Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 The Background of the problem English is an international language that plays an important role in the world of communication. So, the people in the world need to master to make them easier to communicate with the people from another country. In Indonesia, English as the first foreign language is considered as a compulsory subject that start from elementary School until University.

Since the implementation of Kurikulum tingkat Satuan pendidikan(KTPS) in Indonesia, there are four language skill that should be taught to the student that include listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as language components such as phonology, structure, and vocabulary. As Dowson in Sari Ratna N. states that learning language mean learning pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar by practicing the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It means that language components and language skills cannot be separated. They related each other.

In teaching English, it is expected that the students get knowledge of English and know how to use it in expressing their ideas through speaking or writing. Writing is important because it facilitates thought that help people to think critically and to clarify people thought. Writing is thinking process which the people get ideas and arrange the ideas in order to make the message or meaning can be understood by the reader.

Referring to the explanation above, the students are expected to used appropriate vocabulary and know how to arrange their ideas in right way. Therefore it is important that the students have to master the basic knowledge of English. It cannot be denied that vocabulary and structure have important role in writing.

So far the writer knows that students are difficult to crease their writing ability. And the students still get the difficulty to express their idea in writing. The students are difficult of express ideas because they do not master vocabulary and grammar. As the result, their writing material is unsatisfactory. Besides, they need motivation to use English and communication, by giving the opportunity to express their own ideas by writing group. their writing material is unsatisfactory. Besides, they need motivation to use English and communication, by giving the opportunity to express their own ideas by writing group.

Based on the preliminary research at MTs. N 2 Bandar Lampung, the writer found that the students writing ability is still low. They found difficulties in expressing their ideas in writing because they are not master vocabulary and grammar. So, the writer wants to know the effective technique in teach narrative writing which is called group work. The writer believes that group work will be able to improve the students ability in making a good piece of narrative writing. Through the students will participate actively in discussing, sharing opinion, agreeing, and disagreeing with each other or simply simulating real life situation. Beside, the students will have opportunities to talk. The writer hopes that it can develop their skill in vocabulary, grammar and especially in writing.

To solve the problem above, the writer would like to use group work in teaching writing. Therefore she is going to propose a research on title: THE INFLUENCE OF USING GROUP WORK TOWARD STUDENTS NARRATIVE WRITING ABILITY AT THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE EIGHTH CLASS AT MTs. N 2 BANDAR LAMPUNG 2011/2012.

1.2 The identification of The Problem Based on the background of the problem, the writer assumes that the problem as follows: 1. The student find the difficulties in expressing ideas in writing, especially in narrative writing

2. The students find difficulties applying grammar and vocabulary in the narrative writing 3. The student are lack of practice in narrative writing sentences with their own ideas 4. The students still have difficulties to remember the vocabularies

1.3 The Limitation of the Problem Considering the problems identified above, their writer limited the research problem. The limitation of research is the influence of using group work towards students narrative writing ability.

1.4 The Formulation of the Problem Based in the identification and limitation of problem above the writer would like to formulate the problem as follows: 1. How is the influence of using group work toward students narrative writing ability? 2. Is there any influence of using group work towards students narrative writing ability? 3. Is the average score of students writing who are taught using group work higher than without using group work?

1.5 The Purpose of the Research The purposes of the research are: 1. To know and to describe students narrative writing ability 2. To know and to describe the influences of using group work towards students narrative writing ability 3. To know and to describe whether there is influence and positive influence of using group work.

1.6 Significance of the Research

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.3 Conceptual Framework

The concept of language English as a foreign language is used most of the people in the world for communication and interaction with other people from other country. Teaching English as a foreign language need creative of the teacher in bring students into real situation that the learners will use English naturally for communication. The activities in the classroom should be based on the needs in the real life. The learners are except to be able to use English after they learned in the classroom.

Language is use to exchange the ideas, thoughts and feeling, it is the most important aspect of communication. By knowing a language, people can transform new information that they never hear before into their brain. They can also get information by reading book, magazine, newspapers and so on. As Harmer (1993:180) state that Knowing a language is just no of having grammatical; competence, however we have seen that we also need to add communicative competence.

2.2 Teaching English as a Foreign language

The teaching of English has been extended to the elementary school as a local content. Realizing the importance of English, it is equally important to prepare the teacher who will teach it. The teaching and learning process involves three factors, namely teacher, learner, and method or technique.

According to Brown (1994) that teaching is showing or helping someone to learn how to do something, giving instruction, guiding in the study of something providing with knowledge causing to know or understand. From that statement

above the writer think that in teaching process, the teacher as a mediator helps learners to get material that can increase their knowledge learning process.

Most of the students still consider English is very difficult subject and they feel bored to learn English. In this case the teacher is urged to use and implement an appropriate technique. It is clear now, in learning a new language needs a lot of practices, and perhaps the students are accustomed to use that language.

2.3 The Concept of Writing

Writing (as one the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing) has always formed part f the syllabus in the teaching of English. However it can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from being merely a backup for grammar teaching to a major syllabus strand in its own right, where mastering the ability to write effectively is seen as key objective for learners ( Harmer, 2004:31).

When we write, we use graphic symbols: that is letter or combinations of letters which related to the sounds we make when we speak ( Byrne, 1988:1). It mean that writing is the ability to arrange the graphic symbols in a certain language so that other person can understand the graphic representation of a language may include the letter, punctuation, words, or sentences of a certain language in which the writer and the reader understand the language being used written communication.

Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols (www.wikipedia.com).

Based on explanation above, the writer conclude that wring is a thinking process of communication by using sign or symbols to express idea, thought, and feeling on the paper or written form.

2.4 The Concept of Narrative Writing Narrative text is kind of paragraph, like George E. Wishon state in his book Lets Write English, there are four kinds of paragraph, narrative, descriptive, exposition, and argumentation.

George states that Narration is a form of writing used to relate the story of acts or events. Narration places occurrences in time and tells what happened according to natural time sequence. Types of narration include short stories, novels, and news stories, as well as a large part of our everyday social interchange in the form of letters and conversation.

We cannot say that narrative is simply about entertaining a reading audience, although it generally always does so. Narrative also has a powerful social role beyond that of being a medium entertainment.

According to Peter Knapp (2005:223), basic grammatical of narrative is began from orientation, continued with complication (sequence of event) and finished with the resolution. Every story, no matter how simple, needs orientation. Indeed, it is impossible to tell story unless we see that there are character set up in a particular in time and place, although many postmodern narratives play with these convention.

In the complication stage of narrative need a problem or complexity from the story. This stage can also include reflection on the problem and possible solution. The problem part of narrative must eventually find some way of being resolved, otherwise we are left with very frustrated or angry reader. Good problem-solving skills are a necessary part of writing successful narratives, and this is stage that most young writers find the most difficult.

2.5 The Concept of Group Work

Whatever the seating arrangement in the classroom, student can be organized in different ways; they can work as in group. Group work is a very useful and efficient way of working in language teaching. It is simple to organize and easy to explain.

According to Brown (2001:177), group work is as generic terms conferring a multiplicity of technique in which two or more students are assigned are assigned a task that involves collaboration and self initiated language. It means that group work is a technique in learning process that consists of two or more students to do an activity.

Group work is a cooperative activity: five students, perhaps, discussing a topic, doing a role-play or solving the problem. In groups, student tend to participate more equally, and they are also more able to experiment and use the language than they are in a whole-class arrangement, (Harmer:21).

Group work is learning activity that many instructors are used to assigning in traditional classroom setting.( http://[email protected])

According to the definition above, it can conclude that group work is a technique that can use in learning process. Group work is a cooperative language learning that can motivate students to involve in learning process. Group work enhances students understanding. Students learn from each other and benefit from activities that require them to articulate and test their knowledge. Group work provide and opportunity for student to clarify and refine their understanding of concept through discussion.

2.6 The Concept of Teaching Narrative writing by Using group Work

Group work is a technique that can use in teaching writing because in a group their idea to each other in their group. Besides, they can discussed about the topic that given from their teacher. The use of collaborative and group activities in the ESL writing classroom has been the single most influential composition teaching strategy over the past decade. (S. D Reid, 1992b).

One way of encouraging drafting, reflection and revision is to have students involved in writing Harmer states that A pair or group of students working together on a piece of writing can responded to each others ideas ( both in terms in language and content), making suggestion for changes, and so contributing to the success of the finished product.( Harmer, 2005:12)

Group work can be especially successful in ESL writing classes. Writing is usually easier, better, and more successful when talking, drafting, revising, reading, in editing in groups are part of the writing process, students exchange information in an open-ended, real life context to fulfill personal goals( Blanton, 1992; Savova and Donato, 1991)

Successful writing group are often those that balance personalities, learning styles and tasks to be accomplished. It is often helpful for each student to have a role in the group, a contribution to make: as recorder, an idea-person, a harmonizer and so on. (Reid, 1984:154)

From the explanation above, we can know that narrative writing through group work gives the change to the students to be successful in their writing. It cause of the students can collaboration in learning, so they can exchange information to each other.

2.6.1 The Procedure of Using Group Work

Before the students ask to write, the teacher can explain first goal is to create goal and the objective of the instruction. In this case, the writers goal is to create good

condition for the student to learn by using group work and the objective is for the student to be able to describe the topic in a written form.

According to Reid ( 1984:158), there are four some general guidelines for group work, that are:

1. Select the group so that each students can participant fully 2. Review the ground rules: collaboration does not necessarily agreement, bur minority opinions must be respected 3. Explain what the task is, why they will be doing it, and how long they will have to complete it ( as a rule, tell the students they have less tine than you have actually planned), a statement of realistic purpose and clear roles for each member of group is essential 4. Give the group limited task: write instruction on the board or on a handout 5. If you have to groups report to the class, have the class applaud ( or give positive feedback in other ways) after each presentation ( to ease the discomfort and to promote enthusiasm and a sense of community 6. At the end of the activity, have the student write in their journal, analyzing the success of the activity or reporting the result, or describing the process of the activity

2.6.2 The Advantage and Disadvantage of Group work

According to Brown, there are some advantages of group work that are: 1. Group work generates interactive language 2. Group work offers an embracing an affective climate 3. Group work promote learner responsibility and autonomy 4. Group work is a step toward individualizing interruption

Besides, group work has some disadvantages, they are: 1. The teacher is no longer in control of the class 2. The students will use the native language

3. Students errors will be reinforced in small group 4. Teachers cannot monitor all groups at once 5. Some learners prefer to work alone

While such problems can and do occur in group work, every problems that is rooted in learning styles differences can be solved by careful planning and management.

2.7 The Frame of Thinking

In teaching writing, as English teacher should be able to help student in writing, especially in Narrative writing. In this case, the writer will use group work as a technique in teaching narrative writing. To give motivation to the students having in mind that group work would be make easy enrich their writing.

Based on the brief explanation and frame of theories mentioned in the previous section, the writer believes that using group work in teaching writing will lead students to write more creatively, so the teach need to choose among them, deciding whether teacher wants students to focus more on the process of writing and its product.

2.8 The Hypothesis

The hypothesis of the research is as follow: 1. There is positive influence of using group work towards students writing Narrative ability 2. The average score of the students writing ability who are thought using group work is higher than those are taught without using group work

Group Work

Students Narrative Writing Ability

CHAPTER III THE METHOD OF THE RESEARCH

3.1 The Method of Research

The classroom research will be applied to the students of eighth grade at MTs. N 2 Bandar Lampung which has heterogenic academic ability. In this research, the writer used experimental method, it means that the writer will do the treatment to know the influences of using group work in teaching writing in experiment class. In control class the writer will collaborative work. After doing the treatment the writer is going to give the students test of writing.

3.2 The Variable of The Research In this research, there are two variables: 1. Independent Variable The independent variable of the research is using group work that symbolized by (X).

2. Dependent Variable The dependent variable of the research is the students writing ability that symbolized by (Y)

3.3 The Operational Definition of the Research The operational definition of variable is used to describe the characteristic of the variable that was investigated by the researcher as follows: 1. Group work is a kind of technique in teaching writing which is consist two or more students. It can used to give opportunity for the students to discuss to each other in writing. Besides, it can increase students motivation in learning process

2. The students, writing ability is the ability of the student in discussing and expressing anything in their mind about object, thought and feeling in writing form

3.4 The Population, Sample and Sampling technique

3.4.1

The Population

The population of the research is the students of MTs.N 2 Bandar Lampung at the first semester of the eighth grade in 2011-2012. There were 58 students from 2 classes.

3.4.2

The Sample of the Research

As we know that sample is a part of population in this research. The writer will take the whole as the sample research, the first class as the experiment class and the second class as the control class.

3.4.3

The Sampling Technique

In this research, the writer will use total sampling technique because the classes are homogenous.

3.5 The Data Collecting Technique 3.5.1 The main technique

The writer will be taught in the classroom for several meeting. To collect the data, the writer use test, that is writing test. The writer is going to use the test to know the improvement of students basic skill in writing and to know the improvement of students writing ability by using group work.

3.5.2

The Supporting Technique

There are two supporting technique on this research, they are: 1. Library study

It is important step in this research as long as the research held. The writer needs some books to get information and to find the relevant theories which support statement and theories. 2. Documentation It will be used in collecting the data about the existence of the school and to see or to observe directly about the fact.

3.6

The instrument of research

3.6.1

The Validity of The Test

A test can be said as a good test, if the test processes the validity and reliability. It is important to know the accuracy of the instrument, which are usually used to measure what is really needed to measure. To know the validity of the research instrument or test, the writer is going to use content validity, it means that the test will be designed based on the current curriculum. Test of Student Writing Ability

3.6.2

To get the data of students writing ability, the writer will use a writing test as a good, if the test processes is the requirement content validity. To know the students writing ability, the writer is going to count by comparing the score of them. There were five aspect of writing to evaluate the students writing ability (Jacob, et al, 1981) schemes as follow:

Student Score Content

Level 30-27

26-22

21-17 16-13

Criteria Excellent to very good: knowledgeable; substantive development of thesis; relevant to assigned topic Good to average: sure knowledge of object; adequate range; limited development of thesis; mostly relevant to topic but lack detail. Fair to poor: limited knowledge of subject; little substance; inadequate development of topic Very poor: does not show knowledge of subject; non-substantive; or not enough to evaluate Excellent to very good: fluent expressing; ideas clearly stated/supported; succinct; wellorganized; logical sequencing; cohesive Good to average : somewhat choopy; loosely organized; but mind ideas stand out; limited support; logically but un complete sequence Fair to poor : non-fluent; ideas confused or disconnected; lacks logical sequencing and development. Very Poor: does not communicate; no organization; or not enough to evaluate. Excellent to very good: sophisticated range; effective word/idiom form, choice and usage; word from mastery; appropriate register Good to average: adequate range; occasional errors word/ idiom from, choice, usage but meaning not obscured Fair to poor: limited range; frequent errors of word/idiom form, choice, usage; meaning confused or obscured Very poor: essentially translation; little knowledge of English vocabulary, idioms, word form; or not enough to evaluate.

Organization

20-18

17-14

15-10

9-7 Vocabulary 20-18

17-14

13-10

9-7

Language Use

25-22

21-18

17-11

10-5

Mechanics

Excellent to very good: effective; complex constructions; few errors of agreement, tense, number, word order/function, articles, pronouns, propositions. Good to average: effective but simple constructions; minor problem in complex constructions; several errors of agreement, tense, number, word order/ function article, pronouns, prepositions, but meaning seldom obscured Fair to poor: major problems in simples in simple/complex construction; frequent errors of negation, agreement, tense, number, word order/ function, article, pronouns, prepositions, and/or fragment, run-ons; deleting; meaning confused or obscured. Very poor: virtually no mastery of sentences construction rules; dominated by errors; does not communicate; or not enough to evaluate. Excellent to very good: demonstrates mastery of conventions; few errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing. Good to Average: occasional errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing but meaning not obscured. Fair to poor: frequent errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing; poor handwriting; meaning confused or obscured Very poor: no mastery of convention; dominated by errors of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, paragraphing; handwriting illegible; or not enough to evaluate.

Grade: A: 90-100 B: 80-90 C: 70-80 D: 60-70 E: below 60 (Jacob, et al, 1981)

3.7 The Data Analysis

After giving the Test and finding the result of the test, the writer will use quantitative analysis in order to know the influence of using group work towards students writing ability. The formula that use in the research is T-test. Before using T-test the writer would like to determine the average (x) and variants (s2).

1. The average (x1) is calculate:

Notes: N Xn N : The control class

score of student

: The number

2. T-test use by formula:

Notes : X1 X2 N1 S12 S2 : the average score of experimental class : the average score of the control class : the total number of student of control class : the variant of the control class : the variant

3.7.1

The Homogeneity test

After population data had been that have normal distribution, so the writer also conducts the examination of homogeneity variants from both samples with the following hypothesis formula

Ho : both samples have the equality of variants. H1 : both samples have different of variants.

Statistic formula used is:

3.7.2

The Hypothesis Test

To test the hypothesis in this research, the writer used by a statistical formula of T-test as follows:

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Brown, H.D. ( 1994). Teaching by Principle: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. (second ed.). New Jersey: Pentice Hall

Byrme, Donn. (1995). Teaching Writing Skills. New York; Longman

Harmer, Jeremy. (2004). How To Teach Writing. London: Longman

Heaton, J.B. (1989). Writing English Language Test. New Jersey: Longman Kessler, Carolyn. (1992). Cooperative Language learning: A Teachers Resourch Book. USA: University of Texas

Landsberger, Joe. (1996). Organizing and working on Group Project. http://www.studygs.net/groupproject.html

Red, J.M. (1984). Teaching ESL Writing. University of Wyoming: Prentice Hall Regents

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