CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Language is an important tool to communicate. To communicate means to understand, to express many ideas, and also to develop culture between speakers and listeners or writers and readers. Language is more than just communication tool; it is the primary method by which we do things together by share meaning of common ground. People need to communicate in doing daily activities and making an interaction to other people in their life. One of the popular languages used is English. English is an international language that is used to communicate among people all over the world. English is so widely spoken; it has often referred to as a world language, the lingua franca of modern era, and while is 2 not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a foreign language.1 Studying English as a foreign language is gradually getting more important. In Indonesia government, English is considered as a first foreign language and compulsory subject to be taught in secondary schools.2 Based on the decision above, it considers as optional subject or local content materials to be taught in elementary schools and as a requirement subject to pass National Examination. English is one of a compulsory subject in Indonesia.3 One of the aims of teaching English is developing the ability to communicate. The ability involves the four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The writer is mainly focused on writing skill, because writing is considered the most difficult and complicated language skill to be learned. Writing needs hard thinking to produce idea, words, sentences, paragraph, and composition. Writing is one of the important skills to be mastered by the students. They use it to communicate to each other, as means of ideas and emotional expression, because when they write their ideas and emotion creatively, they are communicating on paper in their very best way and purposes. Based on Competency Standard- Standar Kompetensi (SK) and Basic Competency- Kompetensi Dasar (KD), the second year students are expected to be able to express meaningful ideas in term of functional text and simple short essay in the form of descriptive and recount to interact with people in their nearest environment.4 The work of writing is presented in the form of 1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language 2 Depdiknas, Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional, No 22 tentang Kerangka Dasar dan Struktur Kurikulum Bahasa Inggris SMP dan MTS, (Jakarta: 2003), p. 11. 3 Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan RI, Keputusan Menteri: No. 096/U/1967 tentang Pengajaran Bahasa Inggris di Indonesia 4 Depdiknas, Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (School Based Curriculum) Standar Isi Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Inggris SMP dan MTS , (Jakarta: 2006) 3 text types, usually known as genres, which are closely related to the purpose of each type. There must be a convergence between English teaching and learning. Therefore, efforts to develop students writing skills in English, is not only one of the important objectives of English teaching, but also to adapt to the needs of examination. Based on the writer’s experience, the most difficult skill to be learned is writing. The writer has observed during Praktik Profesi Keguruan Terpadu (PPKT) activity at SMP Al-Hasra Bojongsari-Depok, there are some difficulties faced by students of 8-3 class at the first semester 2010/2011 academic year in writing class, there are: first is they do not have idea to write. Second, they still confused in organizing the writing. Third, they often do some mistakes with the lack of knowledge in vocabularies. These problems can be influenced by some factors. The writer assumed based on the writer’s experience during during Praktik Profesi Keguruan Terpadu (PPKT) activity, these problems appear caused by method or technique in teaching writing, because some teachers taught writing just gave explanation and exercises. It makes students less comprehended, less interest in writing, and makes students bored. These problems are important to be solved, therefore students get more comprehension in material of writing, students think that writing is an interesting skill, and can continue English material in the next semester. To help students’ solved these problems, it needs another technique more interesting in teaching writing. There are a lot of techniques in teaching writing. The writer would like to propose a technique which is “Clustering Technique”. Clustering is uncensored brainstorming combined with doodling.5 Clustering produces an overview of a subject, suggests specific topics, and 5 Betty Mattix Dietsch. Reasoning & WritingWell. (Ohio: McGraw-Hill., 2003), p. 26. 4 yields related details.6 Based on definition above, the writer summarize that clustering is making visual map to produce a topic related to each other. Clustering technique will stimulus students’ ideas, also they can make a good paragraph in every types of writing. Based on the problems discussed previously, the writer takes a title of this “Skripsi” “Improving Student’s writing Ability through Clustering Technique” (A Classroom Action Research in the Second Year of SMP AlHasra Bojongsari-Depok). B. Objectives of the Study According to background of the study above, the objectives of the study are as follow: to improve student’s writing ability through clustering technique and to know how clustering can improve student’s writing ability. C. The Limitation and Formulation of the Problem 1. The Limitation of the Problem To make it deeper the problems will be limited in the implementation of using clustering technique in teaching writing through Clustering technique in the second year of 8-3 class of SMP Al-Hasra Bojongsari-Depok, and the student’s improvement in learning writing through clustering technique. 2. The Formulation of the Problem In line with the background of the study, the writer formulates the research question as follows: “Can clustering technique improve student’s writing ability in second year of 8-3 class of SMP Al-Hasra BojongsariDepok?” 6 Betty Mattix Dietsch. Reasoning & WritingWell …, p. 26.
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