CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Problem
Language is very important thing in human life. Language can help people
transfer ideas or something which wants to show. Language is a symbol where
someone comes from. Harmer states that language is used widely for
communication between people who do not share the same first (or even
second) language.1 It is the central instrument of all educations because the
language is used to acquire of all knowledge and skills both in spoken and
written form.
Brown says that language is acquired by all people in much the same way
language and learning language both have universal characteristics. 2 It means
that language is important for human because without language, we cannot
interact one to another perfectly. Therefore the language is important for
humans daily lives.
1 Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, (4th Ed) (New York:
Longman, 2007), p.13
2 H.Douglas Brown, Principle of Language Learning and Teaching, (4th Ed) (Sanfransisco,
California: Longman, 2000) , p.5

Learning a language means learning to use that language to communicate both

in form (listening and speaking) and written form (reading and writing). In
Indonesia English is as a foreign language. English is also intensively used in
international communication. English as a foreign language is generally taken
to apply to the

students who are studying general English at school and institute in their own
country or as transitory visitor in target language country.3 It means that,
although English is not used for communication in their daily live. There are
many people learn English. Nowdays, they study English in formal or non
formal, So, it can be concluded that English is important for our life.
In the process of language learning, there are four basic skills that must be
mastered they are listening, speaking, reading, and writing.4 Writing is the last
basic language skill that considered to be the most difficult one and also
writing is more complex than other skills because the writer must have the
ability to express the ideas and it must use an appropriate vocabulary and
accurate grammar. So the readers will be easy to understand the language used
in written communication.

3 Jeremy Harmer, How to Teach Writing (New York: Longman, 2009), p.39
4 Sanggam Siahaan, Issues in Linguistics (Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu, 2008), p.215

Everyone needs language to communicate to anothers. People not only use

spoken language in the form of conversation but also they use written
language. It shows that the acquiring of writing skill plays an important role in
our living, because we always use it for communication. That is the reason
why there are many people need to learn to write in English for occupational
or academic purposes that can support their carrier in the future. For the
reasons, students should master writing skill.
Raimes says that writing is skill in which we express the ideas, feelings, and
thoughts arranged in words, sentences and paragraphs using eyes, braind and
hand5. Thus, writing is basically the process of expressing ideas and thoughts
of the researcher using knowledge of structure and vocabulary to combine the
researchers ideas as means of communication because writing is also not an
easy subject because it is not only transcribing language into written symbol,
but also as thinking process. If the students have mastered these skills, they
will be able to write, not only reading what they write, but also other readers
can understand it.
Learning to write well is a difficult and lengthy process, because it induces
anxiety and frustration for many learners. It causes many students less
motivated to write in English. Most of students regard that writing is a
difficult task. Not all students are ready to write their ideas when they were
5 Ann Raimes, Techniques in Teaching Writing (New York: Oxford University Press, 1983),
p.76.

asked to write, even in the native language. The problem that they face when
they are writing, such as grammatical mistakes, wrong choice of words, and
lacking of vocabulary. Moreover, according to Knapp and watkins , in writing
there are some text types of writing such as describing, explaining,
instructing, arguing, and narrating.6
This research is focus on writing a process, it is procedure text because it is
appropriate based on the materials in English Curriculum for Senior High
School. Procedure text is such as recipes and directions are concerned with
telling someone how to do something. 7 The text function is to describe how
something can be done through a sequence of actions or steps. 8 There are
many example of procedure text such as how to make a sandwich, how to
make a call, how to operate the computer, and how to make a cup of
coffee. However for procedure text is the process can be based on the
activity that usually used in daily life.

In the fact, when the students make a procedure text they are not caring
about the specific generic structure. Then, when the students write a

6 Petter Knapp, Genre, Text, Grammar (Sydney:UNSW Press, 2005) , p.10

7 Ibid, p.158
8 Mark Anderson, Kathy Anderson, Text Type in English (South Yarra:Macmillan Education
PTY LTD, 1997), p.50

procedure text there are many students are confused and difficult to start.
although they have get idea on their mind and know what they will write. It
is not surprised if a teacher found the students having difficulty in elaborate
their ideas in written form. For example, the students find trouble in
building a good sentence. The mistake is not only in grammar but also in
choosing suitable vocabulary.
Based on the preliminary research on December, 2014, the researcher gained
some data taken from the English teacher and some of the students there. The
teacher, Hidayati, S.Pd said that the students desire to study English is low
because they said that English is difficult, and also their lack of vocabulary
and did not master grammar well.9
The researcher also interviewed some of students there, one of them is
Ariska, she said that she can not write well and feel confused to express her
idea.10 It can be seen from table 1.1 that there are 194 students at the
eleventh grade and it just 56 students have good writing score.

9 Hidayati. Interview an English Teacher SMAN 16 Bandar lampung , December, 2014.

10 Nika, Interview student SMAN 16 Bandar lampung , December 2014.

Table 1.1
Preliminary Research Data of the Writing Score of the Second Semester of the
Eleventh Grade of SMAN 16 Bandar Lampung
No

Class

Students Score
<76
76
1
XI MIA 1
21
8
2
XI MIA 2
19
10
3
XI MIA 3
22
7
4
XI IIS 1
24
14
5
XI IIS 2
24
10
6
XI IIS 3
28
7
Total
138
56
Percentage
71,13%
28,87%
Source : The Data of English teacher at SMAN 16 Bandar Lampung

Number of
Student
29
29
29
38
34
35
194
100%

From the data above, many students got bad score because their score is under
the criteria of minimum mastery (KKM). KKM in the school is 76.11 There
are 194 students in the eleventh grade, from the table 1.1, there are 56
students got score more than 76 and 138 students got score under 76. It means
that many students still have difficulties in their study of English especially in
writing text and it can be concluded that the students writing skill is still low.
Based on the data of preliminary research above, the researcher found that
the cause of the problem is that as the students writing procedure text ability
is still low. This is because the teacher does not use appropriate way and the

11 Hidayati. Interview an English Teacher SMAN 16 Bandar lampung , December, 2014

students face difficulties to develop the idea in their text and to make the
procedure text. The problems occurred because they are lazy to follow the
lesson and do not pay attention the teachers explanation. Therefore, in this
research the researcher will use a game to help the students problems in
writing process.
The researcher chooses one alternative way for teaching writing, that is
ambiguous picture story game. According to Wright, Betteridge, and Buckby,
game means an activity which is entertaining and engaging often challenging,
and an activity in which the learners play and usually interact with others. 12 It
means that the game can encourage the learners interest and work.
Further, Wright, Betteridge, and Buckby say that games also help the teacher
to create contexts in which the language is useful and meaningful. The
learners want to take a part, and in order to do, so, they must understand what
others are saying or have written, and they must speak or write in order to
express their own point of view or give information. 13

12 Andrew Wright, David Betteridge, Michael Buckby, Games for Language Learning (3rd
ed) (New York:Cambridge University Press, 2006), p.1
13 Ibid, p.2

There are many types of game which is based on their family type within each
of the eight section, such as care and share, do, identify, describe, connect,
order, remember, and create.14 In this research, the researcher uses a game
namely ambiguous picture story game. Ambiguous picture story game is
played to find or draw using ambiguous picture. 15 Ambiguous picture story
game encourage the students to write good, clear and correct writing and also
the ambiguous picture story game included on create family. Moreover in
create, the learner is challenged and invited to make a story, and produce
some other kind of material using their imagination.
From the previous explanation above, the researcher assumes that this game
can achieve the goal of teaching writing especially it can influence students
writing procedure text. Finally, the researcher entitles this research as follows:
the influence of using ambiguous picture story game towards students
procedure text writing ability at the second semester of the eleventh grade of
SMAN 16 Bandar Lampung in academic year 2014/2015.

14 Ibid, p.4-5
15 Ibid, p.66

B. Identification of the Problem

Based on background of the problem above, the researcher identifies the
problem as follows :
1. The students writing procedure text is still low.
2. The students find difficulties to develop and to express the idea in making
writing procedure text.
3. The students find difficulties in arranging good text, in terms of content,
organization, vocabulary, language, and mechanics.

C. Limitation of the Problem

In this research the researcher will focus only on the influence of using
ambiguous picture story game on the students procedure text writing ability.
D. Formulation of the Problem
Based on identification and limitation of the problem above, the researcher
formulates problem: Is There Any Significant Influence of Using Ambiguous
Picture Story Game Towards The Students Procedure Text Writing Ability?
E. Objective of the Research
The objective of this research is to find out whether there is significant
influence of using Ambiguous Picture Story Game towards the students
procedure text writing ability.
F. Uses of the Research
The uses of the research are:
1. Theoretical contribution, to give information for the English teachers
about the influence of using ambiguous picture story game towards the

10

students procedure text writing ability, and also to give information for
further research.
2. Practical contribution, to give motivation to the students in learning
English especially in writing skill.

G. Scopes of the Research

1. Subject of the Research
The subjects of the research is the students at the second semester of eleventh
grade of SMAN 16 Bandar Lampung.
2. Object of the Reseacrh
The object of the research is the students writing skill in procedure text and
the use of ambiguous picture story game.
3. Place of the Research
The place of the research will be conducted at SMAN 16 Bandar Lampung.
4. Time of the Research
The research will be conducted at the second semester in 2014/2015 academic
year.