The Use of Paired Story Telling in Improving Students Writing Skill

into Narrative Text

Eva Rismaya (29002122)
varisya092@gmail.com
English Language Education Department
Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University

Abstract
This paper is aimed to know improving students writing skill by using Paired
Story Telling technique. This research analyze how the implementation of the
use of Paired Story Telling to improve students skill in writing activity. The
Paired Storytelling is a teaching technique developed as an interactive
approach between students, teachers, and materials. Many advantages by
using this technique encourages cooperation, motivation, and confidence. In
addition, vocabularies can amend for the student.

INTRODUCTION
A. Background of The Study
Writing skill is an important communication of four language in
the world. Besides speaking, writing is used as second tool of
communication for people. They use it in modern communication tools
such as the mobile phone, computer, and laptop to communicate with
other people, do some assignment, chatting, work, business, etc. In
fact, if you want to get a job or profession, you have to able skill of
writing to write proposals and curriculum vitae. Besides that, writing
skill is also need in formal academy or non-formal academy need to
write what they know and understand from the knowledge they get it.

It purposes that they able to read and remember of materials they get
it.
Writing is a one of the four language skills that need to be taught
in the teaching of English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL).
Damaianti (2007:173) stated that writing is a skill that is more
complex and unique in some knowledges and skills. It has meaning
that writing skill needs some knowledge of structure, diction, and
punctuation. The teachers should find a way out to overcome this
condition by applying some techniques that suitable with students
English proficiency so that easy to evolve their ability in writing.
Besides that, the students should have good ability to write in English.
In fact, most students cannot develop their own idea when writing.
There are some factors that hamper their development, such as less
vocabularies that they know or have, less understanding about the
structures or grammar of sentence, and they dont know about the
types of text.
From the problem above, the researcher tries to implement one
of a teaching technique from Cooperative Learning, is small groups of
learners working together as a team to solve a problem, complete a
task, or common goal, (Artz & Newman: 1990). Cooperative Learning
technique is believed as implementation of pedagogic to increase
learning process, awareness of the students who have a different
background capabilities, customization, and needs, social behavior
process, and high level of thinking process.

REVIEW OF RELATED THEORIES

1. Writing
English Club (1997-2015) stated that writing is the process of
using symbols (letters of alphabet, punctuation and spaces) to
communicate thoughts and ideas in readable form. The mean of
process is a composition of alphabets with give punctuation to result
the meanings, so that the people can understand our ideas. Bob
Kerstetter (2013) says that writing connects people across time,
space and culture. The influence of writing, individuals can learn from
yesterday as a history, gain knowledge about information today and
design of planning for tomorrow.
2. Genre-Based Approach
In the teaching world, especially teaching writing in English is
similar about Genre-Based Approach. Many teacher use it to teach to
build up understanding, ability about writing skill. As a teacher or
reader, have you know about the definition of this approach? Here, the
writer tries to describe about Genre-Based Approach.
The word genre comes from the French (and originally Latin)
word, 'kind' or 'class'. The term is widely used in rhetoric, literary
theory, media theory, and more recently linguistics, to refer to a
distinctive type of text. According to Christie (2005: 233), Genre is a
technical term for a particular instance of a text type. In addition,
Nunan (1999: 308) stated:
Genre is a purposeful, socially constructed oral or written
communicative

event,

such

as

narrative,

casual

conversation, a poem, a recipe, or a description. Different

genres are characterized by a particular structure or
stages,

and

grammatical

forms

that

reflect

the

communicative purpose of the genre in question."

In relation to several definitions above, Derewianka (1990) gives
a simple definition of genre, The schematic structure of a text
which helps it to achieve its purpose.
After some definitions that stated by some experts, the
writer can infer that genre is a term for an structure concept and
technique which has purposeful and meaningful, and also has
grammatical forms, step and aimed orientation to create
particular of text according to the situations.
There are some stages of the teaching writing:
a. BKoF (Building Knowledge of Text)
This stage is aim to introduce of the topic will be explain and
the students enable to:
Explore cultural similarities and differences related to the topic
Share experiences relevant to the topic or text
Practice grammatical patterns relevant to the topic or text
Build up and extend vocabulary relevant to the topic or text
In this stage, the students more active to speak and scrutinize.
The teacher asks to students to call whatever they know relevant
about the topic or text.
b. MoT (Modelling of Text)

Classroom tasks and activities at this stage enable the student

to:
Develop an understanding of the social function and purpose

of the text
Develop an understanding of the overall organization and
development of the text, including generic structure and

lexico-grammatical features
c. JCoT (Joint Construction of Text)
Classroom tasks and activities at this stage enable the student
to:
Contribute

the

knowledge

of

the

field

in

the

shared

construction of the text that appropriate with the social

function, generic structure and lexico-grammatical features in
group
d. ICoT (Independent Construction of Text)
Classroom tasks and activities at this stage enable the student
to:
Contribute

the

knowledge

of

the

field

in

the

shared

construction of the text that appropriate with the social

function, generic structure and lexico-grammatical features
individually.
3. Paired Storytelling
Paired Storytelling is one of all of

Cooperative Learning

technique. Paired storytelling is a teaching technique developed as an

interactive approach between students, teachers, and materials,
(Huda, 2015:151). It is suitable for all level of grade. It can be applied
for reading, writing, listening, and speaking teaching. The materials of

descriptive and narrative are suitable for Paired Storytelling technique.

It purposes:
Give students practice with writing skill and using prior

knowledge to make sense of a text

Help with vocabulary development
Provide opportunities for one-to-one interaction and cooperative
learning.
Lie (1993: 656) stated that This approach includes five

characteristics important in teaching students to read in a foreign

language: (a) that students' cultural background plays an important
role in reading comprehension; (b) that L2 (second language) readers
should use the same sorts of skills as effective L1 (first language)
readers do; (c) that reading should be integrated with writing; (d) that
students should be engaged in nonthreatening cooperative contexts;
and (e) that they should have the opportunity to process information
effectively and communicate in the target language (TL).
In this technique, the teacher have to understand students skill
and their experiences. She/he also helps them to activate their skill
and experience so that the materials are meaningful. This technique
makes stimulation to the student to develop of thinking and
imagination skill. The result of their ideas will appreciated and it makes
the student be spirit to learn continually. The Paired Story Telling gives
more opportunities for the student to process information and increase
communication skill.
4. Narrative Text

Narrative comes from the Latin word narre, to make known, to

convey information, provides individuals with a tool for learning and
teaching others about the world. Narrative also defines as a semiotic
representation of a series of events connected in a temporal and
causal way, (Landa: 2005).The specific forms are using of Simple Past
Tense and fictitious story. It is also signed by past event such as: long
time ago, once upon a time, etc. In Abrams (2009:208) opinion,
narrative is a story, whether told in prose or verse, involving events,
characters, and what the characters say and do.

REVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH

The researcher have found some resources that relevant about this
seminar. First, a journal by Dr. Sri Minda Murni, M.S and Prame Kardo
Siambotan about Improving Students Achievement in Speaking through
Paired Storytelling Technique. This journal explained about implementation
Paired Storytelling technique for students of SMA 1 Katolik Sibolga class XI IA
1. The result of the research showed that Paired Storytelling can improve
students speaking achievement.
Second, a thesis by Langgeng Puji Lamuningtyas, English education
department in Muhammadiyah University of Ponorogo. Her thesis title is
The Implementation of Paired Storytelling Technique to Improve the
Students Writing Ability in Descriptive Text at The Eighth Grade of SMPN 1
Babadan Ponorogo in 2011/2012 Lesson Year. In her thesis concluded that

the implementation of Paired Storytelling technique in descriptive text can

improve the students writing ability at SMPN 1 Babadan Ponorogo.
Third, a thesis by Ulil Hidayah in the English education department in
State Institute for Islamic Studies (STAIN) Salatiga. Her thesis title is The
Use

of

Paired

Storytelling

Technique

to

Improve

Students

Reading

Comprehension. In her thesis is concluded that the implementation of

Paired Storytelling technique can help the students to remember the
information and the details of the text and to reconstruct the passage, enrich
their vocabularies, and good connecting the information to another details
with their understanding.

DISCUSSION
The Paired Storytelling has several advantages. First, it gives ESL
(English as Second Language) students the opportunity to converse in the
target language in an informal setting on a one-on-one basis. Because it is a
group endeavor, Paired Storytelling encourages cooperation, motivation, and
confidence. Self-esteem often is impacted positively. Second, verbal use of
the target language improves the students skills in reading and writing the
language. Third, is the contextualized practice with vocabulary that provide.
New words are used in meaningful ways by both partners in each pair. Based
on Sugiyanto (2010: 52) the procedures in Paired Storytelling are:

1. The teacher divides the materials / lesson topic into two parts, called
subtopic.
2. Before the subtopics are given to the students, the teacher introduce
about this topic. It can be written in the whiteboard and ask to the
students what they know about this topic by brainstorming technique.
Alex Osborn (1953) stated that brainstorming is a conference
technique by which a group attempts to find a solution for a specific
problem by amassing all the ideas spontaneously by its members. It
purposes to activate of student ability to ready accept the materials.
3. In this activity, the teacher need to emphasize that the answer given
the student not must be absolute right. The most important, they
readiness to anticipate about the topic will be given by the teacher.
4. The teacher ask the students to form group of pair.
5. The first subtopic is gives to one student in each group, and the second
subtopic is gives to the other student in each pair.
6. As each student reads his/her subtopic, he/she should write down the
main ideas in the order in which they appear in the text. It may be
helpful to limit the number of main points to be recorded for each of
the two subtopics of text.
7. The students in each pair then exchange their lists of key ideas with
their partners. The students are given a few minutes to evaluate
his/her partner's list with respect to the subtopic he/she read and
annotated. At this stage, if a student does not understand an item on
his/her partner's list, the facilitator or partner may define it or use it in
a sentence in the target language.

8. Using his/her partner's list as well as recollections of the subtopic

he/she read, each student composes his/her own version of the missing
section. The student who read the first subtopic predicts what happens
in the end, and the student who read the second subtopic predicts
what happened in the beginning.
9. The partners then read their versions of the missing subtopics to each
other. The facilitator/ teacher also may seek volunteers to read their
versions to the entire class. During this stage, it is important to forbid
teasing or deriding by the other students.
10.
The missing sections are then distributed to the students, who
read it and compare it to their own versions.
11.

The complete story is then discussed within each pair and/or by

the entire class. The former situation is better if students are wary of
speaking in front of others. The facilitator/teacher may move among
the pairs to monitor the discussion.

Example:
Topic :

1. What is the meaning of once

upon a time in Indonesia?
2. What do you know about
once upon a time?

a. Materials
Narrative text is any report of connected events, presented in a
sequence of written or spoken words, and/or in a sequence of
(moving) pictures. The sentence use Past tense form and the plot

of the story is harmonious.

The generic structures of narrative text :
- Orientation (scene set and introduce the actors)
- Complication (the conflict or problem appear in this part)
- Resolution (the conflict or problem can be solve)
Example of text:

THE DUCK AND THE TURTLE

Two ducks who lived in a big lake had a friend who was a turtle. One year there was a

Orientation

very little rain and the lake began to dry up.

One of the ducks said to the other, Soon, therell be no water in this lake. Lets go
and look for lake.
Yes, answered the second duck, But first lets say good bye to our friend, the turtle.
When they told the turtle they were going to leave, he said, Ill die here without any
water and without any friends. Take me with you.
The ducks answered, We cant. We are going to fly, and you have no wings.
The turtle thought for a minute and then said, please wait here.
Then he went away and found a strong, straight stick. He brought it back to his
friends, put the middle of it in his mouth and said, Now if each of you takes me one end
of the stick in his mouth, you can lift me up and carry me with you.
That is dangerous, said the ducks, if you try to talk while were carrying you through
the air, you wont be able to hold the stick, so youll fall down along way and break your
shell.

Complication

All right, answered the turtle, I promise not to talk while were in the air. So the ducks
took the stick and flew away, with the turtle between them.
All went well until they were flying over a town. Then some people saw them and
shouted, Look, those ducks are carrying a cat! The turtle got very angry, A cat? Im
not he said, but he did not get any further, because when he opened his mouth, the
stick came out of his mouth and the poor turtle fell to the ground.

b. Exercises:
1. Mention the stories about the kingdoms and the animals!
2. Write down about the stories that you get in pair!
3. After finish, present your discussion with pair in front of class!

Resolution

CONCLUSION
From the discussion above, the writer can conclude that The
Paired Storytelling technique can increase the student ability of writing
skill

in

narrative

text.

In

addition,

this

technique

encourages

cooperation, motivation, and confidence, also help the student to play

up the vocabularies with brainstorming that is a part of Paired
Storytelling.

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English Club. What is Writing?. English Club Corporation, 1997-2015. Web
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Kerstetter, Bob. What is Writing?. Five primary reasons to write seven
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2013. Web. 15 May 2015.

Lie, Anita. Paired Storytelling: An Integrated Approach for Bilingual and

English as a Second Language Students. Texas: Reading report
(1994): 2-4. Journal Article. Print.
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