CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Writing is a complex activity and it is very important for our life. By
writing skill, students can present their ideas and also express their feelings. Islam
and Zemach (2000:5) state that writing is an important form of communication in
day to day life, students can find challenges to find ideas to include in their
writing. Also, writing helps the students communicate with each other in their
daily life indirectly. According to Chastain (2000:363) the ability to write is
recognized in society and in the school as an important objective of language
study. Writing as one of four major skills that we need to give a special attention
and taught to the students in learning English.
Writing is one of the communication tools, so mastering the writing skill is
very important to enable the learners communicate their ideas with the reader in
written form. So, it is needed in school environment not only as tool for
transfering the knowledge from teacher to the students and students to one
another but also as one of English skills that should be learned by students,
besides other skills like reading, speaking and listening. Everyone admits that
writing is a difficult subject, but it is very important for the students to learn. So,
the teacher should give serious and special attention to every student. Good
writing in English requires both good mastery of structures and organization.
Students should master the basic components of writing. Students should master
the grammar, vocabulary, using punctuation, and good organization.
Porter (2007:1) states that the use of vocabulary helps you understand the
words, remember them more easily, and use them correctly. Good grammar means
that students should be able to use their grammar and improve their style. And
1

good organization means students can organize their ideas into a good paragraph.
Duigu (2002:6) states that in order to be able to write good essays, first we make
sure that we understand the purpose of the task. If we have understood about what
we would write, so it is more easier to start our writing and generate our ideas into
a good paragraph, also the reader will easier to understand about what the
information that we would inform to them.
Actually, in teaching learning process especially for students of SMPN 3
Amlapura still have problem in writing, such as the students do not know how to
start the writing, they could not generate their ideas, probably they understood
what they should do but they could not generate it into written form, they could
not make a good sentence, they are still confused when they are asked to organize
words into a good sentence or organize sentences into a good paragraph.
The problem occurred because of some factors, they were less students
motivation in learning English writing and school environment was noisy so
students concentration was disturbed when they were learning writing, teacher
professionalism was not too high in handling lazy students and they were lack in
mastering grammar. When teacher asked the students to write a sentence, some
students could not make a sentence correctly. Students were lack in mastering
vocabulary. The lack of vocabularies could be seen when the teacher asked them
to make a sentence or paragraph and they dont understand the meaning of their
sentence or paragraph. The last, in teaching learning process teacher still used
teacher centred method so it made students lazy to concentrate and write their
ideas based on the material so the teacher would be more active than the students.
Based on the difficulties that were faced by the eighth grade students of
SMPN 3 Amlapura. The researcher would solve it and find the best technique to
improve the students writing skill. One of the ways to make the teaching writing

more effective is making the students active and creative in classroom. The
researcher used scrambled sentences to improve the students writing skill. Based
on LarsenFreeman (2000:133) scrambled sentences are part of communicative
language teaching activity and it is usually used by the teacher in classroom.
Teacher asks the students to unscramble the lines of mixed-up dialogue or asks the
students to put the pictures of a picture strip story in right order and write lines to
accompany the pictures. Also, scrambled sentences were one of other activities
that were used to improve students writing skill where students were given some
sentences with scrambled order and they organize the sentences into a good order
and they make a good paragraph based on the sentences.
Therefore, in accordance with the fact above, the writer is highly
motivated to use scrambled sentences in teaching writing in order to help the
students of SMPN 3 Amlapura in academic year 2013/2014 improve their writing
skill.

1.2 Research Problem

Considering the importance of the statement and fact above, students still
have problem in writing skill. So, the research question can be formulated as
follows : to what extent can the writing skill of the eighth grade students E of
SMPN 3 Amlapura in academic year 2013/2014 be improved using scrambled
sentences?

1.3 Objective of the Study

To be able to answer the statement of research question above, the
objective of study is to find out whether writing skill of the students of SMPN 3

Amlapura can be improved by using scrambled sentences. The study was also
conducted to know the students motivation during the technique is applied.

1.4 Limitation of the study

The discussion of writing paragraph is too broad and complicated in single
converage of the study. So, the variable of the study must be restricted.To avoid
understanding among the readers so the discussion of study only limited on the
improving recount paragraph writing skill by using scrambled sentences to the
eighth grade studentsof SMPN 3 Amlapura in academic year 2013/2014.
1.5 Significance of the study
The findings of the present study are expected to use both theoretical and
practical significance, as follows :
1. Theoritically, the findings of this research will be able to be reference
for the similar research about improving recount paragraph writing
skill by using scrambled sentences.
2. Practically, the findings of this research meant to provide educational
feedback to English teacher, the eighth grade students, and the school.
a. For the teachers, this research will be benefit as a feedback. The
findings of the presents study are meant to provide educational
feedback to English teacher. This research also as an input data
for the English teachers about using scrambled sentences in the
classroom and the importance of writing recount paragraph in
teaching English.
b. For students, this research will be benefit to motivate students to
improve their recount paragraph writing skill. It is expected that
this study will contribute or would be any value to other students
in conducting further research of the similar topic.

c. This research will be benefit for the school in renewal of

credibility to school in developing of accreditation.

1.6 Definition of Key Term

In order to avoid misunderstanding or confusing on the part of the reader,
some operation definitions of the term use in this study will be clarified as
follows:
1. Writing is an activity that is need a thought to express an idea into
written form. According to Richards and Schmidt (2002:54-55) writing
is expressing idea, concept, feeling, opinion and experience in certain
place, time and situation in written form.
2. Scrambled sentences is an activity where the teacher gives some
sentences with scramble order to the students and they rearrange or
unscramble the sentences into a good order. Then, they make a
paragraph based on sentences.
3. SMPN 3 Amlapura is a government junior high school which is located

at Banjar Tenggang, Seraya Karangasem Regency.