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THE NINETH YEAR STUDENTS’DIFFICULTIES IN USING DEGREE OF
COMPARISON AT SMP BINA KARYA PALEMBANG
1. Background
English is an international language. It is spoken by millions of people in five
continents.As an international language,English plays an important role in worldwide
communication,sciense and technology.In Indonesia,English is taught as a
compulsory subject from the first year of junior high school up to university level
According to saleh (1997:2)
English has been chosen as the first foreign language to be taught as a compulsory subject from the first year of junior high school up to the first year college.The national education act number 2 of 1989 of the republic of indonesia even states that,English may be taught at primary school beginning from the fourth grade.As a matter of fact,the language is regarded very useful in Indonesia
Learning English means learning the four language skills (listening, speaking,
reading, and writing) and the language aspects,such as grammar, vocabulary,
pronunciation, etc. Listening concerned with understanding spoken language;
speaking refers to expressing oneself orally, reading is the interaction between a
writer and a reader through printed language, writing is concerned with expressing
oneself by using written language .Grammar refers to the rules of forming words and
making sentences; vocabulary is a total number of words in a language and
pronunciation is the in which a word is spoken.
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Grammar is important for indonesian students to master because grammar is
a valuable tool for expressing one’s ideas in correct sentences of utterance.
Indonesian students often find it difficult to learn English grammar because English
has its own grammatical system which is quiet different from that of indonesian. One
grammatical item which may be difficult for indonesian students to learn is degrees of
comparison. Degree of comparison are form of adjectives or adverbs, which compare
persons or things which possess more less of certain quality.
For example:
Positive : Sopy is five years old,Reni is seven years old,yanti is ten years old.
Comparative : Sopy is younger than Reni;Reni is older than Sopy
Superlative : Yanti is the oldest of them.
Some student would write: Edy is tall than Edo,and Benny is the clever student in the
class.They should write Edy is taller than Edo,and Benny is the cleverst student in the
class
Based on the descripction above,the writer would like to conduct a reseach
entitled”The nineth year students’ difficulties in using degree of comparison at SMP
Bina karya Palembang”.The writer would try to find out the studens’difficulties and
the causes of the difficulties in using degree of comparison at SMP Bina Karya
Palembang.The writer chooses to conduct this reseach at SMP Bina Karya Palembang
because SMP Bina Karya Palembang is near the writer’s house.
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2. Problems of the study
The problems of the study are formulated into the following question:(1) what
are the students’ difficulties in using “degree of comparison” in adjective at SMP
Bina Karya Palembang and (2) what are the causes of the difficulties?
2.1 Limitation of the problems
The topic disscussed in this study is limited to the following disscussion.The
students difficulties in using”degree of comparison” in adjective at SMP Bina Karya
Palembang?
3. Objectives of the study
Based on the problem above,the objectives of the study are: (1)to find out the
students’ Difficulties in using “degree of comparison” in adjectives and (2) to find out
the causes of the students’ difficulties in using “degree of comparison” in adjectives
at SMP Bina Karya Palembang
4. Significance of the study
Based on the problems above the writer tries to the give the significance of
writng this thesis,the significance are:
4.1 To the writer;
For the prospective teacher,this thesis makes the writer able to master and
develop the way of teaching degree of comparison.
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4.2 To the teacher and students :
It is hoped that this study gives benefits to the students,teacher and other
person in teaching,in other words,the finding of the study is expected to give the
contribution to the teaching of English degree of comparison at SMP level,especially
Bina Karya Palembang.
4.3 To the readers or other researchs:
This thesis is expected to be used as a source of information for further
researchs.
5. Literature review
This part disscussed (1) the concept of degree of comparison,(2) the concept of
using degree of comparison in adjective, (3) the concept of students possible
difficulties in using degree of comparison in adjective at SMP Bina Karya
Palembang, (4) The concept of possible causes of the difficulties and (5) Previous
related studies.
5.1 The concept degree of comparison
Degree of comparison refers to the process of comparing or presenting one
thing or person as familiar or like other and comparing two or more item to establish
similarities,in which there is modification of an adjective or an adverb to denote
diffirent level of quantity of relation and quality (Alexander 1989)
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5.2 The concept of using degree of comparison in adjective.
According to Aronson (1984:85), there are three degree of comparison of
adjectives;(a) Positive degree (b) Comparative degree and (c) Superlative degree
(a) Positive degree
Positive degree is used when one compares two people or things,and they have
the sameness in certain quality
For example:
- Your house as big as my house
- He is as old as I
(b) Comparative degree
Comparative degree is used to indicate that a person or thing has greater degree of
quality of another
For example :
- Your house is much better than his house
- He is older than you
(c) Superlative degree
Superlative degree is used to indicate that a person or things has the highest
degree of quality of the other
For example:
- You’re the house is the best of all
- The girl is the cleverest of her friends
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The way in which most adjective form their comparative and superlatives are
as follows (Azar 1984:35)
a. For adjectives of one syllable,add “er”to the adjectives to form comparative and
“est” to the adjectives to form superlatives
Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning
Fast Faster than The fastest Cepat
Loud Louder than The loudest Nyaring
Low Lower than The lowest Rendah
Old Older than The oldest Tua
Cheap Cheaper than The cheapest Murah
b. When the positive end in “-e” only “-r and st” are added
Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning
Wide Wider than The widest Lebar
Wise Wiser than The wisest Bijaksana
Nice Nicer than The nisest Baik
Brave Braver than The bravest Berani
Complete Completer than The completest Lengkap
c. When the positive end in”y”and there is a consonant before the “y” is changed
into “I”before ending “-er” and “-est”
Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning
Easy Easier than The easiest Mudah
Friendly Friendlier than The friendliest Bersahabat
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Angry Angrier than The angriest Marah
Hungry Hungrier than The hungriest Lapar
Happy Happier than The happiest Bahagia
d. When the positive are words of one syllable and end in a single consonant, and
there is a short vowel before the consonant, this consonant is double before
adding “-“-er” and “-est”
Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning
Hot Hotter than The hottest Panas
Fat Fatter than The fattesst Gemuk
Thin Thinner than The thinnest Kurus
Big Bigger than The biggest Besar
Wet Wetter than The wettest Basah
e. For two syllable adjectives ending in “-ble” and “-ple”add only “-r”
Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning
Noble Nobler than The noblest Mulia
Able Abler than The ablest Sanggup
Gentle Gentler than The gentlest Ramah tamah
Simple Simpler than The simplest Sederhana
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f. For two syllable adjectives ending in”-ous”,”-ish”,”-ful”,”-ed” and “-less”,place
“-more”and “-most” before the adjectives
Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning
Famous More famous Most famous Termahsyur
Nervous More nervous Most nervous Gugup
Charming More charming Most charming Menarik
Modest More modest Most modest Rendah hati
Splendid More splendid Most splendid Hebat
g. For adjectives of three or more syllables place”More”and”Most”before the
adjectives
Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning
Difficult More difficult Most difficult Sulit
Dilligent More Dilligent Most dilligent Rajin
Careful More careful Most careful Hati-hati
Careless More careless Most careless Ceroboh
Different More different Most different Berbede
(h). some adjectives have irregular comparatives and superlatives
Positive Comparative Superlative Meaning
A few Less than The least sedikit
Old Older than, elder than The oldest,the eldest Tua
Far Farther than, Further The farthest, The Jauh, jauh,
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than furthest lanjut
Bad,ill,evil Worse than The worst Buruk
Much More than The most Banyak
The comparatives degree of adjectives can be used to least for mthree
different porpuses Hornby, 1975:223-225, Swan, 1980:144-147. Thomson and
martinet, 1980:16-17
According to Hornby (1975:223-225) the use comparatives degree of adjectives they
are :
To compare two things
For example:
- Sopy is younger than Reni
- Your accent is worse than mine
According to Swan (1980:144-147)the use comparatives degree of adjectives they
are:
To say that two changes happen together
For example:
- The bigger the house is,the better it will be
- The older I get, the happier I am
According to Thomson and martinet (1980:16-17) the use comparatives degree of
adjectives they are:
Two express an idea of continuing change
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For example:
- She is getting fatter and fatter
- The weather is getting colder and colder
The superlatives degree of adjectives is used to compare one group with the
highest degree of quality to the other group.for example:
- Your are the biggest of all our friends
- Her farther is the wisest man of the people here
5.3 Students’ possible difficulties in using degree of comparison in adjective
The student possible difficulties in using degree of comparison are as follows
1. The students may have difficulties in using the correct forms of comparative and
superlative
For example:
Incorrect form Correct form
- The lab is more far from the bus
stop the library
- The lab is farther from the bus stop
than the library
- Eddy typed the slowliest of them - Eddy typed the most slowly of them
5.4 Possible causes of the difficulties
The students’have difficulties in using the correct forms because perhaps (a)
the students might not know when to use –er more,-est or most,(b) the students not
memorize the irregular comparative and superlative forms.
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5.5 Other previous related studies
This study entitled “the nineth year students’ difficulties in using degree of
comparison at SMP Bina Karya Palembang.Another thesis had been reviewed was
the thesis belong to Maimunah(2003).Her thesis was entitled”the second year
students’ difficulties in using degree of comparison”in sentences at SMP Yayasan
Pembina Palembang.her main problem was “what are the students’ difficulties in
using “degree of comparison” in sentences’ at Yayasan pembina Palembang?
Based on the result of her study that the mean score was 7.9.based on the
difficulty indices.The study had difficulties in using degree of comparison because of
students did not attend English courses(90%),the students felt that the teacher did not
explain the degree of comparison clearly (55%).
The second thesis is entitled “the difficulties in learning degree of comparison
encuontered by the third year students’ of SMP Bina Karya Palembang.written by
Hasbillah in 1998.the objective of study was to find out the students’ difficulties in
learning degree of compariso.the result of the study showed that the students had
difficulties in using the correct forms of degrees of comparison.
There are simillarities and one difference between those previous thesis and
the writers present study.The simillarities are that all the three studies discuss degree
of comparison and use descriptive method.The difference is on the population.the
population of Maimunah’s study was the second year students of SMP Yayasan
Pembina Palembang in 2003.the population of Hasbillah’s study was the third year
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students of SMU Karya Sakti Palembang in 1998.The population of the writer’s
present study is the nineth year students’ at SMP Bina Karya Palembang.
6. Research Procedures
This part presents (1) method of research,(2) operational definition,(3)
population and sample,(4) tehniques for collecting the data and (5) tehniques for
analyzing the data.
6.1 Method of research
In doing this study, the discriptive method will be used to describe the
students’difficulties in using degree of comparison.Discriptive method is a kind of
method that involves the collection of data for the purpose of describing existing
condition(Hornby,1975:688).Best and Khan (1997:166)states that
The discriptive method describes and interprets what it is.it is concerned with
the condition or relationship that exist,opinion that are held,process that are
developing.It is primarly concerned with the present,although it often consider past
evenst and influence as they related current conditions.
They next steps the writer will take are as follows
1. Surveying the literature relating to the problems and defining them
2. Collecting data/giving test and analyzing the data
3. The drawing conclusion and proposing suggestions
4. Writing the research report as a thesis
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6.2 Operational definiton
The avoid misunderstanding some terms used in the title of the study were
operationally defined: Difficulties and degree of comparison.According to Hornby
(1975:116),that is difficulty is quality of being difficult,some thing hard to do or
understanding degree of comparison refers to the forms of adjectives or adverb which
are used to show comparison between two things/action or more.
6.3 Population and Sample
6.3.1 Population
Population is all the subject of investigation (Arikunto:1989,102).The
population of this study was all of the nineth year students of SMP Bina Karya
Palembang with a total number of 50 students.
Table 1
The population of the study
No Class Number of students
1
2
IX.1
IX.2
25
25
Total 50
Source SMP Bina Karya Palembang, 2006/2007
6.3.2 Sample
Sample is a group of subject on which information is obtained.it is selected in
such a way that is represents,the larger group of population from which it is
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obtained(Fraenkel and Waller,1993:340) the number of population in this study is 50
students.
Table 2
The sample of the study
No ClassNumber of
students1.2.
IX. 1IX. 2
25 25
Total 50Source SMP Bina Karya Palembang, 2006/2007
6.4 Techniques for collecting the data
In this study,the writer collected the data by using 2 instruments,a test and
aquestionaire.According to Arikunto(1991) the test is a group of question or exercises
of other ways used to measure skills,knowledge,intellegence,ability or talents of an
individual a group.the test was used to find out the students in using of degree of
comparison.
A questionaire is a set of question used to get information from respondents
in terms of their respons to things they know.the questionaire was used to find out the
possible causes of the students’difficulties in using degree of comparison
6.4.1 Validity of the test
Validity is the degree to which a test measure what it is supposed to measure
or can be used succesfully for the purposes for it is intended (Richard er
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al,1985:304).The validity of the test was checked through the content validity which
is based or the degree to which test measure the particular or behaviour it sets out to
measure(Richard,et al,1985:61)in order to make the test have a high degree of content
validity,the writer devised the test items in accordance with the table of the test
specifications.
6.4.2 Reliability of the test
Reliability refers to the degree to which a test which consistence
results(Richards,et al,1985:146).the reliability of the test was evaluated through the
internal consistency reliability.it is a measure of the degree to which the items or part
of the test are homogenous or consistenct with each other (Richard,et al,1985:146),In
this study the internal consistency reliability was estimated by a Kuder-Richardson
reliability coefficient.it is a statistical formula used as one estimate of the reliability
of a test which is based on the number of items in the test.the maen score and its
standard deviation.the following Kuder-richardson 21 (KR 21) formula (fraenkel and
wallen,1993:149)
KR 21=
KR 21 = K-R Reliability coefficient
K = Number of items in the test
M = Mean of the sets of test scores
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SD = Standard deviation of the set of test scores
SD =
In which
X = The students’ total scores
N = The number of the students’
6.5 Techniques for analyzing the data
To the find out the students’ difficulties,the writter conculated the difficulty
index of each other items,the formula of the difficulty index is as follows
(Heaton,1988:78)
FV =
FV = Index of difficulty
R = Number of correct answer
N = Number of the students taking the test
To analyze the data obtain from the questioaire,the writer used the presentage
analysis
P = x 100%
In which
P = The percentage of responses
R = The number of responses
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N = The total number of the students.
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Alexander,L.G.1989. Longman English Grammar. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Longman. Inc.
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Aronson, Trudy.1984. English Grammar Digest .Englewood Cliffs,New Jersey: Longman,Inc.
Azar, bety schampfer. 1984. Understanding in using English Grammar, Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs,New jersey: Practice hall,Inc.
Arikunto,Suharsimi.1989. Dasar-Dasar evaluasi pendidikan. Jakarta: P.T. Aksara
Arikunto, Suharsimi.1991. Prosedure penelitian, Jakarta: P.T. Rineka cipta.
Best,John W and James V,Kahn.1979.Reseach in education.Boston:Aliyn and bacon.
Fraenkel,Jack R.and Norman E. Wallen.1993. How to desingand evaluate reseach in education.New york. McGraw Hill.Inc.
Hasbillah, 1998. The difficulties in learning degree of comparison encuontered by the third year students’ of SMP Karya Sakti Palembang. Unpublished Undergraduate thesis, Palembang: Faculty of teacher training and educating, PGRI University.
Hornby, A.S.1975.Oxpord advanced leaners’ dictionary of current english. London: Oxpord University press.
Hornby, A.S.1975. Guide the pattern and usage in english. 2 edition. London oxford University Press.
Heaton,J.B. 1988. Writing english language test.New york.Ny:Longman.
Maimunah,2003. the second year students’ difficulties in using degree of comparison in sentences at SMP Yayasan Pembina Palembang.Unpublished undergraduared thesis Palembang:faculty of teacher training and education,PGRI University.
Richards, Jack, Johnplatt and Heldi weber.1985. Longman dictionary of Appleid linguistics.Harlows,Essex: Longman group limited.
Swan,Michael.1980.Practical English Usage. London:Oxpord University Press.
Thomson,A.J.and A.V. Martinet. 1980. A Practical English Grammar. London: Oxpord University Pess.
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