IMPROVING WRITING ABILITY OF SEVENTH GRADE OF

SMPN 3 SATU ATAP TOBA KABUPATEN SANGGAU IN

WRITING RECOUNT TEXTS THROUGH TBLT-FISHING
ACTIVITY

CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH

BY

ASPIANDI
NIP. 19810104 201001 1 012

PEMERINTAH KABUPATEN SANGGAU

DINAS PENDIDIKAN, PEMUDA DAN OLAHRAGA
SMPN 3 SATAP TOBA KABUPATEN SANGGAU
2015
 Abstract

This study sought to find out whether by using everyday activity can improve
writing ability. Remote area students are the participant. It is Action Research.
The data was derived from direct observation and writing tests. The findings
revealed that the students can improve their writing ability. It can be seen from the
improvement of the test. Before the treatment, Group Bagan got 6,26 and Group
Asam got 6,25, after the treatment Group Bagan got 7,3 and Group Asam got
7,33. Moreover, The feedbacks from the students showed that they were happy
with the activity outside the classroom. Teachers are recommended to apply this
approach in their teaching activity to engage students in an academic atmosphere
of interaction outside the classroom.

Keywords: writing ability, recount texts, TBLT, fishing activity

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover ..........................................................................................................
Abstract ......................................................................................................
Table of contents ........................................................................................
Statement of authorship ..............................................................................
Preface .......................................................................................................
Chapter I : INTRODUCTION
Chapter II : LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Classroom action research
2.2 Writing
2.3 Recount
2.4 Task based language teaching
Chapter III : METHODOLOGY
3.1 Participant
3.2 Participant characteristics
3.3 Procedure and timeline of the study
3.4 Data collection and analysis
Chapter IV : RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Finding
4.2 Discussion
Chapter V : CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusion ........................................................
5.2 Suggestions ......................................................
References ..................................................................................................
Appendices ..........................................................................................................
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Writing is one of the four language skills that play a very important role
in the teaching of English. However, the ability of the Seventh Grade students of
SMPN 3 Satap Toba in writing is still unsatisfactory. The students get difficulties
in finding and generating ideas. They feel confused to start their writing.
Moreover, the students have low motivation and seem uninterested in writing.
Based on the observation, this condition went on also in SMPN 3 Satap Toba.
SMPN 3 Satap Toba is one of the state junior high school that is located in remote
area. To reach the place everybody must use small boat. Thus, the sources like
references books, internet, and English club can not be found in it.
Researcher observed the ways learners learn the English. Most of
students apply commercial textbooks to study writing. The students do not want to
write because the topic or theme in the existing textbook was unfamiliar to them.
But, because the educational system forces them to write, hence, students write
based on the demand, not because they want to write. It is easier to students to
write the topics that they understand or they experienced before. In this study, the
researcher utilizes students experience as the topic for the writing skill in the
class. Students are ordered to do their real activity. Fishing is a common activity
done by students after back from school.
One of the common approach applied by teachers is Task-Based
Language Teaching (TBLT). Richards & Rodgers (2003: 223) define TBLT
refers to an approach based on the use of tasks as the core unit of planning and
instruction in language teaching. Various tasks can be applied in the classroom. In
remote area, the tasks can be appied are very limited. They can not do the tasks
related to internet. Students everyday activities or experiences can be a good task
to be applied in the school in remote area.
Research finding, Calvert (2015) claims that Task-based Language
Teaching can improve teaching and learning process. This is one of the solution
for the writing ability. The students can involved actively in the process.
Nepravishta (2014) highlights that Task-Based Language Teaching is useful to be
applied to improve students skill in English. Drawing form the above findings,
Task-Based Language Teaching can be one of good approach that can be applied
in the classroom. It has good impact to learning activity in the classroom.
The present study purposes is to find out whether or not task-based
language teaching fishing activity can improve students writing ability. It is
conducted in SMP Negeri 3 Satap Toba. It is one of the government remote area
school in Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan. To the identified problem above,
the present research is conducted to be the solution for teaching writing.
 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Classroom Action Research

This study utilizes classroom action research. Action research design
are systematic procedures done by teachers (or other individuals in an
educational setting) to gather information about, and subsequently improve,
the ways their particular educational setting operates, their teaching, and their
students learning (Mills cited in Creswell, 2012: 577). This study applies
classroom action research because the researcher found that the activities in
the writing class is not active, students were difficult to start to writing.
Therefore, in this study the researcher intends to overcome the problem face
by the students through their real activities after school.
2.2 Writing
Many students are difficult when they start to write. They are
confused to make words become a sentence in English. Hyland (2009: 86)
claims Texts are never completely individual, they always relate to a social
context and to other texts. It means that teacher must know the social context
of the students. Teacher also must notice the students ability in writing the
sentences and connect the sentences with others in the paragraph. Students
are difficult to write. It is because writing for most of us only happens to any
significant extent as part of formal education (McDonough & Shaw, 2005:
154). In other words, students do not want to write if they do not go to school,
or in classroom activity. Students want to write if they are forced by the
teacher to write and get the mark. This is a bad condition that must be
overcame by the teacher. One of the way is to make students enjoy in writing.
McDonough & Shaw (2005: 157) claims Sometimes students are
simply invited to write on a personal topic their hobbies, what they did on
holiday, interesting experiences and the like. Students have various activities
after back from school. Those activities can be a good topic to write by the
 students. Many teachers teach writing merely based on a textbook. By
modifying an interesting topic is important. The main purpose is how the
teacher can make students enjoy to write without forcing them to write that
they do not want to write. The existing textbooks are standards. They can be
used by all students in Indonesia. Thus, one textbook can not be covered what
students really need in writing activity (McGrath, 2002: 80).
2.3 Recount
2.3.1 General features of recount
Social purpose of recounts is tell what happened. The purpose of
a factual recount is to document a series of events and evaluate their
significance in some way. The purpose of the literary or story recount has
expressions of attitude and feeling, usually made by the narrator about the
events. Structure of recounts are organised to include (Hyland, 2009: 87):
a. An orientation providing information about who, where, where,
and when
b. A record of events usually recounted in chronological order;
c. Personal comments and/or evaluative remarks, which are interspersed
throughout the record of events;
d. A reorientation, which round off the sequence of events.

2.3.2 Grammar

Hyland (2009: 88) classifies common grammatical patterns of a

recount include:
a. Use of nouns and pronouns to identity people, animals or things
involved;
b. Use of action verbs to refer to events;
c. Use of past tense to locate events in relation to speakers or writers
time;
d. Use of conjunctions and time connectives to sequence the events;
e. Use of adverbs and adverbial phrases to indicate place and time;
f. Use of adjectives to describe nouns

2.4 Task-Based language teaching (TBLT)

Fishing activity in this study is one of the Task-Based Language

Teaching approach that applied to the students. Task-Based Language
Teaching (TBLT) refers to an approach based on the use of tasks as the core
of planning instruction in language teaching (Richard and Rodgers, 2003:
223). There are some important points in the TBLT; the focus is on the
process rather than product; the activities emphasize on communication and
meaning; and real life activities. Fishing is one of favorite activities after
school. Students do fishing because they want to get a fresh fish for food and
enjoying their life with sitting near the river. The process, communication and
real life activity are included in the fishing activity.
According to Richard and Rodgers (2003: 238) for example, there
are three role-play task. They are (1) pretask activities, (2) task activities, and
(3) posttask activities. Every task has functions, in the pretask activities,
learners first take part in a preliminary activity that introduces the topic, the
situation, and the script that will subsequently appear in the role-play task. In
the task activity learners performa role play. Students work in pairs with a
task and cues needed to negotiate the task. In posttask activity, learners listen
to recordings of native speakers performing the same role-play task they have
just practiced and compare differences between the way particulat functions
and meanings and the way native speakers performed.
 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not the use of a

TBLT-Fishing activity approach to writing instruction would demonstrate an
improvement in the student writing samples of Seventh Grade English language
learners. Using classroom action research, student writing performance was
compared from pretest to posttest (after treatment).
3.1 Participant
Nine Year 7 students (all males students) were chosen in this study
and two English language teachers as the researchers collaborators. They are
Yohanes Sunyan, S.Pd (SMPN 1 Toba) and Ermina Toliang, S.Hum (SMPN
4 Toba). The collaborators are English language teacher in one region but in
different schools in Toba district.
3.2 Participant characteristics

Table 1: Seventh Grader Students

No Students Sex Age

1 Aria Fransisko Doni Male 13
2 Fiktorinus Angga Male 13
3 Hubertus Thomi Male 15
4 Kristian Hendy Delitiono Male 13
5 Marselius Ahong Male 13
6 Paulinus Sinto Male 14
7 Victorius Andus Male 13
8 Yongki Junianto Male 14
9 Alek Sander Male 16

3.3 Procedure and timeline of the study

Riels (2010) action research cycle of study and plan - take action - collect
and analyze evidence-reflect are used in this study. Phase of the TBLT are
adapted from Richard and Rodgers (2003: 238): pretask activities, task
activities, and posttask activities. The timetable of activities related to the
interface is displayed in Table 2.
Table 2: Timeline of the study (2 Months)

Phase 1 Weeks Activities and tasks

Study and plan 1 Course orientation and introduction

Take action 2 Activities

Collect and analysed Collaborative tasks and peer review

3
evidence
Reflect 4 Discussion and reflection

Phase 2 Weeks Activities and tasks

Study and re-plan 5 Orientation: group planning and discussion

Taking pictures
Take action: data 6 Facilitating group discussion: selection of
collection
pictures relevant.
Analyis 6 Selecting, contextualizing

7 Reflection and dialog,

Reflection
documenting the stories: photo-narratives
Sharing of photo narratives, reflection,
Class exhibit 8 discussion on participant perception on
fishing activity

Before the task given to the students, the explanation of recount text and the
simple past tense has explained in the beginning of the teaching. So that,
students can focus to their tasks outside the classroom.
Here are the procedures of the TBLK which is adapted from Richard
& Rodgers (2003: 238). They are:
1. Pretask activities:
Introduction to topic and task. Teacher helps students to understand
the topic and the objective of the task. The topic is personal
experience. The objective is students are hoped to be able to apply
simple past tense to their real activities through narrative writing.
Teacher gives the words and phrases that can be used in the activity.
 2. Task activities:
The task is done by students (in group) outside the classroom. The
task is students do fishing activity, then they write the activity on
their writing book.
Teacher observes the activity.
3. Posttask activities:
Teacher explains about the task. Teacher also corrects the answer
and gives the mark.
3.4 Data collection and analysis
The data collection of this study are from direct observation and the
result of the writing tests. This study is analyzed using qualitative and
quantitative approach. The researcher observes and writes the students
actvity in observation lists. The data is analyzed qualitatively. Final activity is
writing test. Students write their activities in writing books and the result of
the test determine the quality of the teaching method. Writing test is analyzed
by quantitative approach.
 CHAPTER IV
RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION

This study was conducted in Year 7 students of SMP Negeri 3 Satap

Toba in academic year 2014/2015, semester two. Nine students were the
participant in the study (See Table 1). This study was conducted in two months.
From the direct observation of the students, it was found that they enjoyed to do
fishing activity. The students could accomplish all practices and activities given
by the teacher.
Figure 1: Fishing activity

4.1 Finding
Phase 1
Study and plan. In this phase, teacher gives the introduction the tasks that
they must complete. The class was devided into two groups (See Table 3).
They were Group Bagan and Group Asam. Group Bagan consists of 5
students and Group Asam consists of 4 students. The aim in grouping the
students was to make the task easier to do. It was because the task was
done outside the classroom. It was fishing in the Labai river (See Figure
1). Labai is the name of the river in the village. Students are very common
with the fishing and Labai river. Thus, it is not difficult to arrange their
activity. Students were arranged in group, but every students must write
for theirself.
 Table 3: Studemts Group

No Group Bagan Group Asam

1. Aria Fransisko Doni Paulinus Sinto

2. Fiktorinus Angga Victorius Andus
3. Hubertus Thomi Yongki Junianto
4. Kristian Hendy Delitiono Alek sander
5. Marselius Ahong

Take action. After students were ready with the task. Students did the task
in their group. In the activity, students went to the place where they could
do fishing, they brought the books and took the picture as the proof that
they did the activity. Students wrote the words they used in the fishing
activity. They wrote all the activities they did during the fishing. They
wrote many sentences based on their experience in the activity.
Collect and analysed evidence. After the students back from the fishing
activity, They did collaborative tasks and reflection. They discussed the
resut of the fishing activity (Figure 2). In collaborative tasks, students
discussed about the sentences and the activity they did and for the
reflection, they discussed the activity with their friend and teacher.
Reflect. In this phase, students discussed the result of their activity and
reftected it. Teacher reflected the whole activity. Based on the reflection,
the activity must be repeated because the students had not got the impact
and it had not satisfied the teacher.
Figure 2: Students discussion
 Phase 2
The researcher found that the fishing activity have not achieved the goal.
Many students can not write the sentences based on their fishing activity.
Thus, it continues to phase 2. Here, students are intensively explained about
the recount text, simple past tense, and how to write the sentences.
Study and re-plan. Teacher explained again the procedures of TBLK-fishing
activity. This activity was done after school. They must go to the river with
their group. Each students wrote the sentences based on what happened in the
activity. Students could ask the teacher about the role of the activity.
Take action: Every group must brought private camera. It could be a camera
phone. They could take many pictures in different angel.
Analysis. Students chose the best pictures, and it could be the pictures that
could be submitted to the teacher. Base on the pictures, students wrote
sentences based on simple past tense.
Reflection. In this activity, classroom was the place for students and teacher
to reflect the activity. Teacher gave comments about the students task in
fishing activity. The pictures were displayed by the students and became one
narrative story that could be told by the students.
Class exhibit. The two group shared their pictures each other. Every student
could ask or told about their experience in fishing activity. Then, the
sentences and the pictures were marked by the teacher.
Test result
The test was done after students completed the fishing activity in class
exhibit.
 Table 4: The result of students writing test (Before Treatment)

No Group Bagan Result Group Asam Result

1. Aria Fransisko Doni 6,5 Paulinus Sinto 6,2

2. Fiktorinus Angga 6,1 Victorius Andus 6,3

3. Hubertus Thomi 6,1 Yongki Junianto 6,3

4. Kristian Hendy Delitiono 6,2 Alek sander 6,2

5. Marselius Ahong 6,4

Average 6,26 Average 6,25

Table 5: The result of students test based on TBLK-Fishing (After Treatment)

No Group Bagan Result Group Asam Result

1. Aria Fransisko Doni 7,5 Paulinus Sinto 7,3

2. Fiktorinus Angga 7,2 Victorius Andus 7,4

3. Hubertus Thomi 7,1 Yongki Junianto 7,4

4. Kristian Hendy Delitiono 7,3 Alek sander 7,2

5. Marselius Ahong 7,4

Average 7,3 Average 7,33

From the result of the activity and writing test, the researcher can conclude form
the test that the students get before (Table 4) and after (Table 5) the treatment.
Before the treatment, students did not get good marks, and even they were
difficult to write. But, after the treatment, students in group could do the tasks
very good, even they were motivated to study English. All students get good
impact from the activity. Their writing skill is improved, it is proved from the
result of the test (See Figure 3 and Figure 4). Therefore, This fishing activity is
good activity to improve their writing skill.
 Figure 3. Tests result (Group Bagan)

8
6
4
Test 1 (Before)
2
Test 2 (After)
0
Aria F.D Fiktorius. H. Tomi K.Hendi.D M. Ahong
A

Figure 4. Tests result (Group Asam)

7,5

6,5 Test 1 (Before)

6 Test 2 (After)

5,5
Paulinus. S V. Andus Yongki. J Alek Sander

4.2 Discussion

There are many approaches to teach students. Teacher can choose

the suitable approach to the students condition and needs. TBLK which is
proposed in Richard and Rodgers (2003: 238) can become one of the
approach that can be utilized in the classroom. Present research found that
TBLK based on fishing activity is one of the approach that can be applied to
improve students writing ability in SMPN 3 Satap Toba. It can be seen in
Figure 3 and Figure 4. Students got better marks in writing activity after the
treatment.
It is important to make students enjoy to study. If the students enjoy,
at least, they get good atmosphere to start writing. This present study applied
one of the approach that relate students to their real activity. This study also
strengthens McDonough & Shaw (2005: 157) claims that sometimes students
are simply invited to write on a personal topic their hobbies, what they did
on holiday, interesting experiences and the like. If teacher can arrange
students personal experience become a good material for writing, it can
make an enjoyful learning, and good impact on improvement of the writing
ability will be reached.
These findings are consistent with those of earlier studies (Calvert:
2015 and Nepravishta: 2014) which considered how TBLK can improve
students writing ability to write. These findings also bring forward that the
writing activity can not only through classroom activity but also can be
outside the classroom.
The generally positive reflections and feedbacks from participants
regarding the TBLK fishing activity were supported by their active
engagement. Happiness is the first expression when the students begin to do
the activity. The dynamic interaction within the students become a stepping
stone to active engagement, which, in the class, lead to an improvement of
language skills especially for writing.
 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

5.1 Conclusion
From the findings above, it can be concluded that the students real
activity can be a good approach to teach writing skill. The students can learn
writing skill easily based on their everyday activity like fishing. TBLT
approach can be modified based on the condition, in this study TBLT is
modified based on the students condition in remote area. The goal is specific
for the writing and the uses of simple past tense.
5.2 Suggestions
In order to get a better research in the future, the writer would like to
give suggestions based on the problem the writer found in the field. The
sugestions as follow:
To teacher. Teacher should know what their real students condition. If
the facilities are not supported learning activities, teacher can seek
another approach to teach writing. Students real activities can be a good
alternative to be used. Applying this study, teacher must be active to
make the activity enjoyful for the students.
To researcher. For future research, it can be interesting if this approach
apply in large class.
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Ariana Nepravishta, E. R. (2014). "The impact of Task-based language

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Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research; planning, conducting and
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Hyland, K. (2009). Teaching and researching writing. Pearson: Pearson
education limited.
Jack C Richards, T. S. R. (2003). Approaches and Methods in Language
Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
McDonough, J. and Shaw, C (2005). Materials and methods in ELT: A
teachers guide. Blackwell Publishing.
McGrath, I. (2002). Materials evaluation and design for language teaching.
Edinburgh University Press.
Megan Calvert, Y. S. (2015). "Task-based language learning and teaching: An
action-research study." Language Teaching Research SAGE 19(2):
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Riel, M. (2010). Understanding action research. Center For Collaborative Action
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 APPENDICES

Picture 1 Students Transportation to School

Picture 2 Class Dicussion