CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background
Language is an important way of interacting with the people around
us. We use language to let others know how we feel, what we need, and how
to share our ideas and thought. Through language, we can connect with other
people and make sense of our experiences.
English is one of the most common languages spoken everywhere.
With the help of developing technology, English has been playing a major
role in many sectors including medicine, engineering, and education.
One of the language skills is writing that needs to master by the
students. By mastering writing skill, students can improve and express their
ideas into written form. Writing skill is important to learn by students.
According to Suyanto, Kasihani K. E. (2007:69), Keterampilan menulis
memang perlu untuk dipelajari sebab keterampilan ini merupakan bagian
penting dalam pembelajaran bahasa dan akan bermanfaat bagi siswa. It
means that writing skills needs to learn since it is an important part in
learning language and it will be useful for students.
According to Chanderasegaran (2010:81) as quoted by Tuan, Luu
Trong, A problem to be expected in the writing classroom is that some
students take much longer than others to write the required parts of the essay.
Many never finish their writing in class." In teaching learning, the teacher

should be able to create an interesting and effective learning process to

achieve the learning objective.
Instructional media is very important in teaching learning process
beacuse it can ease to give the material to the students. According to Geriach
& Ely as quoted by Arsyad, Azhar (2011:3), Media apabila dipahami
secara garis besar adalah manusia, materi, atau kejadian yang membangun
kondisi

yang

membuat

siswa

mampu

memperoleh

pengetahuan,

keterampilan, atau sikap. It means the media in general meaning are,

human, material or events that establish conditions enabling the students to
acquire the knowledge, skills, or attitudes. Therefore , the writer chooses the
instructional media to solve writing problem. From all of the instructional
media, the writer chooses realia as the instructional media.
The students in junior high school learn text with every genre. One of
the genres is descriptive text which tells or describes object, place, and
person. Descriptive text purposes to know and understand what the author
writes about the description of something or someone. According to Djuharie,
Otong

Setiawan

(2007:24),

Teks

Description

bertujuan

untuk

menggambarkan seseorang, sesuatu, suatu tempat, seekor binatang. It

means, descriptive text purposes to describe someone, something, a place,
the animal. In other words, descriptive text tells characteristic of someone,
place, or thing.
One of the media to teach descriptive text is using realia. Realia can
help teacher teach the different way and make the student interested in

learning. The student can easily describe what they write. Realia can be
accepted by the student in junior high school. In learning, the students can see
and understand the object which will be learned. Therefore, the writer tries to
use the instructional media to determine the influences on students writing
ability, especially in descriptive text.
According to Janah, Kartika (2011:39), Wallchart can improve the
students writing ability especially in writing descriptive text. The uses
media in learning can increase writing ability in descriptive text.
Based on the explanation above, the writer will conduct the research
in SMPN 3 Tasikmalaya. The strength of this research is this study has never
been

conducted yet especially about teaching writing in SMPN 3

Tasikmalaya using realia as teaching media. So, the writer is interested in

conducting the research, entitled, The Influence of Using Realia on Students
Writing Ability in Descriptive Text (An Experimental Study of the Seventh
Grade at SMPN 3 Tasikmalaya).
B. Formulation of the Problem
In writing this thesis, the writer writer formulates the problem of this
research as follows, Does the use of realia media influence the students
writing ability in descriptive text at seventh grade SMPN 3 Tasikmalaya?

C. Operational of Definitions

To avoid the differences in perception used in this research, the writer

proposes the terms related to the title of the study, as follows :
1. Students writing ability

in descriptive text

A skill of practice thinking, critical

thinking that facilitates comprehension
or perception, which may help teacher
explain ideas, or thoughts that are
poured down on paper, especially
about animal, place, and person by the
students at the seventh grade on
SMPN 3 Tasikmalaya. The data are
obtained from the pre-test and post test
given by the writer.

2. Realia
One of the instructional media in the
form of a real 3-dimensional objects
that

help

students

in

writing

descriptive text. So that students are

interested in writing descriptive text.

D. Aim of the Research

The aim of this research is to determine whether the use of realia
media has a significant influence on students' writing ability in descriptive
text at the seventh grade in SMPN 3 Tasikmalaya.

E. Uses of the Research

1. Theoretical Uses
To provide a source of the scientific information to the reader or
the next researcher on the influence of realia media in teaching writing.
So, it also adds the clear insights of the theory development of teaching
writing.
2. Practical Uses
To provide the information to the teacher about using realia media
on the ability to write English at junior high school.
3. Empirical Uses
To add the experience of the writer in writing the scientific papers
especially using realia media in teaching English at junior high school.
.