CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Reading
Reading is one of skills that must be learned in learning English.
Through reading, people can gain information about science, technology, and
news which is happened around the world.
According to Goodman in Leu (1987: 9), reading is a psycholinguistic
guessing game which involves an interaction between thought and language.
Efficient reading doesn’t result from precise perception and identification of all
elements, but from skill in selecting the fewest, most productive cues necessary
to produce guesses (about meaning) which are right the first time.
Based on Leu and Kinzer (1987: 9), reading is developmental,
interactive, global process involving learned skill. The process is involving
incorporates and negatively influenced by non-linguistic internal and external
variables of factors.
Reo, et all (2005) stated that reading as a complex act of
communication in which a number of textual, contextual, and reader- based
variables interact to produce comprehension.
In other words, reading can be concluded as activities, which have
multi processes, such as remembering, recalling, interpreting, judging,
From all definitions and facts above, a general understanding of reading
can be derived as an active process of getting meaning. This process is done by
knowledge, linguistic as well as knowledge of the sentences. When reading, the
focus is not only on the pronouncing the words or the sentences but also pay
attention on the meaning of the text. Besides that, reading can be taken as a life
skill which is relevant to immediate as well as long term life success and
reading generally serves as source of information, enjoyment, and recreation.
1. The Importance of Reading
Reading is a good activity for everyone and most important for the
learners. Reading activity for the learners make them have more knowledge
than the learners who have not habit of reading.
As stated before, reading is one of skills that must be learned in
learning English that can influence students’ achievement. It is supported by
Ramelan (1990) that even after leaving school, reading will be of much use
for students. By reading a lot of literary works on various kinds of subject.
Their mind will be more developed in maturity. Moreover, they will have to
remember that there is no journey’s end for education itself. Reading is very
useful for students at school and after they graduated from their study.
Reading is also something complex and necessary since success of
learners study depends for the greater part on their ability to read. If their
reading skill is poor, they can fail in their study or at least they will have
difficulty in making progress. In the other hands, if they have good reading
graduating from school. It is supported by Sittilert’s study (1994) that
reading can help low achievement students improve their ability and the
opinions towards classroom atmosphere are positive.
2. The Aims of Reading
According to Tarigan (2008: 9) said that there are several aims of
reading, as follows:
a. Reading for default of facts: people read to get or know the invention that
have been done by the writer or solve the problems of the writer.
b. Reading for main ideas: people read to know “why the topic is good or
interest, then the problems on the story and make summaries of the
story.”
c. Reading for sequence or organization: people read to know “what is
happening in each part the story in every episode and solve the problems
of the story.”
d. Reading to classify: people read to classify some information or action of
the writer in text.
e. Reading for inference: people read to find out the conclusion from the
action or ideas in the text.
f. Reading for comparison or contrast: people read to compare the plot of
the story or content whether having similarity with him or even contrast.
From definitions above, it can be concluded that people have
different aims in reading a text. By reading, people are able to understand
3. Reading Comprehension
Reading is an activity where someone want to gain information
about what is happening in around the world, just by reading is not enough,
they must be understand with what they read, knowing the meaning,
knowing the codes, and knowing the symbols are nessecary in reading
activity. In short, reading comprehension is knowing the meaning, codes,
and symbols from written message. They can be indicated by the readers’
ability to get main idea and to make summarize of the paragraph.
It is supported by Grellet, he said that reading comprehension is
understand a written message an efficiently as possible an ability to
understand the meaning or importance of something (or the knowledge
acquired as result).
According to Harris and Sipay (1980: 179) “reading comprehension
is a set of generalized knowledge acquisition skills, which permits people to
acquire and exhibit information gained as a consequence of reading printed
language.”
Reading comprehension as a cognitive process in which a reader
receives word which incolves eye movements and thinking activities
including understanding and remembering. (Tampubolon, 1990: 32)
From the definition above, it can be concluded that reading
comprehension is the ability of someone to know or to master about the
content of a text. Besides that, the writer thinks that comprehension is active
This active engagement includes making use of prior knowledge. It involves
drawing inferences from the words and expressions that a writer uses to
communicate information, ideas and viewpoints. So, good readers are aware
of how well they understand a text while reading.
B. Narrative Text
Narrative text is one of types from reading that can entertain us when
we read the text which has many sequences events, characters, and setting of
the story. According to Thomas S. Kane (2000: 363), a narrative is a
meaningful sequence of events told in words. It is sequential in that the events
are ordered, not merely random. Sequence always involve an arrangment in
time. A straightforward movement from the first event to the last constitutes
the simplest chronology. However, chronology is sometimes complicated by
presenting the events in another order.
1. The Generic Structure of Narrative Text
There were four generic structure of narrative text based on
Anderson (1997: 12), as follows:
a. Orientation
In this paragraph the author tells about who is on story, when it is
happening, where it is happening and what is going on.
b. Complication
This is the part of the story where the author tells about something that
will begin a chain of events. These events will affect one or more of the
c. Sequence of events
This is where tha author tells about how the characters react to the
compliation. It includes their feelings and what they do. The events can
be told in chronological order or with flashbacks.
d. Resolution
In this part of the narrative where the complication is sorted out or the
problem is solved.
e. Coda
The author includes a coda if there is to be a moral or message to be
learned from the story.
2. Narrative Text Types
There are many different types of narrative text, namely:
a. Fantasy
This type is fiction contains unrealistic or unworldly elements and
magical adventure. For example: Harry Potter, The Jack and The Beans.
b. Fable
It tells about animal’s story which act and speak like human being. The
example for fable are mousedeer and crocodile, and the lion and the
hare.
c. Mystery
It involves a crime or intriguin problem around which the plot is built.
explain clue-based events, find the truth, and solve the problem. For
example: the holly thief.
d. Fairy tales
It is a fictitious story about things that happened long ago, or things that
may not have really happened. The example of fairy tales are Pinocchio,
Cinderella, Alladin, and Rapunzel.
e. Myth
The story tells about the world, gods, and other superhuman beings. For
example: meudsa’s head.
f. Folktale
It are passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth,
sometimes the author is unknown. The example for folktale are Ali baba,
and Batara Kala.
g. Legend
It is a narrative of human actions that are preceived both by teller and
listeners to take place within human story. Such as, Malinkundang,
Tangkuban Perahu, and Lake Toba.
h. Romance
It focused on romantic love, story about a couple who falling in love.
Such as Romeo and Juliet.
In line, the researcher decided to used folktales and legends that will
C. CIRC Technique
CIRC technique is one of the cooperative learning as teaching model.
This model is appropriate to teach reading in class. It helps students to develop
their idea by their own words to know how much they comprehend with the
text, such as reading to teach other, predicting how stories will end,
summarizing stories, writing responses to stories, and practicing spelling. It is
supported by Slavin (1994 : 286) CIRC technique has series of activities with
one another, including reading to one another, making predictions about how
narrative stories will come out, summarising stories, and practicing spelling,
decoding, and vocabulary.
Madden, et al (2005) defines CIRC technique as a teaching that focuses
on reading and writing to realize comprehensive program. Novel or narrative
texts are used to accommodate students’ improvement in reading and writing
skill.
According to Yaman (1999) and Acikgoz (1992) in Durukan’s research
(2010), CIRC technique is present a structure that increase not only
opportunities for direct teaching in reading and writing but also applicability of
composition writing technique.
CIRC technique activities are suitable to increase students reading
comprehension. It is noted by her that there are three main elements of the
technique, there are basic activity, direct teaching of reading comprehension,
From experts’ definition above, the researcher is concluded that CIRC
technique is one of teaching technique that is considered as appropriate
technique to improve students’ ability of reading, writing, and language art
skill. Besides that, it can develop students’ confident when they give their
opinion or idea about the story.
B. The Principles of CIRC Technique
According to Stevens, et al (1987), there are three principales of CIRC
technique, as follows:
a. Direct instruction in reading comprehension
The teacher becomes guidance. Teacher helps students to analyze the
story, make summary, and contrast ideas of paragraph. Besides that, the
teacher also makes some groups are established in the classroom which is
consisted by 4 or 5 students in a group. Next, students are paired off within
the groups. When the teacher works with a reading group, couples try to
teach each other meaningful reading and writing skills by using reciprocal
learning technique.
b. Treasure Hunt Activities
There are some activities such as oral reading, contextual guessing,
asking questions, summarizing, writing a composition based on the story,
revising-correcting composition. In the other hand, the students find out the
answer based such as the characters, the content, and the atmosphere of the
story. Besides that, after reading the whole of the story, they must be made
partner to check their answer whether true or false or they can give solution
to each assigment.
c. Developing Language Arts and Writing
The teacher asked the students to make summary by using their own
words. This way can develop their language and to measure their
comprehensive in reading a text. Because, the more developed the writing
skill, the more systematic the students’ language. It is better for students to
give opinion by writing their idea, it can also improve their ability in writing
skill.
C. Teaching Reading Through CIRC Technique
Teaching and learning process, will be succeed if teacher can analyze
what students’ need. CIRC is one of technique which guide students to learn by
their own idea and language. The application of this technique are:
a. Teacher gives information about the material that will be learned to the
students and introduces reading purposes
b. Students are divided into small group that consisted of 4 or 5 students.
c. Students read together, share information about the story, and write the
generic structure of the text.
d. Students answer teacher’s question related to the text such as the topic,
setting, characters, theme, and atmosphere.
e. Retelling the story, students check their group understands of story by
sharing each other.
g. Checking students’ comprehension, teacher gives questions to evaluate
students’ comprehension, understanding the difficult words, ask students to
write a sentence related to the generic structure of the text, and make
summary based on the story.
At the end of the session, the teacher and the students discuss about the
text. To find out how far the students can comprehend the text, and summarize
the based on the story.
D. Basic Assumption
CIRC technique is a technique that can help the students to solve their
problems in reading. They learn how to use their own ways. There is no
limitation from teacher to the students in exploring their idea. Then, students
do not depend on their teacher in the teaching and learning process. Teacher
only to be a facilitator for them, he or she will help them but only by giving a
clue not answering the questions. In the other hand, independently, the students
can give their ideas using their own words to describe the story of paragraph to
