STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN WRITING INFORMAL INVITATION LETTER (A DESCRIPTIVE QUANTITATIVE STUDY AT SECOND GRADE STUDENTS IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2017/2018 OF SMP NEGERI 3 KOTO
BARU, DHARMASRAYA)
Via Ariandika, Syayid Sandi Sukandi, Dian Noviani Syafar Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat
[email protected] ABSTRAK
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menemukan informasi tentang bagaimana kemampuan siswa dalam menulis surat undangan tidak resmi pada kelas VIII SMP Negeri 3 koto Baru, Dharmasraya tahun ajaran 2017/2018. Jenis penelitian ini adalah deskriptif kuantitatif. Responden dalam penelitian ini yaitu siswa kelas VIII yang berjumlah 23 orang. Instrument yang digunakan untuk mengumpulkan data adalah test tertulis. Dalam pengambilan data, dilakukan tes sebanyak tiga kali. Kemudian, data diperoleh dari analisis dokumen siswa. Batasan dalam penelitian ini meliputi; komponen, EYD dan tata bahasa. Dalam penelitian ini terdapat dua pemeriksa, pertama yaitu peneliti sendiri, kedua yaitu guru bahasa Inggris yang mengajar dikelas VIII. Hasil nilai rata-rata kemampuan siswa dari ketiga tes berdasarkan nilai yang diperoleh dari peneliti dan guru adalah: tes pertama (64,9), tes kedua (61,9) dan tes ketiga (69,3). Dari nilai tersebut, diperoleh hasil akhir bahwa penelitian ini menunjukkan kemampuan siswa dalam menulis surat undangan tidak resmi adalah sedang (65,4), dimana 5 siswa mendapat nilai bagus, 15 siswa mendapat nilai sedang, dan 3 siswa mendapat nilai rendah.
Kata Kunci: Kemampuan Siswa, Surat Undangan, Surat Undangan Tidak Resmi.
INTRODUCTION
Writing is one of four skills besides listening, speaking and reading in learning English. Writing is considered as a complex skill because it requires the students in having many ideas and also knowing about grammar and mechanical of writing. The reason that writing is so difficult for the students because it
needs more concentrations to express their ideas, sometimes the students get difficulties in starting their writing that will cause many students waste valuable time just for getting started.
In competency standard and basic competency (SKKD), Junior High School students must be able to write some kinds of short functional
text. There are some kinds of short functional text; notice, invitation, announcement, short message, greeting card and caution. Each of the text has function. For invitation, it also known as invitation letter because, the components in writing invitation are similar with invitation letter. According to Harland (2016:35), there are components that should be mentioned in invitation letter they are; the writer or sender, the invitee, the agenda, the clear invitation (date, day, time, and place), and contact person if needed.
In curriculum of Junior High School, the second grade students have learned writing of an invitation letter. Invitation letter has two types they are formal and informal invitation letter. But, the teachers are more dominated teaching in informal form. It is supported by Cullen (2005:102), there are two kinds of invitation letter there are formal invitation letter and informal invitation letter. Formal letter is the letter usually writes for the business field or the institution. Whereas, the informal invitation letter is write for close people such as friend and
family. The researcher thought that second grade students have understood about informal invitation letter. The researcher wanted to know the ability of second grade students in writing informal invitation letter.
Based on the researcher interview with English teacher at SMP Negeri 3 Koto Baru on February 4th, 2017, many students were confused in writing short functional text, include writing informal invitation letter. There are some problems faced by the students such as, incorrect used spelling, punctuation, grammar and did not understand well the components of informal invitation letter includes date, address, greeting, body, closing, and signature. Furthermore, the students are not interested in learning English, because it is difficult to learn.
In fact, when the researcher was pre-observation at SMP Negeri 3 Koto Baru, the researcher came to the class, the researcher observed how to the teacher taught. In teaching learning process, the teacher just explained about the material and
gave some examples to the students.
Beside that, the teacher explained the material too fast, as the effect, it made the students difficult to understand, less feedback and feel bored about the material.
According to Swick (2009:151), there are some simple rules in writing informal letter, they are:
a. Date and your address
Date include when the writer send the letter to invitee, then may add the address below the date, but it is optional. Put the date at the upper left or right of the page.
b. Greeting
Generally, greeting can be found in salutation form. There are some typical of salutation in informal invitation: Dear, Hi, Hello, but the word “Dear” is usually used in writing informal invitation letter. It is can follow by name or comma.
c. Body
Body is the composition of the letter, it includes the purpose, time, and place of the event.
d. Closing
Closing is the end of the letter, it is at the lower right or left. There are some possibilities in the closing as in the opening:
“Love”, “Yours Truly”, and
“Sincerely”.
e. Sign your name
End letter by signing your name.
If the writer has difficult signature, the writer can write full name under the signature or the name only without the signature.
f. Postscript
Postscript as a final thought at the very end. It can write with P.
S., this is optional in writing the letter.
In this research, the researcher chosen components theory by Swick (2009:151) as guided in writing informal invitation letter, because it is included good components. He stated that informal invitation has some components they are; date or address, greeting, body, closing, and signature or sign name. The researcher did not use postscript, because it is optional in writing letter.
RESEARCH METHOD
The research design of this research was descriptive quantitative research. According to Gay and Airasian (2000:11), descriptive quantitative researchis used to describe current conditions of the subject or topic of study. In this research, the researcher answered the research question and analyze students’ ability in writing informal invitation letter at the second grade students in academic year 2017/2018 of SMP Negeri 3 Koto Baru, Dharmasraya.
The participants are taken from students at second grade in academic year 2017/2018. The students consists 23 students. In this research, the researcher used total sampling to chosen the participants. Total sampling is a sample technique if all population used as sample, total sampling used if population less than 30 person. (Riduwan, 2010:64). The instrument of this reserach was writing test, the researcher did three tests to get the data, where each meeting test had different theme.
Meeting test I about birthday party, meeting test II about dinner party,
and meeting test III about wedding party.
In collecting the data, the researcher did some steps. First, the researcher demanded students to write informal invitation letter based on the topic that the researcher chosen of each meeting test. Second, the researcher collected the students’
answer sheets. Third, the researcher copied the students answer’ sheets, the original one is for the researcher.
Then, the copy of students’ answer sheet of the test were given to the second scorer who English teacher at second grade students. Last, the researcher and the second scorer checked the students’ answer sheet from three tests one by one to analyze students’ score.
After collecting the data, the last step was analyzed the data. The researcher analyzed students’
document based on some indicators they are: components, mechanic, and grammar, where each indicator had 5 scores, with maximum score were 15 scores. Then, the researcher used some formulations to find out students’ final score. In final result of test, the researcher would be
categorized students’ ability based on categories: excellent, good, middle, low, and very low.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION In this research, the researcher did three tests. The researcher got result from first scorer (researcher) and second scorer (teacher):
Table 1.Students’ Final Scores Students Scores Categories
Student 1 57,8 Low
Student 2 72,3 Middle
Student 3 67,8 Middle
Student 4 63,3 Middle Student 5 66,7 Middle
Student 6 48,9 Low
Student 7 70,1 Middle
Student 8 51,1 Low
Student 9 61,1 Middle
Student 10 80 Good
Student 11 63,3 Middle
Student 12 57,8 Low
Student 13 61,1 Middle
Student 14 60 Middle
Student 15 70 Middle
Student 16 61,1 Middle Student 17 66,7 Middle
Student 18 58,9 Low
Student 19 72,2 Middle Student 20 73,3 Middle Student 21 65,6 Middle
Student 22 80 Good
Student 23 74,4 Good
Total 1504,4
Middle
Mean 65,4
This research is purposed to analyze how students’ ability in writing informal invitation letter at second grade students in academic
year 2017/2018 of SMP Negeri 3 Koto Baru, Dharmasraya. The researcher interpreted that students’
writing informal invitation letter at second grade students meet criteria of middle ability. The researcher discussed about students’ ability in writing informal invitation based on three indicators they are; components, mechanic and grammar. Based on the data of students’ document analysis can be said that, students could write well the components of informal invitation letter which appropriate based on Swick (2009:151).
Therefore, students had many mistakes in using mechanic (spelling, punctuation, and capitalization), and students made some mistakes in using grammar of writing informal invitation letter.
Based on the result from test I, the researcher got mean scores (64,9) and (64,9) from the teacher. In this test, the students made mistake in writing components (C) included date and address, greeting, body, closing, and signature, almost all of them did not use closing in writing informal invitation letter. Then, the students made many mistakes in using
mechanic (M) included spelling, punctuation and capitalization. The last was in using grammar (G), the students just made some mistakes, so based on average score from two scorers (64,9) the students’ ability in writing informal invitation in test I was middle.
In test II, the students got lower score than the test I in writing components (C), mechanic (M) and grammar (G). The researcher got mean score (61,7) and (62,0) from the teacher. In this test, there were students’ mistakes in writing components included closing. In using mechanic included spelling, punctuation and capitalization. The last in using grammar, the students also made some mistakes, so based on average score from two scorers (61,9) the students’ ability in writing informal invitation in test II was middle.
In test III, the students got higher score than the test I and test II. The researcher got mean score (67,8) and (70,7) from the teacher. In this test, there were students just made little mistakes in using components (C), mechanic (M), and
grammar (G). Therefore, based on average score from two scorers (69,3) the students’ ability in writing informal invitation in test III was also middle.
Based on the data from testing I, testing II and testing III, the researcher got means score (65,4), it can be concluded that students’
ability in writing informal invitation letter was middle. The result showed that from 23 students, the researcher found the final result; (5) students’
writing who are good in writing informal invitation letter because this students got final score on range score 75-84, where this score meet good criteria that was purposed by Nurgiyantoro (2011:399). Next, the students’ writing who are middle in writing informal invitation letter were (15) students on range scores 60-74, where this score met middle criteria. Last, the students’ writing who are low in writing informal invitation letter were (3) students on range score 40-59. Based on students final score above, the researcher got mean score (65,4), it could be concluded that students’ ability at second grade in writing informal
invitation letter could be categorized in middle ability.
The researcher interpreted that students’ ability in using the components of informal invitation letter was good. It is supported by Swick (2009:151), there are some components of informal invitation letter: First, date and address is include when the writer send the letter to invitee. Second, greeting or salutation has some typicals: Hello, Hi, and Dear. It can be followed by name or comma. Third, body includes purpose, time and place of the event. Fourth, closing is the end of the letter, it was at the lower right or left (yours truly, sincerely, love).
The last, signature or sign name. The writer can write full name under the signature or the name only without the signature. The researcher interpreted that students could be written informal invitation letter, but most of students forgot use closing in writing informal invitation letter.
Then, mechanics included spelling, punctuation and capitalization. Most of students made many mistakes in using mechanics in writing. It could be interpreted that
the students’ ability in using mechanic in writing informal invitation letter was low. Most of students often error in using the correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization in writing informal invitation letter. It is because they did not pay attention of using mechanic in writing a letter such as;
most of students error in spelling word “invite”, they did not use comma on greeting and closing, and also did not use capitalization in writing name, street, and place.
Those mistakes gave bad impact to the students’ ability in writing informal invitation letter. In the other side, the teacher should more pay attention to the students in explaining the material, especially in using mechanic in writing informal invitation letter.
Last, in grammar just some of students made many mistakes in using grammar. It can be said that students’ ability in using grammar was middle, because students did not make most mistakes. Students could be written informal invitation letter, but mistakes often occurred in writing future tenses, for example; I
will invited, the correct form is I will invite. Almost all of students made same mistakes.
It can be seen from students final result from 23 students that were (5) students who are good in writing informal invitation letter.
Next, students’ writing who are middle in writing informal invitation letter were (15) students. Last, students’ writing who are low in writing informal invitation letter were (3) students. In conclusion, students’ ability in writing informal invitation letter could be categorized in middle ability with mean score (65,4).
CONCLUSION
In this research, the researcher analyzed about how students’ ability in writing informal invitation letter. In getting the data, the researcher used test as instrument. The researcher did three tests which different theme in each meting test. In scoring, the researcher used two scorers in giving students’
score. The first scorer was the researcher and the second scorers was the English teacher who taught
at second grade. In this case, the researcher analyzed students’
document analysis based on some indicators they are: components, mechanic, and grammar. From the result of document analysis, the researcher found out students’ ability in writing informal invitation letter are middle ability.
REFERENCES
Cullen, Kay and Elaine O’donoghue.
2005. Letter Writing.
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Gay, L. R. and Peter Airasian. 2000.
Educational Research (Sixth Edition). New York:
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Harland, Rose. 2016. Creative Competent Student Bahasa Inggris. Padang: Duta Mandiri.
Nurgiyantoro, Burhan. 2001.
Penilaian dalam Pengajaran Bahasa dan Sastra.
Yogyakarta: BPFE.
Riduwan. 2012. Belajar Mudah Penelitian untuk Guru- Karyawan dan Penelitian Pemula. Bandung: Alfabeta.
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