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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 1

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Page 1: Proposal

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.

REFERENCES

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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