class called ident ificat ion and t he second t o fourt h paragraph called descript ion.
3. Lexico Gram m at ical Feat ures
In m aking st udent s clear about t he feat ures of descript ive t ext , t he w rit er explained
t hem about lexico gram m at ical of descript ion. Also, st udent s are able t o differ it w it h ot her t ext genres. For exam ple, t he w rit er gave sim ple explanat ion, like sim ple present t ense, using of causat ive has or have, noun phrase.
As t he pract ice, t he w rit er asked st udent s t o describe t heir ow n class t oget her. It
w as done t o check t he st udent ’s abilit y in creat ing a descript ion. The st ep done here w as t he w rit er gave som e clues about quest ions by asking w here t hey st udy, w hat t hings in t he class, et c.
A descript ion t ells about person, place or t hings. In anot her m eet ing, t he w rit er got
st udent s t o describe a person. The w rit er asked one of t hem – t he noisiest st udent t o be t he sam ple of descript ion. As t he previous experience w hen t he w rit er asked t hem t o describe t heir class t oget her and t hey w ere noisy, t hus t he w rit er point ed t hem one by
one t o speak a sent ence about t heir friend.
The st udent s had pract iced describing t heir ow n class and t heir classm at e orally. Then it w as t he t urn t o exam ine t heir capabilit y describing place – my house in w rit t en expression. The w rit er used guided w rit ing m et hod by giving several quest ions in order
This is an exam ple of guided w riting act ivit y
The st udent s did not need t o w rit e dow n t he quest ion. They just answ ered it and m ade it int o a descript ive paragraph about t heir ow n house.
The w rit er needed four m eet ings t o t each descript ive t ext . It w as about eight hours. As t he final result m ost of st udent s w ere able t o m ake a descript ive paragraph w ell. As
be seen from t he dat a of t heir m ark w hen t hey were m aking t he descript ion of t heir ow n house. The dat a show ed t hat 21 st udent s of 28 st udent s got score upper 6.
D. The Problems and The Solutions of Teaching W riting Descriptive Text for 7th Grade
Students of SM P N 20 Surakarta 1. Where do you live ?
2. How far is your house from school ? 3. How is t he condit ion of your house ?
-
Is it big enough ?-
Is it clean ?-
Do your house have garden ? 4. How m any room s are t here in your house ?What are t hey ?
There w ere m any problem s during t he process of t eaching descript ive t ext . The w rit er did observat ion t o collect t he dat a. It w as on M ay 6, 2010 and M ay 11, 2010. The
w rit er used int erview and quest ionnaire as t he m edia. The problem s cam e from m any aspect s, as f ollow s:
a. The st udent s
The w rit er gave st udent s quest ionnaire t o know t heir difficult ies in learning English especially descript ion genre. The w rit er divided quest ionnaire int o som e point s, t hey are : st udent ’s m ot ivat ion, st udent ’s difficult y in det erm ining t he first sent ence in describing som et hing, st udent ’s
vocabulary and t heir gram m ar and st udent ’s boredom .
This is t he dat a of quest ionnaire from 34 st udent s.
a. St udent ’s M ot ivat ion
St udent s have great m ot ivat ion t o com e in front of class w hen t here is a bonus.
Yes No
34 -
Based on t he dat a, all of t he st udent s (100% st udent s) are willing t o do
b. Get t ing Confused
St udent s have difficult y in det erm ining t he first sent ence t o describe
som et hing.
Yes No
28 6
The dat a show s t hat 28 of 34 st udent s get confused t o det erm ine w hat
t hey w ould w rit e. In opposit e, 6 st udent s find it easily.
c. Having Lim it ed Vocabulary and Gram m ar
Num ber of st udent s w ho find it difficult t o m ake a descript ion because of t heir vocabulary and gram m ar.
Vocabulary and Gram m ar Anot her Reason
33 1
It can be seen from t he dat a t hat 32 st udent s are having limit ed vocabulary and gram m ar. One st udent has anot her reason; he finds it difficult because he t hinks t hat English lesson is difficult t o learn.
In t his case, t he w rit er gave a chance for st udent s t o choose m ore t han one answ er.
St udent s w ho get bored easily
St udent s w ho do not get bored easily
26 8
The w rit er also added t w o opt ions w hat st udent s w ill do if t hey are
bored. They are:
1. Talking wit h t heir friends 2. Sleeping in class
The t able show s t hat m ore t han a half of t he num ber of st udent s in
class VIIE oft en get s bored and only eight st udent s w ho are not .
b. The Teacher
The w rit er divided t he problem s faced by t he English teacher, M rs.Prim anda and t he w rit er it self.
a. The English Teacher
She has t aught in SM PN 20 since 2007. She finds som e obst acles in t eaching, t hey are :
a.1 Noisy St udent s
The biggest problem in t eaching is noisy. The st udent s alw ays m ake noisy w hen t hey are in class. It is difficult for t eacher t o do any variat ion
in giving m at erials t o st udent s. If t he condit ion of t he class is noisy, it w ill dist urb anot her class and anot her t eacher w ill com plain about it .
As t he solut ion t o handle t his problem is t he t eacher m ust t reat t he
st udent s resolut ely.
a.2 Teaching M at erial
The t eacher has t o look for anot her source book because m ost of
books are about reading m at erials. For exam ple, t he BSE book. The BSE book approved by t he educat ion m inist er and t he English handout are not good enough. Som et im es t he books do not t ell t he t rut h. When one of t he chapt ers is about descript ion but t he cont ent is report .
In handling t his t eaching m at erial problem , M rs. Primanda looks for m at erial from t he int ernet and som et im es she m ade a t ext by her ow n.
The t im e allocat ion for t eaching English is anot her problem . The t eacher has t o t each m any m at erials just in 5 hours per w eek. It is very
limit ed for t eacher.
a.4 The Num ber of St udent s
The t eacher should m anage t he class t hat consist s of 36 st udent s. In
m anaging t he class, t he t eacher m ust w ork hard t o m ake 36 st udent s keep silent and underst and her explanat ion.
a.5 St udent ’s Abilit y
The st udent ’s vocabulary and gram m ar are limit ed. Som et im es, st udent s st ill look for t he sim ple w ord like t et api in dict ionary. They
have t o open t he dict ionary all t he t im e. The st udent s have difficult y t o produce a sent ence. They do not know every single w ord arranged.
The t eacher alw ays asks st udent s t o bring t heir dict ionary. There w ill be any punishm ent for t hose w ho do not bring it . Handling about
t he st udent ’s gram m ar, t he t eacher ought t o explain t hem again about how t o m ake a sent ence such as subject , predicat e, object , et c.
During job t raining, t he w rit er also found som e problem s in t eaching descript ive t ext , such as :
b.1 M anaging Class
It w as rat her difficult for t he w rit er m anaging t he class consist ing 36 st udent s. St udent s oft en m ade noisy w hen t hey did the exercises given
or being asked t o com e in front of t he class, especially on M onday. The st udent s have t heir English lesson as t he last lesson at 11.30. Som et im es, t hey w ere noisy t oo w hen t he w rit er was explaining t he
m at erial. They w ere t alking wit h t he ot hers and did not pay at t ent ion t o t he w rit er’s explanation. The w rit er needed t o speak in loud voice all t he t im e.
To solve t his problem , t he w rit er had t o t reat t hem resolut ely and
enforce t hem t o be discipline. It w as t he best m et hod t o m ake t hem keep silent and list ened t o t he w rit er’s explanat ion. When t hey w ere t alking w it h t he ot hers, t he w rit er t ried t o creat e a good m et hod of
t eaching t o m ake t hem int erest ed. The writ er asked t he noisiest st udent t o com e in front of t he class as t he m odel of t he descript ion. It could at t ract t hem t o t he lesson.
The English lesson is t aught t hree t im es in a w eek. The w rit er t ried t o m anage t he t im e w ell and effect ively. The t im e was st ill limit ed for
explaining t he m at erials and handling t he noisy st udent s. Also, t he w rit er ever had t o explain t he m at erial t w ice, because t hey had not underst ood yet . Thus it m ade t he sam e lesson given in anot her m eet ing.
The w rit er had t o revise t he lesson plan t o m ake it more effect ive. The w rit er also gave punishm ent for st udent s w ho m ade noise. Thus t he t im e for t eaching and learning could be used effect ively.
b.3 Lim it ed M at erial
The w rit er had t o look for source books before t eaching t he class. As an inexperience t eacher, t he w rit er found it difficult t o get t he right m at erial for st udent s. The books provided by t he school som et im es are
not suit able w it h t he st udent ’s abilit y and t he m at erial needed.
To solve t his problem , t he condit ion of t he class becam e t he m edia t o deliver t he m at erial about descript ion. The number of chairs and
t ables, t he posit ion of t he w hit eboard, et c w ere t he m at erial used t o t each descript ion. Som et im es, t he w rit er m ade a descript ive t ext by her ow n.
To evaluat e t he st udent ’s com prehension about t he m at erial is by giving t ask. The st udent s are having less m ot ivat ion in learning English.
It can be seen from t heir willingness t o do t he t asks and hom ew ork. When t he w rit er gave exercises aft er explaining t he m at erial, t hey alw ays grum bled. M oreover t here w ere som e st udent s w ho did not
subm it t heir t asks or hom ew ork
In handling t his problem , t he w rit er gave plus point or gave t ango- a kind of snack for t hose w ho w ant ed t o com e in front of t he class t o do t he exercises and for t hose w ho got t he best m ark.
b.5 Having Lim it ed Vocabulary and Gram m ar
One of t he challenges in t eaching st udent s t o w rit e a descript ion w as t heir vocabulary and gramm ar. The st udent s alw ays needed
dict ionary in underst anding som et hing or m aking a paragraph.
Asking t hem t o bring dict ionary w as t he m et hod applied by t he w rit er. If t hey did not bring it t hey w ould get a punishment . The w rit er t old t hem
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
Based on t he discussion in t he previous chapt er, t he w rit er sum m arizes som e
im port ant point s of t he English t eaching descript ive t ext t o t he sevent h grade st udent s of SM P N 20 Surakart a. They are:
1. The best m et hods of t eaching descript ive t ext t o t he sevent h grade st udent of SM PN 20 are :
-
Teacher m ust t reat t he st udent s resolut ely.-
Teacher m ust enforce t he st udent s t o be discipline.-
Teacher m ust be able t o creat e t he st udent ’s int erest2. The problem s encount ered in t eaching descript ive text t o t he sevent h grade st udent s of SM PN 20 Surakart a and t heir solut ions, as follow s:
1) The St udent s
M ost st udent s have difficult y in w rit ing descript ive t ext because:
-
St udent s are w illing t o com e in front of t he class only w hen-
St udent ’s vocabulary and gram m ar are limit ed-
St udent s are get t ing confused w hen t hey w ant ed t o describesom et hing
-
St udent s are get t ing bored easily w hen t hey are in t heclassroom .
2) The Teacher
-
The biggest problem w hen t eaching in SM PN 20 is noisyst udent s. To solve t his problem , t he t eachers in SM PN 20
becom e cruel t eachers.
-
The t eachers have t o m anage t he limit ed t im e in t eachingEnglish.
-
The num ber of st udent s becom es anot her problem f or Englisht eacher. They have t o m anage t he class consist ing of 36 st udent s.
-
The t eachers have t o look for anot her t eaching m at erial. Theym ade t he m at erial by t heir ow n, such as a descript ive t ext .
1. To t he st udent s of SM P N 20 Surakart a
The st udent s should have high m ot ivat ion in learning English. They m ust pay
at t ent ion t o t he t eacher’s explanat ion.
2. To t he SM P N 20 Surakart a
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brow n, H. Douglas. 2001. Teaching by Principles: An Int eract ive Approach t o Language
Pedagogy. New York: Pearson Educat ion
Bryne, Donn. 1988. Teaching Writ ing Skills. England: Longm an
Harm er, Jerem y. 2004. How t o Teach Writ ing. Edinburgh: Longm an
Pardiyono, M .Pd. 2007. Past i Bisa! Teaching Genre-Based Writ ing. Yogyakart a: Andi
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