i
TEACHING DESCRIPTIVE WRITING SKILL BY USING FLASH CARD MEDIA AT THE SEVENTH GRADE OF MTS
MIFTAHUL ULUM RAMBIPUJI COVER
UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Submitted to the State Islamic University of Kiai Haji Achmad Siddiq Jember In partial fulfillment of the Requirement to Obtain
A Bachelor‘s Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan (S.Pd) Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training
English Education Department
By:
Rofikatul Husnah SRN. T20186099
ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHER TRAINING STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF
KIAI HAJI ACHMAD SIDDIQ JEMBER
OCTOBER 2022
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TEACHING DESCRIPTIVE WRITING SKILL BY USING FLASH CARD MEDIA AT THE SEVENTH GRADE OF MTS
MIFTAHUL ULUM RAMBIPUJI
APPROVAL SHEET UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Submitted to the State Islamic University of Kiai Haji Achmad Siddiq Jember In partial fulfillment of the Requirement to Obtain
A Bachelor‘s Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan (S.Pd) Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training
English Education Department
By:
Rofikatul Husnah SRN. T20186099
Had been approved by advisor
As’ari, M.Pd.I.
NIP. 197609152005011004
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TEACHING DESCRIPTIVE WRITING SKILL BY USING FLASH CARD MEDIA AT THE SEVENTH GRADE OF MTS
MIFTAHUL ULUM RAMBIPUJI
APPROVAL OF EXAMINE UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Has been examined and approved as requirement for Bachelor Degree (S.Pd) Education and Teacher Training Faculty Language Education Major
English Education Department Day : Friday
Date : 28 October 2022
The Board of Examiners
Chairman Secretary
Dr. Mohammad Zaini, S.Pd.I, M.Pd.I Dewi Nurul Qomariyah, S.S, M.Pd NUP 20160366 NIP 197912720071022003
Members
1. Dr. Inayatul Mukarromah, M.Pd ( )
2. As‘ari, M.Pd.I ( )
Approved by
Dean of Faculty Tarbiyah and Teacher Training
Prof. Dr. Hj. Mukni’ah, M.Pd.I NIP 19640511199032001
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MOTTO
اَىْلَّزَوَو ََكْيَلَع ََبٰتِكْلا اًواَيْبِت َِّلُكِّل َ ء ْيَش يًدُهَّو ًَةَمْحَرَّو ي ٰزْشُبَّو ََهْيِمِلْسُمْلِل
“We have revealed to you the Book as an explanation of all things, a guide, a mercy, and good news for those who ˹fully˺ submit” (QS. An-Nahl [16]:89).1
1 Muhammad Taqi-ud Din Al-Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan, The Nobel Quran (Medina:
Dar-us Salam Publication, 1996)
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DEDICATION
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim Alhamdulillahirabil' alamin, for all the blessings that Allah always gives me all the time. Thanks to Him, I can finally be able to complete my final project as an undergraduate student.
I proudly dedicated this thesis for:
1. My beloved parents, Father Samsul Hadi and Mother Fajria Thank you so much for the financial support. Thank you so much for all the love, affection, and motivation, which are the main reasons for finishing this thesis.
2. My wonderful young brother Hilman Azizi always prays for me to complete this study as soon as feasible.
3. My big family, thank you for praying for the smooth running of my studies.
4. My support system. Thank you for all your prayers, support, help, kindness, and attention.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First, I want to thank and praise Allah SWT for the blessing, mercy, health, chance, and inspiration that helped me finish my thesis. Second, Sholawat and Salam are always addressed to our prophet Muhammad SAW, who led us from darkness to light and from stupidity to light.
The researcher understood that this undergraduate thesis could not be completed without assistance and direction from others. Therefore, on this occasion, I want to extend sincere appreciation to the following individuals:
1. Prof. Dr. H. Babun Suharto SE. MM, as the Rector of UIN KHAS Jember.
2. Prof. Dr Hj. Mukni‘ah, M.Pd.I., as the Dean of Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training of UIN KHAS Jember, has facilitated me to study in this faculty.
3. Dr. Rif‘an Humaidi, M.Pd.I, as the head of Islamic Studies and Language Education Program.
4. As‘ari, M.Pd.I., the Head of the English Education Department and the advisor who gave his time to guide the researcher until the thesis finished, thanks for the advice, suggestions, and guidance.
5. Dr. H. Roni Subhan, S.Pd., M.Pd, as the head LIbrary of State Islamic University KH. Achmad Siddiq Jember.
6. Ulfa Diana Novienda, S.Sos,I, M.Pd, as the reading room clerk of Teaching Training and Education Faculty.
7. All my beloved lecturers have been patient and generous in teaching me anything about English and general knowledge.
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8. All of the staff main library of UIN KHAS, thank you that helped the writer in finding so many references.
9. Mrs Indana Bintan, SP.d as the English teacher of MTs Mifahul Ulum Rambipuji, for their help and cooperation during the research.
10. Students of Seventh Grade MTs Mifahul Ulum for cooperating during the research.
Finally, I hope that this thesis will be helpful for the readers. However, I realize that this thesis is far from perfect. Therefore, any criticisms, ideas, and suggestions for improving this thesis are greatly appreciated. I hope Allah SWT gives blessing to all of you.
Jember, 14 October 2022
ROFIKATUL HUSNAH NIM. T20186099
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ABSTRACT
Rofikatul Husnah, 2022 : “Teaching Descriptive Writing Skill by Using Flash Card Media at the Seventh Grade of MTs Mifatul Ulum Rambipuji‖
Key Words : Teaching Descriptive, Flash Card.
English is the first foreign language that junior high school students must master.
Writing is one of the essential processes in learning English. For students in Indonesia, writing in English is a new thing. Many studies that have been carried out in the field show English language problems such as limited student words, poor grammar skills, and low interest and enthusiasm of students in the learning process. In addition, the teacher's factor also affects the student's learning process, especially in writing descriptive text.
The English teacher overcomes students' problems in writing descriptive text using flash card media as a tool. Therefore, researcher interested in conducting research in one of the junior high schools in Jember, Mts Mifahul Ulum Rambi Puji. This research focuses on 1). What is the purpose of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media, 2). What is the material of teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card media 3). What are the steps of descriptive writing skills by using flash card media 4). How is evaluation of teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card media.
The researcher used a qualitative research field study that wanted to know the reality in the field related to the application of flash card media in learning to write a descriptive text. The technique in determining the research subject used a purposive technique. Then, the data collection technique uses interviews, observation, and documentation. For data analysis, researcher used the theory of Miles and Huberman, and Saldana, which consists of three steps: data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. For the data validity section, the researcher used source and technical triangulation.
The results of the research show that 1). To describe the purpose of learning descriptive writing skills using flash card media was student more active, creative and enthusiasm in learning process 2). To describe the materials of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media was describing people which focus on family, 3).
To describe the steps of teaching descriptive writing skills using flash card media was a) explanation of descriptive text, b) introducing and explaining flash card media to the students, c) giving example on writing descriptive text based on students‘ opinion regarding the picture on the flash card, d) dividing the class into group which consists of 3-4 people, e) ordering each group to discuss the flash card and write descriptive text based on the picture 4). To describe the evaluation of teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card media was the evaluation is done by giving essay test assignment to the student in the end of the class. The assignment is scored based on content, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanic.
The use of flash card media can be said to be quite successful, as seen from the perceptions and results of students' writing that has developed and has a positive impact on the learning process. In this study, the researcher found several shortcomings in using this media, such as the crowded class.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER ... i
APPROVAL SHEET ... ii
APPROVAL OF EXAMINE ... iii
MOTTO ... iv
DEDICATION ... v
ACKNOWLEDGMENT... vi
ABSTRACT ... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... ix
LIST OF TABLES ... xiii
TABLE OF FIGURES ... xiv
LIST OF APPENDICES... xv
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1
A. Background of Study ... 1
B. Research Question ... 6
C. Objectives of study ... 7
D. Research Significances ... 7
E. Definition of Key Term ... 8
F. Structure of Discussion ... 9
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ... 11
A. Previous Research ...11
x
B. Theoretical Framework ...16
1. English Teaching Learning... 16
2. Academic Writing ... 18
3. Descriptive Text ... 27
4. Flash card as Media ... 33
5. Evaluation ... 39
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD ... 40
A. Research Design ...40
B. Reseaarch Location ...41
C. Research Subject ...41
D. Source of Data ...42
E. Data Collection Technique ...42
F. Data Analysis ...44
G. Validity of Data ...46
H. Research Stages...47
CHAPTER VI RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION ... 49
A. Description of Research Object ...49
1. History of MTs Miftahul Ulum ... 49
2. Profile of MTs Miftahul Ulum Rambi Puji... 50
3. Vision ... 51
4. Mission ... 52
xi
B. Research Finding ...53
1. The Purpose of Teaching Descriptive Writing Skill by Using Flash Card Media at The Seventh Grade of Mts Miftahul Ulum ... 53 2. The Material of Teaching Descriptive Writing Skill by Using Flash Card Media at The Seventh Grade of Mts Miftahul Ulum ... 55 3. The Steps of Teaching Descriptive Writing Skill by Using Flash Card Media at The Seventh Grade of Mts Miftahul Ulum ... 57 4. The Evaluation of Teaching Descriptive Writing Skill by Using Flash Card Media at The Seventh Grade of Mts Miftahul Ulum ... 60 C. Discussion...63
1. The Purpose of Teaching Descriptive Writing Skill by Using Flash Card Media at The Seventh Grade of Mts Miftahul Ulum ... 63 2. The Material of Teaching Descriptive Writing Skill by Using Flash Card Media at The Seventh Grade of Mts Miftahul Ulum ... 65 3. The Steps of teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card media at the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum. ... 66 4. The evaluation of teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card media at the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum ... 67 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ... 70 A. Conclusion ...70
1. The Purpose of Teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card at the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum ... 70 2. The Material of Teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card media at
xii
the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum ... 70
3. The Steps of Teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card media at the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum ... 71
4. The Evaluation of Teaching descriptive writing skill by using flash card media at the Seventh Grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum ... 71
B. Suggestion ...71
1. For the teacher ... 71
2. For the Next Researcher ... 72
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 73
xiii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2. 1 Previous Research ... 13 Table 2. 2 The example of descriptive text... 32
Table 4. 1 Matrix of Research Finding ... 62
xiv
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 2. 1 Example picture of mother ... 32
xv
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Declaration of Authorship Appendix 2: Matrix of Research
Appendix 3: Research Instrument Appendix 4: Research Journal Activity Appendix 5: Lesson Plan
Appendix 6: Permission Letter
Appendix 7: Certificate of completion of research Appendix 8: Document Review
Appendix 9: Curriculum Vitae
1 A. Background of Study
Education is one of the teaching-learning processes that create humans to reach the future with the help of science. Education is important in human life, especially in improving intelligence, skills, attitude, personality and national spirit, and love for the homeland.
Those statements align with Ki Hajar Dewantara's thought in 1950, who created Taman Siswa by developing an educational system in Among with the motto ―Tut Wuri Handayani‖ (at the back should give support). Tut Wuri means following. This sentence means attentively following the children's development based on love and selflessness, with no intention of leading or forcing. Handayani means to influence. It means influencing by stimulating, cultivating, guiding, and giving examples for children to develop themselves through personal discipline.2
Education is a deliberate attempt to prepare students for future roles through guidance, teaching, and training activities, as stated in The Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, Number 20 of 2003. The act of learning something new, such as the English language, is an example of education. English is the first foreign language that is taught in Indonesia. The teaching of it starts from kindergarten until the university level. English is the
2 Abdul Rahmat, Penghantar pendidikan Teori, Konsep dan Aplikasi (Gorontalo: Ideas Publishing, 2014), 12.
International language, writing and speaking. Brumfit stated that English is a global language and interesting international communication media. There are many different kinds of books written in English.
By writing capability, Allah SWT said in Holy Qur‘an in Al- A‘raf verse 154 that writing can be communication media to deliver information or knowledge, as said below:
اَّمَلَو
ََتَكَس
َْهَع
ًَس ْىُّم
َُبَضَغْلا
ََذَخَا
َ َحاَىْلَ ْلْا
َْيِفَو اَهِتَخْسُو يًدُه
َ ةَمْحَرَّو
ََهْيِذَّلِّل
َْمُه
َْمِهِّبَزِل
ََنْىُبَه ْزَي
“When Moses’s anger subsided, he took up the Tablets whose text contained guidance and mercy for those who stand in awe of their lord.”3
In this verse, Allah SWT gives guidance and grace through writing.
Writing can give us knowledge and understanding. By using writing, we can deliver important information. However, English writing is a difficult skill to understand in practical cases.
Generally, 4 Basic English skills must be mastered: reading, speaking, listening, and writing. Writing is one of the important language skills that have to be known by students. Writing skills in every language is a difficult skill to master or learn by students, especially in English. Learning English as their second or third language is difficult task for students especially writing aspect. M os t s tude nts face d iff ic u lty in c e r ta in a s pe c ts s uc h a s s tr uc ture , voca b ula r y, gra mma r , a nd s p e lling. Tho s e as pec ts ma k e the m he s ita nt to p rac tice a nd le ar n mo r e ab o ut w r iting in
3 Al-Qur‘an, 7:154.
Eng lis h.4
In the educational aspect, there are several kinds of writing:
expository, narrative, persuasive, and descriptive. Expository is a form of English writing text giving information or describing a topic chronologically coherent. Narrative writing is a text used to deliver a story. Persuasive writing is a text that convinces the reader about a specified thing. The last is descriptive writing, which gives and describes a detailed picture of exploration, such as animals, places, and humans.
In this research, the researcher limits the research to only the use of media in improving students writing skills in descriptive text. The descriptive text focuses on character, event, and place description with clear detail.
The goal of teaching English in Junior High School in writing descriptive text is to help students write structured and detailed paragraphs or essays to deliver information. Descriptive text is taught in 7th and 8th grade of Junior High School. Descriptive writing is part of factual genres. Its social function is to characterize a certain person, location, or thing.5 Writing descriptions involves using words to convey a visual image and a sensory experience. When someone reads a descriptive text, they feel like they can see what is being said, just like when they look at a picture. The purpose of a descriptive text is to describe an object or a person in which the writer is interested.
4 Fika Alisha et al., ―Students‘ Difficulties in Writing EFL,‖ PROJECT, 1(January 2019), 20.
5 Artono Wardiman, ―English in Focus: for Grade VII Junior High School(SMP/MTs)‖, DEPDIKNAS, (2008), 122.
Learning descriptive writing is important to improve creativity and make students think critically. Unfortunately, writing a good descriptive text is not easy for all students. When the students cannot make a proper descriptive text, they cannot communicate well and clearly. A miss- communication can appear when the information delivered in the descriptive text is unclear. This happens at every level of education, from University students to kindergarten. It is important to teach and practice making proper descriptive text from lower levels of education.
So students have to acquire the skill to write a proper descriptive text. In this era, media development has gone through many significant changes. Digital media has been brought to replace traditional media.
Unfortunately, the use of digital media has decreased students' attention toward teachers because students tend to self-study without teacher guidance.
As for that, the teacher can use flash card media to teach descriptive text writing in the hope that students can understand the subject more.
Flash card is a small form card consisting of a picture, text, or symbol that reminds and guides students to something related to the picture made on paper.6 It can be concluded that flash card is traditional media for teacher in teaching English. This media helps students quickly understand every picture's meaning in English teaching-learning.
According to the researcher's observation result in MTs Miftahul Ulum, students have a common understanding of English linguistics,
6 Azhar Arsyad, Media Pembelajaran, (Jakarta: Rajagrafindo Persada, 2014), 115.
especially vocabulary and grammar. Most students recognize some of the words they read on mobile phones without knowing how to spell them or appropriate usage. The survey found that some students didn't start learning English until they were in middle school.
After observation, the researcher interviewed the English teacher of MTs Miftahul Ulum. The teacher stated that students have difficulty using their vocabulary, spelling the word, and implementing grammar in sentence which led them hesitant to practice and learning English writing. After the English teacher uses media to teach English, the students show significant development in utilizing their vocabulary. The teacher comes up with Flash card as teaching-learning media.
Therefore, flash cards are seen as helping students improve their capability in the learning writing process. Flash card helps teachers motivate students to learn and build interest in English writing.
M. Lathif Musyaffa, 2020, researched Flash card. He proved that learning descriptive text through flash cards can improve students' writing skills. The improvement in students‘ average scores shows the result of the research. In pre-test, the students‘ average score is 50, 82. After the implementation of flash card as media, the students‘ average score in 1st post- test is 72,12 and in 2nd post-test is 79,94.7
According to the research result, using Flash cards to teach students
7 M. Lathif Musyaffa, ―Flash Card as Media to Improve Students‘ Writing Skill in Descriptive Paragraph‖, E-Link Journal, 2(2020), 96.
has proven that the media helps students develop their language skills. Flash cards as teaching media help students‘ study English writing from the teacher's perspective. This information brought the writer to research and explore the media this will help Junior High School students write a better and more structured descriptive text.
The research hopes to give a solution to Indonesian teachers, especially in Junior High School, in developing students writing skills that focus on writing descriptive text. The media in helping develop the writing skill is using Media such as Flash card.
As a result of the above description of the background, the title of the research is ―TEACHING DESCRIPTIVE WRITING SKILL BY USING FLASH CARD MEDIA AT THE SEVENTH GRADE OF MTS MIFTAHUL ULUM RAMBIPUJI‖
B. Research Question
Based on the background of the research above, the researcher formulates the research question is:
1. What is the purpose of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media in the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum?
2. What is the material of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media in the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum?
3. What is the step of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media in the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum?
4. How does the evaluation of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media at the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum?
C. Objectives of study
Based on the problem of the research, the research objectives for this research are:
1. To describe the purpose of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media in the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum
2. To describe the material o f teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media in the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum
3. To describe the step of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media in the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum.
4. To describe the evaluation of teaching descriptive writing skills by using flash card media in the seventh grade of MTs Miftahul Ulum
D. Research Significances
This study is expected to make some contributions, which are divided into two parts:
1. Theoretical significance
Hopefully, this study will contribute to all aspects and deliver knowledge about flash card usage in increasing descriptive writing. The research result is expected to be a reference and further developed for future research.
2. Practical significance
The researcher improves knowledge of flash card media as English
teaching-learning, especially for descriptive writing. This helps later for the researcher in the educational world when needing this teaching method. For the English teacher, this research can help them improve students learning process, and innovation found in this research is hoped to help students' capability in descriptive writing.
E. Definition of Key Term
To avoid misunderstanding of key terms used in this study, those are the clarification of some terms in this paper:
1. Writing Skill
Writing is a thinking process. Writing can be structured, planned, and given various and unlimited changes before its release. Writing is a two-step process; it starts with figuring out the meaning and continues with putting the meaning into language. Writing is the representation of people‘s thoughts.8
Writing is an activity to communicate or disclose a form of an idea, feeling, and thought in a readable form to give the reader information. This activity is an indirect communication method.
2. Descriptive text
The descriptive text in this study refers to a text that is used to explain and describe how certain things are. Description is concerned with sensory perceptions such as how something appears, sounds, and tastes.
8 Brown H., Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language pedagogy (California:Longman, 2000), 336.
And the majority of description text is concerned with describing the visual or look. Descriptive writing is concerned with conveying specifics about a character, event, or location. The primary goal of descriptive writing is to describe. It is a writing style that details a character, an event, or a location. It can be poetic when the author takes the time to be very specific in his or her descriptions.9 Based on the preceding definitions of descriptive text, the researcher can say that descriptive text is a type of text that deals with the description of certain items from various perspectives.
The descriptive writing also enables readers to create mental images of objects that are mostly associated to human senses such as sights, sounds, sensations, tastes, or scents.
3. Flash card
A flash card is a small form card consisting of a picture, text, or symbol that reminds and guides students to something related to the picture.10 Flash card is a paper card that is composed of pictures and notes.
F. Structure of Discussion
Structure of discussion contains a description of the flow of thesis discussion starting from the introductory chapter to the closing chapter. The format of systematic writing was a descriptive narrative, not a table of contents. They are initial part, core part, and final part that would be explained as follows:
9 Zulaikah, Eka Agustina, ―An Analysis Student‘s Ability in Writing Descriptive Text of Second Semester of English Educational Program at STKIP Nurul Huda Oku Timur‖, Jurnal Darussalam, 1(September, 2018), 16.
10 Azhar Arsyad, Media Pembelajaran, (Jakarta: Rajagrafindo Persada, 2014), 115.
1. In the first chapter, we introduced the thesis by discussing its context, questions, aims, significance, key terms, and framework.
2. Chapter II reviewed the relevant literature, including the theoretical underpinnings and earlier work on this topic.
3. Chapter III discussed this study's research methodology, including the research design, research subject and data source, data collection and analysis, and data validity.
4. Chapter IV talked about the research object, the research results, and the discussion.
5. Chapter V discussed the conclusions and recommendations.
11
Researchers need some previous research to find a novelty for conducting research. In this research, a researcher found some previous research on flash card media teaching descriptive writing. The previous research is as follows:
1. Previous research was written by Berliana from STKIP PGRI Bangkalan (2022) entitle ―The implementation of Using Flash card in Teaching Writing‖ This study employed qualitative descriptive methods based on content analysis. This study describes how flash card can be used effectively in the writing classroom.11
2. A thesis written by Ade Irma Wulandari (2019) from Muhammadiyah University of Makassar entitle ―The Use of Bilingual Flash Cards in Teaching English Vocabulary‖ and the subject of this thesis was Eight Grade Students‘ of MTs Mannilingi Bulo-Bulo Jeneponto it was A Pre- Experimental Research. This thesis shows that the research was successful because of the students' average scores and reasonable answers show that the research was successful. It comprises 28 students who are being studied for this project. There were 11 men, and the rest were women.12
11 Berliana Aprilianti, ―The Implementation of Using Flash Card In Teaching Writing‖, SELL JOURNAL, 1(Februari,2022), 88.
12 Ade Irma Wulandari, "The Use of Bilingual Flash Cards in Teaching English Vocabulary",
3. In previous research written by Paramita Kusumawardi (2019) entitled
"The Use of Flashcards for Teaching Writing to English Young Learners(EYL)," including the research, the writer used Class Room Action research. The research was conducted in one English Course at Gading Serpong, Tangerang. According to this study, among other English proficiency abilities like speaking, listening, and reading, writing is the aspect of learning English that is the most challenging. They require an appropriate technique to educate and grasp since they are studying and learning English. A flash card is one of the teaching tools that may be used to instruct and enhance the learners, particularly the EYL's English writing abilities. There are numerous ways to study and learn English.
Teachers and educators might benefit from using flash cards while implementing a writing lesson in class.13
4. Previous research is written by Ni Luh Gede Dian Utami Dewi (2021) titled "The Use of Clustering Technique with Flashcard to Improve Writing Skill of The Eighth Grade Students Of SMPN 5 Mengwi in Academic Year 2020/2021" The English Language Education Study Program at Mahasaraswati Denpasar University's Faculty of Teacher Training and Education A classroom action research revealed that the students still lacked basic English skills, mainly writing. Only one of the 33 subjects received the minimum passing grade. According to the data, 22 subjects passed the minimal passing grade in the cycle I post-test.
(Thesis, Muhammadiyah University of Makassar, 2019), 51.
13 Paramita Kusumawardi: "The Use of Flashcards for Teaching Writing to English Young Learners(EYL)", Scope: Journal of English Language Teaching, 1(September 2019), 35.
Finally, post-test two revealed that 33 subjects achieved the passing mark.
Pre-cycle, cycle I, and cycle II mean scores climbed to 58.06, 70.48, and 83.09, respectively, demonstrating that the clustering strategy with a flash card could improve the subjects' writing skills..14
Table 2. 1 Previous Research
No Title of Research Similarities Differences
1 2 3 4
1 Previous research was written by Berliana from STKIP PGRI Bangkalan (2022) entitle ―The implementation of Using Flash card in Teaching Writing‖
1. Both previous research and this research focus on using flash card media.
2. Used Qualitative descriptive
The previous research used library research but the current research used field study
2 A thesis was written by Ade Irma Wulandari
(2019) from
Both previous research and this research focus on
1. The current Research uses Qualitative
14 Ni Luh Gede Dian Utami Dewi, "The Use of Clustering Technique with Flashcard to Improve Writing Skill of The Eighth Grade Students of SMPN 5 Mengwi in The Academic Year 2020/2021", (Thesis, Mahasaraswati Denpasar University, 2021), 12.
No Title of Research Similarities Differences
1 2 3 4
Muhammadiyah
University of Makassar entitled "The Use of Bilingual Flash Cards in Teaching English Vocabulary."
using flash card media.
research, but the previous research used A Pre- Experimental Research.
2. The previous research focuses on Vocabulary, and this research focuses on writing.
3 A thesis was written A thesis written by Paramita Kusumawardi (2019) titled "The Use of Flashcards for Teaching Writing to
English Young
Learners (EYL)."
1. Both previous research and this research focus on using flash card media
2. Both previous research and this research focus on Writing skill
1. The current Research uses Qualitative
research, but the previously used classroom action research.
4 Previous research is written by Ni Luh Gede
1. Both previous research and this
1. The current Research uses
No Title of Research Similarities Differences
1 2 3 4
Dian Utami Dewi (2021) titled "The Use
Of Clustering
Technique with
Flashcard to Improve Writing Skill of The Eighth Grade Students of SMPN 5 Mengwi in The Academic Year 2020/2021" from English Language Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
Mahasaraswati Denpasar University.
research focus on using flash card media
2. Both previous research and this research focus on Writing skills.
Qualitative
research, but the previously used classroom action research.
2. The previous research connects the clustering technique with flash card media, but this research only uses flash card media.
The similarity of the thesis above with this research is that the researchers used flash card media as an alternative media to improve students‘
writing skills in the classroom. This research has its differences compared with
other research. This research uses qualitative research to collect data.
Furthermore, in this research, the researcher uses a flash card to improve writing skills, especially in descriptive text writing in the classroom.
B. Theoretical Framework
The researcher discusses the theory utilized in this study's comprehensive and in-depth research in this section in order to enhance the researcher's insight in reviewing the problems to be solved by the focus research and research objectives. Among the possibilities that the researcher will discuss are :
1. English Teaching Learning a. English as Foreign Language
English is one of the most spoken languages in the world.
English spread around the world mainly influenced by the British Empire colonization and the vast influence of America in most aspect of modern world. Kachru divided the world of English into three circles, those are inner circle where English is the primary language, outer circle where English as second language, and expanding circle where English is foreign language.15 English is foreign language in Indonesia as not widely or officially spoken.
b. Learning English as Foreign Language
English is widespread globally in many aspects such as economy, tourism, and especially education. As foreign language,
15 Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching (America: Longman, 2007) 17.
learners in Indonesia have learnt English started from their kindergarten to university level. Learning English as early as possible will open up many possibilities and benefits to the learners.
c. Teaching and Learning Process
Teaching and learning process is the process of interaction between teacher and learner in delivering and receiving knowledge.
The interaction between teacher and learner is not limited to word but also empathy and emotional feeling. The process in transferring and receiving knowledge is done in specific place and time.
In teaching English, the teacher has to use suitable method in delivering their subject in class. According to Rusydi, there are several methods that can be used in teaching learning process. Those are lecture, discussion, demonstration, simulation, asking and answering, experiment, recitation, study tours, inductive, deductive, and drill method.16
d. Purpose of Teaching
In a classroom, the purpose of teaching must be set before the teaching learning process is carried out. The purpose of teaching should be adjusted to the conditions, needs of students, as well as the objectives of the study which are to be achieved.
There are several goals which are usually wanted to achieve in learning English. The hierarchy includes the national education aim,
16 Rusydi Ananda, Rencana Pembelajaran (Medan: Lembaga Peduli Pengembangan Pendidikan Indonesia, 2019), 118.
institutional and curricular goals, general purpose, and specific objectives. To formulate the learning objectives, teacher should consider the audience, behavior, condition, and degree.17
e. Material of Teaching
In teaching learning process, delivering the knowledge to the learner is not limited by the teacher words. The teacher can use material of teaching in helping delivering required knowledge to achieve the purpose of the teaching. The material is developed based on the needs of the students.
According to Shravan Kumar, teacher should consider several aspects in choosing and selecting teaching material. Those are:
1. Materials should be alluring in terms of appearance, user friendliness and durability.
2. Materials should be flexible.
3. Materials should be authentic.
4. Material should be the same level of the students‘ ability.18 2. Academic Writing
a. Definition of Writing
Writing is one of the abilities that language learners value because it is crucial not only for their academic training but also for
17 Bambang Sugeng, Instructional Technology: Planning Strategies for Language Education (Yogyakarta: Yogyakarta State University, 2010) 74.
18 Shravan Kumar, ―Teaching Materials and Teaching Aids – 1 (Teaching Material),‖ Research Gate, no.12 (2017): 7.
their professional future. There are numerous definitions of writing.
Several experts have defined writing in the following ways.
Byrne(1997) It is possible to define writing as the act of creating symbols or markings on a flat surface of some type. Letters or string of letters related to the sound humans create when they talk are used as graphic symbols here. The symbols must be placed in a certain order to create words, phrases, or paragraphs. However, writing involves more than just creating graphic symbols. He adds that converting thoughts into language and encoding some sort of message are both involved in writing.19 The word "writing" is from the word
"write," which is defined as 1) Making words and other symbols on a surface, typically on paper with a pen or pencil 2) Putting down on a paper using words.20
Additionally, English language learners successfully master the necessary language skill of writing because writing is a form of media for communication and is seen as a sign of the target language's communicative proficiency. An effective writing style demonstrates a learner's proficiency with the English language. When communicating with people who are far in both time and place, written language is utilized.21 Writing is a practical kind of communication that enables students to construct imaginary worlds of their own invention. For a
19 Donn Byrne, Teaching Writing Skills. (New York: Longman, 1997), 1.
20 ―Oxford Advanced Learner‘s Dictionary,‖ Oxford University Press, 2020, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/write?q=write.
21 David Nunan, Second Teaching and Learning (Boston: Heinle & Heinle Publisher, 1999), 275.
specific goal, students can communicate their thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc. through writing. Giving information is the goal of writing.22 From the explanation above, writing is a process of learning to express an idea that involves critical thinking of specific purposes to deliver that idea as a piece of information to others.
b. Component of Writing
According to Heaton, writing consists of five elements.23 1. Content
One component of writing is content, which is the section in which the writer expresses their opinions and where the entire piece will take the reader to. Kane asserted that the content of writing should be cohesive and complete for readers to readily understand and accept the information that the writer wishes to transmit.24 It indicates that the writer must use acceptable language to explain their views clearly. The writers must also provide sufficient information to provide the reader with an excellent mental picture of the key idea and overall theme of the work.
2. Organization
According to Heaton, The ability to coherently develop ideas, themes, and information is referred to as an organization.
22 Richard Kern, Literacy and Language Teaching (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 172.
23 J.B. Heaton, Writing English Test (New York: Longman, 1998), 135.
24 Thomas S. Kane, Essential Guide to Writing (New York: Longman, 1998), 135.
Writing organization includes coherence, order of importance, general to specific, specific to general, chronological order, and spatial pattern.25 The expression of thoughts and information in writing will flow naturally with the correct structure.
3. Vocabulary
Hughes describes vocabularies as word combinations that compose phrases, paragraphs, and essays. Appropriate word choice in writing can prevent misconceptions among readers, and if there are no misunderstandings when reading, it can be concluded that the writing is good.26
4. Grammar
According to Harmer, to write well, the writer must be a master of grammar. Correct sentences, tenses, words, and other language aspects can help you write well.27
5. Mechanism
The mechanism, according to Kane, is related to the appearance of the words, including their spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. The writer can avoid mechanism difficulties by adopting the proper writing mechanism such, as ambiguous sentences, making it easier for the reader to comprehend and visualize the writing.
c. Type of Writing
25 J.B. Heaton, Writing English Test (New York: Longman, 1998), 135.
26 Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers (Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2003), 101.
27 Jeremy Harmer, How to Teach English (Malaysia: Longman, 2004), 35.
According to Brown(2003), Four categories of writing exist.
1. Imitative
The student must master the essential, elementary abilities of writing letters, words, punctuation, and very short phrases in order to form written language. This category comprises the capacity to recognize phoneme-grapheme correspondences in the English spelling system as well as the capacity to spell words correctly. At this stage, students are attempting to understand writing mechanics. Context and meaning are currently of secondary importance, with form serving as the major, if not the only, point of attention.
2. Intensive (controlled)
Beyond the basics of imitative writing, students should be able to use suitable vocabulary in context, collocations, and idioms, as well as proper grammar up to the length of a sentence.
In assessing correctness and appropriateness, meaning and context have some influence. However, the test design carefully regulates most evaluation tasks, which are primarily concerned with a focus on form.
3. Responsive
Students must participate in limited discourse, turn phrases into paragraphs, and logically organize two or more paragraphs to complete assessment assignments. Tasks are in
response to lists of criteria, outlines, and other directives provided by the pedagogy. Examples of writing genres include brief narratives and descriptions, rapid reports, lab reports, summaries, quick responses to reading, and interpretations of graphs or charts.
Examples of writing genres include brief narratives and descriptions, rapid reports, lab reports, summaries, quick responses to reading, and interpretations of graphs or charts.
Examples of writing genres include brief narratives and descriptions, rapid reports, lab reports, summaries, quick responses to reading, and interpretations of graphs or charts. The writer starts to choose among several alternative styles of concept expression under certain circumstances. The writer is more concerned with the discourse rules that will help the written text accomplish its goals now that they have learned the essentials of sentence-level grammar. The discourse level receives the majority of form-focused attention, strongly emphasizing the importance of setting and meaning.
4. Extensive
Extensive writing is the efficient administration of all writing processes and techniques, up to the length of an essay, term paper, extensive research project report, or even a thesis. In order to produce a final product, writers often go through a process of multiple drafts. They focus on achieving a goal,
rationally organizing and developing ideas, employing details to support or demonstrate concepts, demonstrating syntactic and lexical variety, and using details to support or illustrate ideas.
Grammatical form is only sometimes corrected or edited in a draft.28
d. The Purpose of Writing
There might be various reasons for a student to write, including the following, discussed in Chapter 1: as a method of evaluation; as a tool for better comprehension, recall, and critical thinking; to supplement lectures and other formal meetings; to enhance students' communication skills; and to prepare students for careers as future professionals in certain fields. Students, who may view writing as only an evaluation challenge, might not be as aware of the variety of motivations for writing. The exercise that will help students investigate these topics is described below.
Activity 2.1 An introduction to the purposes of writing.
1. Ask students to think about all of the many forms of writing they have done in the past few sessions (e.g., shopping lists, text messages, lecture notes, experimental results, birthday cards, poetry).
2. There are multiple categories in which some writing styles can be placed. Students should classify the various forms of writing into
28 H. Douglas Brown, Language ASSESSMENT Principles and Classroom Practices (California:
Longman, 2003), 220.
small groups category. It is advised to employ functional classifications for assessment, such as learning about x, social communication, and memory aids.
3. Focus a class discussion on academic writing assignments including lab reports, essay drafts, and notes taken during lectures or while reading. Talk about the objectives of the various forms of academic writing that students have written. Ask students to think about the various readers for these forms of writing, the particular rhetorical intent of this sort of writing, and the vocabulary, details, and proofs they will need to use. Discuss more forms of writing that kids will use in the future.29
The purpose of writing is mainly to deliver purposes through media that can be read or seen. The purpose of writing can vary depending on several aspects, such as place, time, or activity. Writing in school for the student can be seen as an act of assessment, studying, or other. Writing can help students memorize and understand the subject they learn in school.
e. The Step of the Writing Process
According to Zemach and Rumisek (2005), there are four steps. The steps are followed:
1. Pre-Writing
In this section, there are three steps:
29 Caroline Coffin, Teaching Academic Writing (London and New York: Routledge Taylor&Francis Group 2005) 20
a. Choosing a topic
Before students write a text, the teacher will give a specific assignment or some idea about what they will write, but if not, the students can choose the topic.
b. Gather ideas
When the students have a topic, think about what they will write about it.
c. Organize
In this step, students decide which ideas to use and where to use them. Choose which ideas to talk about first, talk about next, and which to talk about last.
2. Drafting
Write a paragraph essay from start to finish, and use notes that have been written about the ideas and organization.
3. Reviewing and revising
Check what has been written. Read the writing silently or aloud. If there are several mistakes in the writing, ask other people such as friends or teachers are advised to have their opinion on the writing.
4. Rewriting
There are three steps of rewriting:
a. Revise structure and content. In this section, rewrite the text.
Maybe one of the texts is missing or needs to explain
something more clearly or add more details. This step can be called editing.
b. Proofread. Take another look at the completed text. This time, double-check your work for errors and pick your words carefully.
c. Make final corrections. Recheck the corrected errors discovered in steps five and six and make any other changes necessary to add. The text is finished.30
The author draws four conclusions about the writing process from the above quotation: planning (or pre-writing), writing (or drafting), reviewing (or editing), and finalizing (or rewriting).
f. Writing Assessment
Writing assessment is a process collective of students‘
writing learning objectives with some purposes to give feedback for students‘ writing. Brown 2000 there are six general categories about evaluation of students‘ writing those are content, organization, discourse, syntax, vocabulary and mechanics.31
3. Descriptive Text
a. Definition of descriptive text
30 Dorothy E. Zemach And Lisa .A Rumisek, Academic Writing from Paragraph to Essay (Oxford:
Macmillan Education 2005), 3.
31 H. Douglas Brown, Teaching by Principles an Interactive Approch to Language Pedagogy (Sun Francisco:Longman2000), 356
Noprianto (2017) stated that descriptive text is one of the types requested to master by secondary schools in Indonesia.32 According to Gerrot and Wignell (1994: 208), the descriptive text describes a particular person, place, or thing.
Keraf (2000) stated that descriptive writing transfers the images and feelings the writer experienced to the reader.33 Based on these definitions, it is clear that descriptive writing is any text used to represent, explain, or describe a topic like a person, location, item, etc.
32 Eko Noprianto, ―Students‘s Descriptive Text Writing in SFL Perspective,‖ IJELTAL2, no.1 (2017): 66.
33 Gorys Keraf, Eksposisi: Komposisi Lanjutan II (Jakarta: Gramdia Widia Indonesia, 1995), 16.
b. The Purpose of Descriptive Text
As social creatures, humans need to share their experiences with others in a written form, for example, vacation experiences, meeting new people, Etc. They use descriptive text to describe their experience. The social function of descriptive text is to describe a particular person, place, or thing. 34
c. Generic Structure of Descriptive Text
According to Luber, identification and description make up the general structure of the descriptive text. The subject of the description is introduced via identification. The description provides information about distinguishing aspects, including size, physical characteristics, aptitude, habit, etc.35
Mulyono state that the generic structure of descriptive is a paragraph consisting of the identification that identifies the phenomenon and a description that describes the parts, qualities, and characteristics of the phenomenon.36
From that explanation, the researcher concluded that the descriptive text structure is identification and description.
d. Language Features of Descriptive Text
Based on Peronity, the use of the simple present tense, which describes the object, and the use of the adjective to define the noun are
34 Barbarana Fine Clouse, The Student Write (McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2004),143.
35 Juliant Luber. ―Definition, the purpose, generic structure, language features, and example of
Descriptive Text‖ JuliantLuber (blog). April 28, 2014,
http://juliantluber.blogspot.com/2014/04/descriptive-text.html.
36 Mulyono, English Way 2 (Jakarta: Quadra, 2009), 22.
among the linguistic characteristics of descriptive texts. Furthermore, Knapp and Watkins declare that descriptive text has the grammatical feature as follow:
1. The present tense is commonly used to describe something from a technical and factual point of view.
2. Relational verbs describe the appearance and function of phenomena (is, are, has, have).
3. Action verbs for describing behaviors or uses, i.e., the queen ant lays the eggs. Ants live in colonies.
4. Action verbs are symbolically utilized in the straightforward literary description to produce the desired impact, as in Declan broke the record.
5. A mental verb is used when describing literary descriptions,i.e.she, she felt unhappy.
6. Adjectives add extra information to nouns and may be technical, every day or literary, depending on the text, i.e., possums are nocturnal.
7. Adverbs add extra information for verbs to provide a more detailed description.
8. Adverbial phrases are used in descriptions to add more information about the manner, place, or time.
9. Sentences and paragraphs are thematically linked to the topic of description. Technical descriptions generally deal with classes of
things rather than individual things.37 It can be concluded that Language features are divided into 3. Those are present tense, verb, and adjective.
e. Kinds of descriptive text
There are five distinct categories of descriptive writing, as identified by Jolly. Those are;
1. Describing process
Not only does defining a process involve discussing how something is done, but it can also describe why something is done and what is required to finish the process.
2. Describing event
To describe an event, a writer must recall what is occurred. Assume the author is going to write about education in Indonesia. In this case, the writer should provide enough information for the reader to understand the writing.
3. Describing personality
The first step in describing someone is to identify their distinguishing characteristics. Regarding physical appearances, like eye color, hair color, etc., for emotional words like irritable, funny, etc. It can be greedy, cocky, pessimistic, honest, and stinky on the moral side and smart, intelligent, and wise on the intellectual side.
37 Peter Knapp and Morgan Watkins, Genre, Text, Grammar: Technologies for Teaching and Assessing Writing (Sydney: University of South Wales Press Ltd, 2005), 98-100.
4. Describing place
The best way to describe a place is to talk about something real. When describing an object, the details are the most important part. Places like schools, theme parks, hotels, hospitals, offices, etc., are examples of places.
5. Describing an object
To provide an accurate description of an object, the physical characteristics of the thing based on what is displayed in the images.
Table 2. 2
The example of descriptive text Tittle
My lovely mother
Figure 2. 1 Example picture of mother
Identification
Ms Fitri is my mother. She is beautiful. She is doctor.
Description
She is 30 years old. She works in Elizabeth Hospital. She has pointed nose. She is tall. She has black hair.
4. Flash card as Media a. Learning Media
Media acts as a go-between for a message's originator and its recipient, with the intention of piquing both parties' interest in the subject matter being taught and learned.38 Azhar Arsyad's book
―Media Pembelajaran‖ states that The use of media in the teaching- learning process is frequently characterized as the collection, processing, and rearrangement of visual and linguistic information using photographic or electronic graphics tools.39
Media is a tool that can be used to transmit messages from the sender to the recipient so that it can bring up the thoughts, feelings, concerns, and interests of students so that the learning process runs optimally.40
Based on the definition provided above, the researcher finds that media is a device used to assist in the delivery of information throughout the teaching-learning process.
b. Various Kinds of Teaching Learning Media
According to Azhar(2014), learning media according to technology development is grouped into four categories, those are : 1. Printed media is a method to produce or deliver a theory, such as
a book and static visual theory, especially through mechanical
38Mustofa Abi Hamid et al., Media Pembelajaran (Medan: Yayasan Kita Menulis, 2020), 4.
39 Azhar Arsyad, Media Pembelajaran (Jakarta: PT Raja Grafindo Persada, 2014), 3.
40 Muhammad Ramli, Media dan Teknologi Pembelajaran, (Banjarmasin: Anasari press, 2012), 1.
printing or photography. The characteristic of printed media is text and visuals displayed silently or statically.
2. Audio-visual media is a method to produce or deliver theory using electrical and mechanical machinery to provide visual and audio messages. The character of audio-visual media is the use of hardware in the learning process. Examples of audio-visual media are recorded tape and projector machines.
3. Computer-based media is a method to produce or deliver material using a microprocessor source. The characteristic of computer- based media is that it can be used according to students or designer preferences as planned, can be randomly used, is non- sequential, and linearly.
4. Mixed media is a method to produce or deliver theory by combining several forms of media controlled by a computer and connecting to the audio system. The media is sophisticated.
Mixed media characteristics can be used randomly, sequentially, linearly, and learning material involving students' interactivity.41
According to Rudy Bretz (1972), media is divided into three groups, those are:
1. Visual learning media group.
2. Audio learning media group.
3. Audio-visual learning media group.
41 Azhar Arsyad, Media Pembelajaran (Jakarta: PT Raja Grafindo Persada, 2014), 31-35.
According to Magdalena I. D. ( 2013), there are six learning media: printed media, audio media, visual media, human action projection media, and miniature.42
Based on the definition above, the researcher concludes that learning media varies, such as human-based media, for example, the teaching-learning process between students and teachers. Humans commonly use printed media, for example, textbooks, newspapers, journals, Etc. Visual media is a form of media that can be seen, which helps understand and strengthen the object's memory, for example, a picture, table, and flash card.
c. Flash Card as media
1. Definition of Flash Card
A Flash card is a form of media made from small paper with pictures, text, or symbols.
According to Teng and He, Flash cards are cards bearing information, such as words, pictures, or numbers, on either side, used in classroom drills or private study.43
Wright (1976) explains that flash cards are printed cards with phrases or graphics that the instructor can simply manage.
The square cardboard sheets used for the study's flash cards measure seven by ten cm. Each card has an image that the
42 Magdalena, I. D,. Desain Pembelajaran SD (Sukabumi: CV Jejak, 2013), 86.
43 Teng and He, ―An Example of Classroom Practice Using Flashcards for Young Learners:
Preliminary Indications for Promoting Autonomy‖ Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal 6, no.4 (December 2015): 382-398, https://doi.org/10.37237/060405.
