THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUE IN TEACHING WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT TO INCREASE STUDENT’S ABILITY AT SECOND GRADE OF SMP NEGERI 4 MAJA IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUE IN TEACHING WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT TO INCREASE STUDENT’S ABILITY AT SECOND GRADE OF SMP NEGERI 4 MAJA IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the discussion on the background of the study, statement of the problems, objective of the study, scope and limitation of the study, significance of the study, assumption of the study, and definition of key terms.

A.      Background of The Study

Language is one of the most important things in communication and it is used as a toll of communication among the nations in all over the world. As an international language, English is very important and has many interrelationships with various aspects of life owned by human being.

Writing is one of the language skill that will never be left in education. It is very essential part of the lesson, not only in language class, but also in other classes such as biology, Mathematics, and History etc. Writing skills are complex and sometime difficult to teach,  requiring mastery not only of grammatical and rhetorical device but also of conceptual and judgmental elements (Heaton ,1988). As Harmer (1998) stated writing as a skill,of course, it is a basic language skill, just as important as speaking, listening and reading. Students need to know how to write letters, how to put written reports together, how to reply to advertisements and increasingly, how to write using electronic media. They need to know some of writing’s special conventions (punctuation, paragraph, construction etc).

Since english is acknowledge as necessary to enable indonesians to involve in global community, it is taught even from kindergarten. TEFL in tompulsory in Junior High School according to the school basede curriculum. In this curriculum, the students must be able to understand and create various kinds, of short functional and monolog text in the form of descriptive, procedure, recount, narrative, and report (Standar Isi dan Standar Kompetensi, 2006:P.212). Therefore, this curriculum is a genre based approach.

The earliest writing for which we have clear evidence is known as “cuneiform,” marked on clay tablets about 5,000 years ago. An ancient script that has a more obvious connection towriting systems in use today can be identified in inscriptions dated around 3,000 years ago.

Writing in its broad sense as distinct from simply putting words on paper has three steps: thinking about it, doing it, and doing it again (and again and again, as often as time will allow and patience will endure), (Kane, 2000).

Based on KTSP (education curriculum in Indonesia) there are five genres of the text that must be taught to students’ in Junior High School. According to Harmer (2007 : P,327), genre represents the norms of different kinds of writing. They who write within a certain genre to consider a number of different factor. They need to have knowledge of the topic, the convention style of the genre, and the context in which their writing will be read.

Since writing descriptive text is included in the curricula, all the second grade students of the junior high school must accompish it well. However many students’ of junior high school still lack of the vocabularies can be seen when the teachers ask them in English and they do not even understand. Besiders, the students interest as the hardesrt subject to learn.

One of the possible causer of students’ weaknesses in cping up with descriptive text is the lack of teacher’s English use in the teaching learning process. The teachers tend to use Indonesian or their native language like sundanesse rather than the English one. It bring English to be more unfamiliar for the students. How to classify the word into right word class is another problem for the students. The students find it difficult to arrange the words into correct sentences, let alone making the sentences to be logical and systematic paragraphs.

There are many genre texts, among others: analytical exposition text, anecdote text, recount text, report text, spoof text, narrative text, hortatory exposition text, discussion text, explanation text, procedure text, news item text, review text, description text, argument text and exposition text (Wahidi, 2009).

The mind mapping strategy is one of the teachers’ strategies in teaching. Not only Mind Maps show facts, but also show the overall structure of a subject and the relative importance of individual parts of it. It helps students to associate ideas, think creatively, and make connections that might not otherwise make (Tony Buzan, 2010). As Alamsyah (2009) explained that Mind maps work well  as their visual design enables students to see the relationship between ideas, and encourages them to group certain ideas together as they proceed. Mind maps work especially well when created in groups, since the discussion this engenders aids the production of ideas, and makes the task livelier and more enjoyable. The mind mapping strategy can be used to explore almost any topics in writing and also used in every kind of writing such as : narrative, descriptive, recount, persuasive, argumentative, essay etc. Students can improve their ideas and lend themselves to discussing ideas in groups.

Based on the problem above, the researcher aims to discuss the students writing ability. To bw specific, it is focused on the students ability in this proposed research project. Because she realized that writing English through genre is difficult, especially for Junior High School students.

Actually, there are many strategies to make teaching interesting, especially in teaching writing. In this part, the researcher will try to USING MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUE IN TEACHING WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT TO INCREASE STUDENTS ABILITY.  I assume that through this strategyy, the students’ will be better prepare to understand tenses, vocabularry, expression, thing, and other language features in writing descriptive text.

B.       Statement of the Problem

The problem is going to be discovered in this research is stated in the following research questions “Is mind mapping an effective method of teaching writing descriptive text to increase students’ ability at second year of SMP Negeri 4 Maja?”.

C.      Objectives of The Study

The aim of research  is to find out whether role play is an effevtive method of teaching speaking to increase students’ ability at second year of SMP Negeri 4 Maja.

D.      Significance of The Study

The writer hopes that this study will have some benefit in teaching and learning English, especially in writing skills, to describe something, whether material or human, using the technique of mind mapping. There are two important types in this study, theoretical and practical.

1.      Theoretical Significance

a.       The results of this study can be used as input in the teaching text deskriptive

b.      The results of this study can be used as a reference for those who want to do research in the teaching of writing in deskriptive text.

2.      Practical Significance

a.       The authors recognize that using media or visual aids in teaching and learning is a must as it helps the students in the learning process.

b.      In this study, using mind mapping as props is a technique in teaching descriptive text. It can solve the difficulties faced by students in learning text descriptive

E.       Delimitation of the Study

Writing is among the most important skills that second language learners need to develop, especially when they are in secondary and tertiary levels of education. Because writing should be mastered by the English language learners, English teachers should use some strategies to teach this language skill well.

Writing is a means of communication, especially when the person we want to communicate is not right there in front of us. It has been widely admitted that writing is the most complex and difficult skill compared to the three other skills,i,e., listening, speaking and reading. This is becaouse it involves several component such as content, organization, and language use \, which have be considered when a learner is writing.

Writing as the symbolic representation of language through the use of graphic signs (Yule, 2010). As we know that so many genre of the text in writing, there are: analytical exposition, text anecdote text, recount text, report text, spoof text, narrative text, hortatory exposition text, discussion text, explanation text, procedure text, news item text, review text, description text, argument text and exposition text (Wahidi, 2009). One of them is Descriptive text.

Based on Wahidi (2009) Description is used in all forms of writing to create a vivid impression of a person, place, object or event e.g. to describe a special place and explain why it is special, to describe the most important person in your life, or to describe the animal’s habitat in your report. In other words, description text is to describe a particular person, place, or thing.

Descriptive writing is usually used to help a writer develop an aspect of their work, e.g. to create a particular mood, atmosphere or describe a place so that the reader can create vivid pictures of characters, places, objects, and more.

The sosial function of descriptive (Dddy,2008) to describe a particular person, place or thing.

Generic Structure (Doddy,2008):

a. Identification : identifies phenomenon to be described.

b. Description : describes parts, qualities, characters.

A mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. A mind map is often created around a single word or text, placed in the center, to which associated ideas, words and concepts are added. Major categories radiate from a central node, and lesser categories are sub-branches of larger branches. Categories can represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items related to a central key word or idea.

Mindmaps can be drawn by hand, either as "rough notes" during a lecture or meeting, for example, or as higher quality pictures when more time is available. An example of a rough mind map is illustrated.

F.       Hyphotesis

According to Fraenkel and Wallen in their book entitled How To Design and Evaluate Research In Education (1993: 51), “Hypothesis is simply put, a prediction of the possible outcomes of a study”.

The hypothesis of this study is that the use of mind mapping can help teachers to improve writing in teaching descriptive text, effectively second-class students SMPN 4 Maja.

G.      Definition of Key Terms

In order to clarify the key terms used in this study, some definitions are put   forward.

Writing as the symbolic representation of language through the use of graphic signs (Yule, 2010). As we know that so many genre of the text in writing, there are: analytical exposition, text anecdote text, recount text, report text, spoof text, narrative text, hortatory exposition text, discussion text, explanation text, procedure text, news item text, review text, description text, argument text and exposition text (Wahidi, 2009).

Based on Wahidi (2009) Description is used in all forms of writing to create a vivid impression of a person, place, object or event e.g. to describe a special place and explain why it is special, to describe the most important person in your life, or to describe the animal’s habitat in your report. In other words, description text is to describe a particular person, place, or thing.

Descriptive writing is usually used to help a writer develop an aspect of their work, e.g. to create a particular mood, atmosphere or describe a place so that the reader can create vivid pictures of characters, places, objects, and more.

Language feature of description:

·         To engage a reader’s attention;

·         To create characters;

·         Using simple present tense;

·         Focus on specific participants;

·         Using attributive and identifying processes;

·         Frequent use of epithets (adjective or adjective phrase) and classifier in nominal groups;

·         Linking verbs;

·         To set a mood or create an atmosphere;

·         To bring writing to life;

·         Aims to show rather than tell the reader what something/someone is like;

·         Relies on precisely chosen vocabulary with carefully chosen adjectives and adverbs;

·         Is focused and concentrates only on the aspects that add something to the main purpose of

·         the description;

·         Sensory description - what is heard, seen, smelt, felt, tasted. Precise use of adjectives, similes,

·         metaphors to create images/pictures in the mind e.g. “Their noses were met with the acrid

·         smell of rotting flesh”;

·         Strong development of the experience that ‘puts the reader there’ focuses on key details,

·         powerful verbs and precise nouns.

Generic structure of description (Wahidi,2009)

• Identification, identifies phenomenon to be described;

• Description, describes parts, qualities, characteristic.

Mind mapping is one of the very best methods to optimize ones learning capacities and understanding of how the elements of complex structures are connected. The brain works in different ways. Different people think in different ways. However, while your thinking and reasoning follow a structure that is personal to you, you still use a number of techniques that apply to most people.

H.      Research Method

Research is an art and science in searching the answers of the problems (Yoseph and Yoseph, 1979 in Syamsuddin, 2011).

Method of the research is methodology refers to a design where the researchers select the data collection and analyzed procedure to investigate a specific research problem.

Based on the aim of study, the writer will use the experimental research. Experimental research approach is quantitative approach design to ferret out cause and effect relationship. According to Arikunto (2010) that experimental research is the way to look for the causality between two factors which intend to be generated by researcher which eliminates other factors that disturbs. Experimental research is always done to see the effect of the treatment.

In more spesifict, the writer will use true experimental design. According to Arikunto (2010) that true experimental design is experiment types are assumed that those have been good because those have fulfilled the requirement. It means other group which do not get treatment, it can get observation. This group is comparator group or control group. Between experimental group and control group, we can get comparison among group which get treatment and group which do not get treatment.

Control group pre-test and post-test:

	E              O1           X             O2 C             O3           X             O4

 

Note:

O₁              : Pre-test for experimental group (this test find out students’ ability in teaching descriptive text before using mind mapping or treatment).

X            : Treatment.

O₂              : Post-test for experimental group (this test find out students’ ability in teaching descriptive text after using mind mapping or treatment).

O₃              : Pre-test for control group (this test find out students’ ability in teaching descriptive text before get treatment).

O₄              : Post-test for control group (this test find out students’ ability in teaching descriptive text after get treatment without using mind mapping).

This method is to find out the increasing and ability of the students’ writing skill on descriptive text using mind mapping (experimental group) and without using mind mapping (control group).

I.         Population

Suharsimi Arikunto (2010) stated that “ a population is a set (or collection) of all elements processing one or more attributes of interest”.

Based on the assumption above, the writer takes the population of this research is the second grade of SMP Negeri 4 Maja that consists of four classes. Each class consists of 30 students, so the population is 120 students’.

J.        Sample

Suharsimi Arikunto (2010) states : Apabila subjeknya kurang dari 100, lebih baik diambil semua sehingga penelitiannya merupakan penelitian populasi. Selanjutnya,  jika jumlah subyeknya besar dapat diambil antara 10-15% atau 20-25% atau lebih. If the population is less than 100, it is better to take all of the subject, it is the population research. If the subject is in number, we can take 10 – 15% or 15 – 20% or more.

The writer takes 25% from the population as the sample. The calculating of determining sample is 25% x 120 = 30.  

So, the amount research sample is 36 students (two classes of 8A and 8B as the sample, so the total of the sample is 60 students).

K.      The Instrumen of Collecting  The Data

Test

According to Arikunto (2010) states that tes is any series of quetions or exercises or other means of measuring the skill, knowledge, intelligence, recite of an individual or group.

Based on Arikunto’s theory, the writer uses the test as follows:

ü  Pre-test : the test is given before the treatment

ü  Post-test           : the test is given after the treatment

L.       Procedure of Analyzing Data

In this research, the writer would like to use T-test formula form Arikunto (2010) :

Note:

            : t-value

   : Mean of Experimental Class

   : Mean of Control Class

 : Standard Deviation of Experimental Class

 : Standard Deviation of Control Class

     : Number of Experimental Class

     : Number of Control Class

M.     Setting of the Research

The place of research that will be conducted by the writer is SMP Negeri 4 Maja Kecamatan Maja Kabupaten Majalengka. The observation is carried out on April up to August, 2013.

N.      References

Sugiyono. (2007). MetodePenelitianKuantitatif, Kualitatifdan R&D. Bandung :Alfabeta.

Arikunto, Suharsimi. (2006). ProsedurPenelitianSuatuPendekatanPraktik. Jakarta: RienekaCipta.

Harmer, Jeremy.(2006) The Practice Of Teaching English.London:Pearson Longman.

Bailey, Stephen. (2003). Academic Writing A Practical Guide For students’. London: Routledgefalmer.

Sudjana. (2005). Metode Statistika. Bandung:Tarsito

Kane, Thomas S. 2000. The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing. New York: Oxford University Press.

Wahidi, Rachmat. 2009. Genre of the Text. http://rachmatwahidi.wordpress.com. Accessed on 20 March 2013

Yule, George. 2010. The Study of Language. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Syamsuddin and Damaianti, V, S. 2011. Metode Penelitian Pendidikan Bahasa. Bandung: PT. Remaja Rosdakarya.