THE USE OF THEME-BASED TEACHING IN TEACHING WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT
(A Qualitative Case Study of English Teacher in Public Junior High School in Bandung)
A RESEARCH PAPER
Submitted to the English Education Department of
Indonesia University of Education as a Partial Fulfillment of
The Requirements for Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
By:
Dita Dwi Pusparini (0806593)
ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION INDONESIA UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
The Use of Theme-Based Teaching in
Teaching Writing Descriptive Text
Oleh
Dita Dwi Pusparini
Sebuah skripsi yang diajukan untuk memenuhi salah satu syarat memperoleh gelar Sarjana pada Fakultas Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni
© Dita Dwi Pusparini 2013 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Oktober 2013
Hak Cipta dilindungi undang-undang.
Skripsi ini tidak boleh diperbanyak seluruhya atau sebagian,
ABSTRACT
Main Supervisor: Drs. Sudarsono. M.I., M.A. Co-Supervisor: M. Handi Gunawan, S.Pd., M.Pd.
The study entitled “The Use of Theme-based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text”focuses on the issue of the implementation of the theme-based teaching in teaching writing in an EFL context. The aim of this study is primarily to investigate the ways a teacher implements the theme-based teaching in teaching writing Descriptive text and explore the advantages and disadvantages of theme-based teaching in teaching writing Descriptive text in eight graders in a junior high school in Bandung, West Java.
A qualitative research design, embracing the characteristics of case study was employed in this study. The data were obtained from classroom observation for four meetings and one interview section. The data collected from classroom observation and interview were transcribed and then analyzed by using framework of theme-based teaching (e.g Stoller and Grabe (1997), Cameron (2001), Brown (2001)). In addition, the data also were analyzed using the framework of curriculum-cycle (Derewianka, 2000, Gibbons, 2002 and Emilia, 2010).
It is found that three aspects of theme-based teaching involved theme, content and language learning task were provided by the teacher during the teaching of writing Descriptive text. The selected theme covered the whole teaching-learning process through four-stages of curriculum cycle. Moreover, this study revealed the advantages of theme-based teaching such as helping students in learning vocabulary, providing language learning through ‘communicative stretching’, and encouraging students’ motivation to precision in language use. On the other hand, the disadvantages were also found out such as the demand of selecting an appropriate theme and designing a holistic planning of theme based-teaching.
Finally, it is recommended that further research be conducted in a wider scope of different areas. In addition, it would be more useful for teachers who will implement a theme-based teaching to consider the theme selection and time constrains.
TABLE OF CONTENT
STATEMENT OF AUTHORIZATION ... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ... ii
ABSTRACT ... v
TABLE OF CONTENT ... vi
LIST OF TABLES ... x
LIST OF FIGURES ... xi
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background ... 1
1.2 The aim of the study ... 4
1.3 Study Questions ... 4
1.4 The scope of Study ... 4
1.5 The significance of the study ... 4
1.6 Study Methodology ... 5
1.6.1 Design of the study ... 6
1.6.2 Site and Participant... 6
1.6.3 Data Collection ... 6
1.6.4 Data Analysis ... 6
1.7 Paper Organization ... 7
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Theme-based Teaching ... 8
2.1.2 Theme-based Teaching Planning ... 10
2.1.3 The Advantages of Theme-based Teaching ... 13
2.2 Writing ... 15
2.2.1 Nature of writing ... 15
2.2.2 The Process of Writing ... 17
2.3 Curriculum Cycle... 19
2.3.1 Building Knowledge of Field Stage ... 20
2.3.2 Modelling Stage ... 20
2.3.3 Joint Construction Stage... 21
2.3.4 Independent Construction Stage... 22
2.4 Text ... 22
2.4.1 The Nature of Descriptive Text ... 23
2.4.1.1 Definition of Descriptive Text ... 23
2.4.1.2 The Characters of Descriptive Text ... 25
2.5 Findings from Previous Studies ... 27
2.6 Concluding Remark ... 27
CHAPTER III METHODOOGY 3.1 Design of the Study ... 28
3.2 Site of the Study... 31
3.3 Participants of the Study ... 31
3.4 Data Collection ... 31
3.4.1 Classroom Observation ... 32
3.4.2 Interview... 34
3.5 Data Analysis ... 35
3.6 Clarification of Terms... 35
a. Theme-based Teaching ... 35
b. Descriptive Text ... 40
c. Advantage... 40
CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Data from Classroom Observation ... 42
4.1.1 The Ways A Teacher Uses Theme-based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text ... 43
4.1.1.1 Theme... 43
4.1.1.2 Content ... 49
4.1.1.3 Language Learning Tasks ... 54
4.1.2 The Ways A Teacher Uses Theme-based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text through Curriculum Cycle ... 61
4.1.2.1 Building Knowledge of Field Stage ... 61
4.1.2.2 Modelling Stage ... 66
4.1.2.3 Joint Construction Stage ... 69
4.1.2.4 Independent Construction Stage ... 71
4.1.3 The Advantages and Disadvantages of The Use of Theme-based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text ... 74
4.1.3.1 The Advantages of the Use of Theme-based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text ... 74
4.1.3.2 The Disadvantages of the Use of Theme-based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text ... 79
4.2 Data from Interview ... 81
4.2.1 The Ways A Teacher Uses Theme-based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text ... 81
4.2.3.1 Theme... 81
4.2.3.2 Content ... 84
4.2.3.3 Language Learning Tasks ... 86
4.2.2 The Ways A Teacher Uses Theme-based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text through Curriculum Cycle ... 87
4.2.2.1 Building Knowledge of Field Stage ... 87
4.2.2.2 Modelling Stage ... 89
4.2.2.4 Independent Construction Stage ... 91 4.2.3 The Advantages and Disadvantages of The Use of Theme-based
Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text ... 93 4.2.3.1 The Advantages of the Use of Theme-based Teaching in
Teaching Writing Descriptive Text ... 93 4.2.3.2 The Disadvantages of the Use of Theme-based Teaching in
Teaching Writing Descriptive Text ... 98 4.3Concluding Remark ... 99 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1Conclusion ... 100 5.2Recommendation... 102
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Lesson Plan
Appendix 2: Transcription of Classroom Observation and Interview Appendix 3: Photos of Research Documentation
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents a brief description of the whole contents of the study which includes background of the study, questions of the study, aims of the study, significant of the study, scope of the study and study methodology. At last, organization of the paper is also presented at the end of this chapter.
1.1 Background
Basically, there are four skills that should be mastered by students in English language learning namely speaking, reading, listening, and writing (Depdiknas, 2006). Comparing with the other English skills, writing skill is considered as a difficult skill to be mastered by students in both a first language and a second language (Zemach and Islam, 2005). The reason for this condition is that writing encourages the students to the “final written product” (adapted from Shih 1986, as cited in Brown, 2009) as the result of thinking, drafting, and revising procedures that requiring specialized skills in which not everybody can develop it naturally (Brown, 2009), so they should master some aspects. Moreover, one aspect that the students have to master in this skill is developing their ideas in their text. Therefore, most of teachers try to find out some effective ways to help the students in developing their ideas in which one of them is Theme-based Teaching.
Theme-based Teaching (TBT) is a way used by teacher which linked the learning activities around a specific theme. According to Brown (2001), theme-based is different with traditional language classes since it is an alternative way in which the class is structured around themes or topics. From the definition of theme-based above, it can be seen that the major point of this teaching approach is a theme.
program resources of and the abilities and interests of teachers (Stoller & Grabe, 1997). This means that when a theme is selected, it has to consider many sides.
First, theme should be appropriate for student’s need and interest. Students’ need here is “awareness of the need”. It means the knowledge (of sponsor, learners, and teachers) of why the learners need English in which it affects to the content of language course and the potential can be exploited (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987). Thus, the students’ interest here means that the theme should relate to students’ life, for example, My Inspiration or Friendship. Second, the theme should fulfill the institution’s expectation in terms of the teaching-learning aims and objectives. Third, the theme is selected based on what program resources are possible to be exploited and used to support the teaching and learning process. The last, the theme considers the abilities and interests of teachers. Of course, the teacher first should know what will be taught in the class since it becomes the “connecting threads” (Cameron, 2001) in the class.
According to the explanation above, it can also be seen that theme-based actually relates to teach young learner. The reason for this is that theme-based teaching has been adopted in UK primary classroom in 1960s. It was an integrated learning of the different areas of curriculum rather than separating them into subject areas (Cameron, 2001). In this teaching, the teacher chose a theme or topic, in which the theme was “People who help us”. Then students were given some tasks in learning activities based on the theme above.
Moreover, the other related study about theme-based teaching approach has been conducted by Yang (2009). The major finding of this study is that theme-based teaching can increase learners’ interest in English learning if teachers provide interesting activities and suitable materials. This finding is supported by Freeman and Freeman (2006, as cited in Yang, 2009) that proposed “when the content of the lesson is relevant and interesting, students are more likely to try harder to understand and to stay focused”. Therefore, the interesting content influences the students’ interest.
junior high school level in which the English teacher adapted theme-based teaching to teach writing descriptive text. In addition, theme-based teaching can be used to teach writing since skills are integrated (Shih, 1986). According to Shih (1986), the traditional belief argued that the students just should write. However, they listen, discuss, and read about a topic before they write in university course work. Therefore, theme-based teaching is used since the students should think about a theme or topic through some skills, in this study, writing skill.
As the previous study, writing skill was used as an alternative way to develop students’ ideas. According to Brown (2001:335), the writing pedagogy focuses on how to generate students’ idea as the result of compositional nature of writing. Many students find that writing freely about a topic helps them generating preliminary ideas when the topic has influenced them personally (Clark, 2003:85). Therefore, the use of theme in this study can encourage students to develop their idea because it relates to them. This notion that theme can develop students’ idea is also related to the concept that the theme should be selected based on the students’ interest.
Concerning to teaching genre, teaching descriptive will be the focus on this study since it becomes one of genres which is taught in Junior high school (see 2006 Indonesia Curriculum). This text type deals on how the teacher can leads the students to be able to describe a theme into specific descriptions. Description means “the verbal visualization of human, object, appearance, scenery, or event (Alwasilah & Alwasilah, 2007). In this study, the teacher will focus on describing people.
1.2 The aim of the study
In line with the questions, this study aims to:
1. Examine the implementation of the use of theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of junior high school. 2. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of the use of theme-based
teaching that the teacher finds out in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of junior high school.
1.3 Study Questions
This study is designed to answer the following questions:
1. What are the ways in which the teacher used in implementing theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of junior high school?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the use of theme-based teaching does the teacher find out in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of junior high school?
1.4 The scope of Study
The scope of this study focuses on finding out on how the English teacher uses theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of junior high school and explores what advantages and disadvantages of the use theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of junior high school. Teacher in this study is English teacher of 8th grade in junior high school. This study is a qualitative case study in which the English teacher of 8th grade uses Theme-based Teaching.
1.5 The significance of the study
1. Theoretical benefits
The study is expected to give a perspective and concept to use Theme-Based Teaching in teaching eighth grade of Junior high school students as its contribution toward the research about theme-based teaching especially in teaching writing descriptive text.
2. Practical benefits
This study will be useful for teachers, students, and the readers who are interested in teaching writing skill. For teacher, this study provides an alternative way to teach writing skill. For students, this study helps them to develop and then organize their ideas through selected theme to make a good written text. At last, for the readers who are interested in teaching writing, this study is expected to give some information about the use of theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text for their purposes for example for their research or as a teaching reference or source in the classroom.
3. Professional benefits
This study is expected to provide information of teaching skill in order to improve teachers’ competence in teaching English writing skill by developing and organizing the lesson through the theme. Therefore, a meaningful, organized, and collaborative English learning process can be created in the classroom. For the last, this study can be used by the schools as a resource to improve English teaching by using some approaches, methods and techniques for English teaching competences.
1.6 Study Methodology
1.6.1 Design of the study
Dealing to the main aims of the study, this study employs descriptive case study method since it is considered as the most suitable method to examine the study. Some instruments are also employed in order to collect the data which consists of observation and interview. The ways of how these instruments are employed will be discussed in Chapter III.
1.6.2 Site and Participant
This study took place in one of the public junior school in Bandung. The participant of this study is an English Teacher in eighth grade class of public junior high school.
1.6.3 Data Collection
In collecting the data, there are two instruments used in this study, namely observation and interview. Observation is used to get the real overview in the class. The observation was recorded by using video camera. Besides, the interview is also used to cross-check the data based on the teacher knows about the case.
1.6.4 Data Analysis
The qualitative method is employed in this study in order to identify the ways in which the teacher used in the use of theme-based teaching to teach writing descriptive text and explore what advantages and disadvantages that the teacher faced in the use of theme-based teaching to teach writing descriptive text. Therefore, the instruments are used in this study would be observation and interview.
theories that has been explained in chapter II. Therefore, the result of the study will be found based on the interpretation by answering the aims of the study.
1.7 Paper Organization
This paper will be presented into five chapters, as follow: 1. Chapter I: Introduction
In this chapter, the paper elaborates the background of the study. Theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text is the focus of this study. The chapter also states the research questions, aims of the study, scope of the study, significance of the study, research method, and Paper Organization.
2. Chapter II: Literature Review
This chapter discusses some theories about Theme-Based Teaching, Writing, and Descriptive text.
3. Chapter III: Research Methodology
This chapter gives clear explanation about how the study is conducted and analyzed. It clarifies why theme-based teaching approach is important in teaching writing especially to teach descriptive text. The data collection and analysis will also be briefly explained. In addition, the clarification of terms will also be presented in this chapter.
4. Chapter VI: Findings and Discussions
This chapter analyzes and discusses the findings of the study clearly. It shows the elaboration of data analysis based on the theories in order to find out the result of the study.
5. Chapter V: Conclusion and Suggestion
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter elaborates the method employed in this study in order to answer the two questions that previously stated in Chapter I. It covers research design, site and participants, data collection, data analysis, and concluding remark.
3.1 Design of the study
Dealing with the main aims of the study, this study employs a qualitative case study method. The main characteristics of qualitative case study are presented as follows.
Table 3.1
The Characteristic of Qualitative Case Study
Characteristics Case study
Focus To provide an in-depth description and analysis of a case (of cases), using multiple data sources.
Foundation disciplines Psychology, law, political science, medicine, and education.
Unit(s) of analysis
An individual learner or teacher, a class, school, education area, or country; a class activity or language program.
Data collection methods
Multiple sources: interview, observations, diaries and verbal reports, discourse analysis, documents and records
Data collection methods : other
form Questionnaire
(Taken from Croker, as cited in Heigham and Croker, 2009: p16)
focuses on providing the description of the use theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text in education discipline in which the unit of analysis is English teacher who teaches in eighth grade of junior high school level. In addition, the data collection methods employed in this study are observation and interview that will be explained briefly in data collection section.
In the study, the researcher examined the study based on research cycle which consists of setting, inquiry (research questions), data collection, data analysis and claims (Freeman, 2009, as cited in Heigham and Croker, 2009). The cycle is presented below:
Picture 3.1 Research Cycle
In this study, the research cycle above is developed into some more specific steps which are presented below:
Picture 3.2 Cycle of the study
Moreover, Gold (1958, as cited in Heigham and Croker, 2009: 167), classifies observers into four corresponding to this continuum: complete participant, participant as observer, observer as participant, and complete observer (non-participant observation). In this study, the researcher played role as a complete observer (non-participant observation). The observation has been conducted based on the observation sheet that had been organized. Moreover, interview was also used to cross-check the real situation in the class with the English teacher perception while using theme-based teaching approach in teaching writing descriptive text.
3.2 Site of the Study
This study was undertaken at one of public junior high schools in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. This institution was chosen for two reasons. First, this school provided the researcher with an English teacher who uses theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text. Second, this school provided the researcher with access to undertake research.
3.3 Participants of the Study
The participants involved in this study were an English Teacher and 40 students of eighth grade of junior high school. The study was conducted with an English teacher in one public junior high school in Bandung who has adapted theme-based teaching approach in teaching writing descriptive text. The teacher was familiar with the concept of curriculum cycle which has been explained in the previous chapter. The theme-based teaching was predicted mostly occurred in the lesson. Moreover, the eighth grade was chosen in this study because Descriptive text was taught in this grade.
3.4 Data Collection
3.4.1 Classroom observation
Observation is “the conscious noticing and detailed examination of
participants’ behavior in a naturalistic setting” (Cowie, 2009, as cited in Heigham and Croker, 2009: 166). Based on this definition, it can be seen that observation is planned to gather some information that is needed from the object of observation naturally. In addition, the observation in this study is study observation which is
“a systematic and planned observation to gather information in which its validity and reability are controlled” (Alwasilah, 2009:211).
As has been explained before, the researcher was a complete-observer in this study observation. The researcher took note based on the observation sheet that has been designed. While the researcher took a note, the other people recorded the situation. Moreover, the observation was conducted in two weeks at English subject in eighth grade of junior high school which consist of four meeting. Each meeting took 80 minutes in a class. In this class, there are an English teacher and 43 students.
In addition, the schedule of observation is presented below, as follows:
Table 3.2
The schedule of Observation
Date Time allocation Theme:
Topics Teaching Material
Monday, 1st April
Saturday, 13rd
Moreover, the observation was conducted by using video camera in order to get the accurate data (Gall and Borg, 2003:257). The observation will be used to note some aspects to get the real information about how the English teacher uses theme-based teaching approach in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of Junior High School and explores what advantages and disadvantages of the use this approach in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of Junior High School based on an observation sheet that has been organized by the researcher. The framework of observation was adapted from Emilia (2010) and Gibbon (2002), as follows:
Table 3.3
The Framework adapted from Emilia (2010) and Gibbon (2002).
Cycle Activities
Building Knowledge of Field
Brainstorming through some critical questions to explore the theme.
Finding out what the students have known about the theme.
Using picture to elicit or teach vocabulary
Sharing, collecting, organising, and recording the information
Modelling of text
Familiarizing the students with the function and social context of the text
Joint Construction
Grouping the students into fours and familiarizing them with task they will do in this stage.
Approaching each group at the start of joint construction
Observing students’ development in CT and emergent control of descriptive text
Observing students’ perception of the joint construction
Consultation with each group on their draft.
Independence
Construction Students write their own text
3.4.2 Interview
The data of the study was also gained by interviewing the participant of the study. (Potter, 1996, as cited in Polkinghorne, 2005) has defined interviewing
as “a technique of gathering data from humans by asking those questions and
getting them to react verbally”. Prior to interview the participant, the questions were designed as the interview questions. The instrument employed to collect data in the interview was voice recorder which is used to record the interview with the participants of the study.
In this study, semi-structured interview has been applied in which it “is one where the interview has a clear picture of the topic that need to be covered (and perhaps even a preferred order of these) but is prepared to allow develop in unexpected direction where these open up important new areas” (Richard, 2009, as cited in Heigham and Croker, 2009). This means that actually the interviewer asked based on the designed questions but then it was developed because the interviewer found new information or another point of view from the respondent.
After interviewing the participant, the researcher organized the data from the interview in form of computer file to be transcribed based on what the participants said in the interview. Moreover, the researcher transcribed and analyzed the data through content analysis, using categorical strategies to break down the data.
3.5 Data Analysis
In order to find out how the English teacher uses theme-based teaching approach in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of junior high School and exploring what advantages and disadvantages of the use theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text in eighth grade of junior high school, the qualitative data of the study was analyzed descriptively. The data of the study was transcribed afterwards was labeled by using computer program. The data then was noted and then categorized. In further, the data was analyzed by a qualitative data analysis.
After gaining the data from the observation and interview, the researcher analyzed the data by using some relevant theories to get the interpretation of the case. The data was analyzed by using theories of theme-based teaching (e.g Cameron (2001), Brown (2001) and Stoller & Grabe (1997)). In addition, the data were also analyzed based on framework of curriculum-cycle (Derewianka, 2004; Gibbons, 2002; Emilia, 2010).Moreover, by answering the purposes of the study, the conclusion as the result of the study was gained.
3.6 Clarification of Terms
In order to avoid misunderstanding in this research, some terms are clarified as follows.
a. Theme-Based Teaching
through everything that happens in the classroom and acts as a connecting thread for pupils and teacher (Cameron, 2001).
In this study, theme-based teaching is an approach in which the class is
structured by a theme that was “Famous Artist”. This theme then was divided into
three specific topics: International Artist, Indonesian artist and My Favorite Artist. The theme and topics here were appropriate with the material of Descriptive text focusing on describing people.
In applying this theme-based, the teacher also adapted curriculum cycle in teaching writing which consists of Building Knowledge of Field stage, Modelling stage, Joint Construction stage and Independent Construction stage. The reason of adapting curriculum cycle is that this study applied theme-based teaching in teaching Writing text. As we have known, Curriculum Cycle is usually used in Genre-based Approach. However, what becomes the teacher’s focus were many approaches to content-based instruction including theme-based teaching “…view language as a medium for learning content, and content as a resource for learning
language” (Stoller and Grabe, 1997). It means that the teacher saw the theme as the main idea of all the things happen in the class.
Table 3.4
Teaching Procedures of
Theme-Based Teaching in Teaching Writing Descriptive Text
Theme: Topics
Time allocation
Curriculum
Cycle Activities Teachers’ Role Students’ Role
Famous
Asking the students about a theme to relate their knowledge and experience to the lesson.
Responding the teacher questions.
Guessing Picture
Asking the students about some pictures to relate their knowledge and experience to the lesson. of a Descriptive text Adapted from (Emilia,
2010:68:69)
Explaining the function and social context of descriptive text
Explaining the schematic structure of descriptive text
Gives one example of descriptive text with its schematic structure
Identifying the function and social context of descriptive text
Identifying the schematic structure of descriptive text
Linguistic Feature of Descriptive Text (Simple Present Tense)
Presenting a model text of a Descriptive text
Adapted from (Emilia, 2010:68:69)
of descriptive text
Gives one example of descriptive text with its schematic structure
linguistic features of
Giving example how to write descriptive text
Grouping the students into fours and familiarizing them with task they will do in this stage.
Approaching each group at the start of joint construction
Observing students’ development in CT and emergent control of descriptive text
Observing students’ perception of the joint construction
Consultation with each group on their draft.
meeting Independent
Construction Producing Text
Deciding a topic
Guiding and checking the
Favorite Artist
students while the students are constructing the text Giving a game
and checking,
b. Descriptive text
Descriptive text deals with description. A description is about a particular person or thing (Martin, 1985, as cited in Emilia 2010: 172). Descriptive text is a text which function is to describe a particular person, place or thing (Gerot and Wignell, 1994), a sequence of event or tell a story (Smalley and Rueten, 1990). Moreover, Anderson and Anderson (1998:27) stated that descriptive text describes a particular person, place or thing. Its purpose is to tell about the subject by describing its features without including person opinion.
In this study, the descriptive text that was taught by the teacher focused on how to describe people. The theme Famous Artist was chosen in this study by the teacher. The theme then was developed into three topics: International Artist, Indonesian artist and My Favorite Artist. By using the theme and topics, the students were taught how to describe people in form of written text.
Moreover, in teaching writing Descriptive text by focusing on describing people, the teaching material was designed based on the selected theme. First, the teacher taught some vocabularies about people description such as physical appearance, occupation, personal trait, and behaviour. Second, the linguistic feature (specifically in using Simple Present Tense) focuses on how to write sentences to describe people, for instance, She has a pointed nose or He is an international movie star. Third, the text used were the Descriptive Text about famous artist: International Artist, Indonesian artist and My Favorite Artist
c. Advantage
According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English
(2000), there are three definitions of term “advantage”, as follows:
1. (over sb) a thing that help you to be better or more successful than other people.
In this study, the term “advantage” refers to some things that help the teacher to be better or more success by implementing theme-based teaching in teaching writing descriptive text.
d. Disadvantage
According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English
(2000), the term “disadvantage” refers to something that causes problems and tend
to stop sb/sth from succeeding or making progress.
In this study, disadvantage means something that causes problems and tends to stop the teacher from succeeding or making progress by
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This final chapter presents two sections which covers conclusions and recommendations for further research. The conclusions sum up the research findings and discussions in the preceding chapters. Possible recommendations for further studies dealing with the issue are also presented as well at the end of the chapter.
5.1 Conclusions
Based on the findings, the research concludes that three important aspects of theme-based teaching were provided by teacher which covered theme, content and language learning tasks. The teacher developed the three important aspects of theme-based teaching through a curriculum cycle consisted of Building Knowledge of Field, Modelling stage, Joint Construction stage and Independent Construction stage.
In implementation of theme-based teaching, the selected theme provided by the teacher was Famous Artist. The theme was divided into three specifics topics including International Artist, Indonesian Artist and My Favorite Artist. There are the explorations of theme, content, and language learning task found in each stages of curriculum cycle.
In Building Knowledge of Field stage, the theme was developed into International artist topic. The teacher explored the topic by using a task to find out some international artist through some activities such as brainstorming, guessing pictures, and explanation of vocabularies related to describing people which was consisted of physical appearances, trait, job and behavior.
which only described about people’s physical appearances, trait, job and behavior. The teacher also introduced a model of Descriptive text by giving a text related to Indonesian artist. The teacher also provided an exercise activity in order to check the students’ knowledge toward linguistic features and schematic structure.
In Joint Construction stage, the teacher divided the students into some groups to construct a descriptive text collaboratively according to selected topic. At the beginning of this stage, the teacher explained the instruction to the students. In this activity, the teacher provided a web-worksheet as a guideline for students to arrange some sentences and construct those sentences into a complete descriptive text. In this stage the teacher approached and checked the students’ progression in constructing the text. The teacher also provided a consultation with the students if they found some difficulties.
Finally, the teacher asked the students to construct a descriptive text in Independent Construction stage independently. In this stage, the topic was My Favorite Artist so the students were asked to construct a descriptive text based on their interest. In the end of stage, a playing game activity was examined by the teacher to build fun and interesting language learning while reviewing the whole teaching-learning process.
The advantages of theme-based teaching found in this implementation were the advantages of using theme-based in teaching writing descriptive text are helping students in learning vocabulary, providing language learning through ‘communicative stretching’, providing discourse skills learning, students can use many information texts, encouraging students’ motivation to precision in language use, and producing outcomes from theme-based learning (Cameron, 2001).
5.2 Recommendations
Considering the findings of this study, the researcher recommends: 1. Recommendation for further research
It would be useful for further research be conducted in a wider scope of different areas. In addition, it also would be more useful if the further research could examine the research in integrating different skills besides writing skill.
2. Recommendation for teacher who will implement theme-based teaching in teaching writing.
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