Keywords: grammar translation method, reading comprehension skill.

Transcription

1 TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD AT THE SEVETH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP WIDYA SUARA SUKAWATI IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2013/2014 Dewa Made Juliarta English Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Mahasarawati Denpasar University ABSTRACT Reading skill especially reading comprehension is a substantial part of language production. It increasingly became crucial in the teaching learning process. However, there were many problems faced by the subjects in reading comprehension. This present classroom action research was mainly aimed to find out the extent of reading comprehension improved through grammar translation method. The subjects of the present study were the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014 that consisted of 20 males and 16 females. Based on the result of pre-test in pre-cycle, it pointed out that the subjects ability in reading comprehension was insufficient. The present classroom action research dealt with implementing grammar translation method in two-planned cycles. The result of the post-test in each cycle totally showed that there was significant improvement of the subjects ability in reading comprehension in which it pointed out that the level improved from insufficient to good. This research moreover showed positive changing behavior of the subjects under study in which their attitudes and motivation increased significantly toward reading comprehension. To sum up, the present classroom action study stated that in teaching reading comprehension through grammar translation method, the ability of the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014 improved positively. Keywords: grammar translation method, reading comprehension skill.

2 INTRODUCTION Reading is one of the important language skills that must be taught by the English teachers because through reading, students are expected to be able to get more about certain knowledge, information and pleasure. Pollard (2008:45) states reading is a great source of learning language. As one of the important language skills, reading should be taught intensively by the English teacher. Reading is very useful for students. Because the more they read, the better they get at it. Reading also has a positive effect on students vocabulary, on their spelling and even on their writing. The ability of students to comprehend a reading text is affected by many factors. Some of them are the students knowledge and ability, situation, teacher's knowledge, and also physiological factors like attention, motivation, and interest. As we know teaching reading has been done since elementary school. In fact, students still find difficulty in reading activity especially in understanding and answering the questions related to the text. Based on the researcher s experience in teaching practice at SMP Widya Suara Sukawati, the researcher found the ability of students in reading comprehension was still low. The students looked so hard to understand the reading text and in answering the questions related to the text. Knowing the concrete problems of the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati, the English teachers must make decision to choose what language teaching method will be the most effective one, especially in teaching reading comprehension. According to Larsen-Freeman (2000:4) on her book, there are some methods in teaching English as foreign language namely, The Grammar Translation Method, The Direct Method, The Audio Lingual Method, The Silent Way, Desuggestopedia, Community Language Learning, Total Physical Response and Communicative Language Teaching. Especially in teaching reading comprehension, the researcher purposes a case of study in teaching reading comprehension through Grammar Translation Method (GTM) at SMP Widya Suara Sukawati. This method is used for the purpose of helping students to read and appreciate foreign language literature. Richrards (2006:3) explains that grammatical competence refers to the knowledge we have of a language that accounts for our abillity to produce sentences in a

3 language. It is hoped that through the study of the grammar of target language, students will become more familiar with the target language grammar and will help them speak and write in target language better. Nowadays, it is clear that reading comprehension is a complex cognitive process that depends upon a number of ingredients all working together. Thornbury (2002:13) argues without grammar little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed. Vocabulary clearly plays a critical role in understanding what has been read. Larsen-Freeman (2000:20) provides some common/typical techniques closely associated with the grammar translation method refers to teach the reading comprehension. They are translation of a literary passage (translating target language to native language), reading comprehension questions (finding information in a passage, making inferences and relating to personal experience), antonyms/synonyms (finding antonyms and synonyms for words or sets of words) cognates (learning spelling/sound pattern that correspond between L1 and the target language), deductive application of rule (understanding grammar rules and their exceptions, then applying them to new examples), fill-in-the-blanks (filling in gaps in sentences with new words or items of a particular grammar type), memorization (memorizing vocabulary lists, grammatical rules and grammatical paradigms), use words in sentences (students create sentences to illustrate they know the meaning and use of new words) and composition (students write about a topic using the target language). Based on the explanation above, the use of grammar translation method is needed to help teachers and students in teaching and learning reading comprehension. One of the experiences of this method is translating sentences. As a translators, teachers should work to ensure a result that sounds as natural as possible. So, it appears that translation is a creative activity and a translator has a great responsibility to develop better understanding among people, in this case the translator is a teacher. In this study, the researcher focuses on the use of grammar translation method in teaching reading comprehension. The researcher totally believes that grammar translation method helps the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in improving their reading comprehension ability.

4 Research Problem Teaching reading has been developed over a long period of time; however, student still face some problems in reading comprehension. The researcher would like to introduce grammar translation method as one method to overcome those problems. Therefore, the research question is formulated as follow: to what extent is the effectiveness of grammar translation method in teaching reading comprehension at the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014? Objective of the Study In accordance with the statement of the research question which has previously been formulated, the objective of this study is to improve the ability of reading comprehension of the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014 through grammar translation method. Limitation of the Study Teaching reading actually has a board and wide scope of coverage. The researcher decides to narrow down the scope of discussion of this study into most specific points of readers. This research is merely restricted in teaching reading comprehension through grammar translation method using descriptive text about person and place at the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014 which cover three skills of reading namely finding main idea, identifying specific information and identifying word meaning/phrase. The Underlying Theories Used in this Research Since English is as an international language, most of people in the world learn it. Sometimes people learn it because they want to expand their business or just learning about the other cultures. Because of this reason they have to know English as a basic language for communication. Reading comprehension can be used as an effective way to solve this problem; furthermore, it can also increase students vocabulary. Thus, reading has an important part in teaching learning process especially in learning English.

5 Comprehension can be reffered as the process of deriving meaning from the connected text. It involves word knowledge (vocabulary) as well as thinking and reasoning. Therefore, comprehension is not a passive process but an active one. The readers actively engage with the text to construct meaning. This active engagement includes making use of prior knowledge. It involves drawing inferences from the words and expressions that a writer uses to communicate information, ideas and viewpoints. Chair (2002:11) states that reading comprehension is defined as the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written text. The word extracting and constructing are emphasized both to the importance and insufficiency of the text as determinant of reading comprehension. In addition, Pollard (2008:45) states reading is similiar to listening in that it is a receptive skill. It involves students interacting with visual input of language, which they need to process and understand. Meanwhile, Lapp and Flood in Pramita (2011:13) writes that all definitions of reading fall into two catagories. First, they are those who view reading primarily as decoding process, a breaking of visual code. In a second view, reading for meaning is emphasized from the very earliest stages of instruction; in this view reading as a comprehension process is stressed. Linse (2005:69) also writes reading is a set of skill that involves making sense and deriving meaning from the printed word. In order to read, the readers must be able to decode (sound out) the printed words and also comprehend what they read. Knowing how to read words has ultimately little value if students are uneble to construct meaning from the text. Klinger et al. (2007:2) state that reading comprehension is the process of constructing meaning by coordinating a number of complex processes that includes word reading, word and world knowledge and fluency. In addition, Nunan (2003:68) states that reading is a fluent process of readers combining information from a text or their own background knowledge to build meaning. The goal of reading is comprehension. If students cannot understand the text is given, then they cannot find the information that is in the text. Therefore, reading comprehension is necessary to support students success in

6 reading comprehension. Moreover, McNamara (2007:3) states that reading is an extraordinary achievement when one considers the number of levels and components that must be mastered. Another definition about reading comprehension comes from Woolley (2011:15) explains that reading comprehension is the process of making meaning from text. The goal is to gain an overall understanding of what is described in the text rather than to obtain meaning from isolated words or sentences. In understanding read text information develops mental models, or representations of meaning of the text ideas during the reading process. Actually, all the linguists above have a same opinion about reading and reading comprehension. Thus, the researcher can conclude that reading comprehension is a complex activity where the readers can get knowledge from the text both of information or message and new vocabularies; furthermore, to understand text or passage the readers need to find out the meaning or the correlation between the sentences that establish in the whole text. They can retell again the information that they have read depend on their knowledge, culture and background. The grammar translation method is not new. It has had different names, but it has been used by language teachers for many years. At one time it was called the Classical Method since it was first used in the teaching of the classical language, Latin and Greek (Chastain in Larsen-Freeman 2000:15). Earlier in this century, this method was used for the purpose of helping students read and appreciate foreign language literature. It was also hoped that through the study of the grammar of the target language, students would become more familiar with the grammar of their native language and that this familiarity would help them speak and read their native language better. The grammar translation method is derived from traditional approaches to the teaching of Latin and Greek in the nineteenth century. It is "a way of studying a language that approaches the language first thought detailed analysis of its grammar rules, followed by application of this knowledge through the task of translating sentences and text into and out of the target language" (Stern in Richards and Rodgers 2001:5).

7 In this method, the students develop their ability to read prestigious literary texts. They also learn to read and write in the target language accurately, which is a necessity. However, this method is a particular analysis of the written target language, especially its grammar and vocabulary that are learned from bilingual word lists which can be boring as a main task. In addition, the mother tongue is used as the medium of instruction, would not work for any form of listening and speaking teaching. It is thought that if the last two points are used as a pre-task, it will be rather enjoyable. The grammar translation method focuses on translating grammatical forms, memorizing vocabulary, learning rules, and studying conjugations. The purpose of using the grammar translation method is to able to read literature written in the target language. The students are given the grammar rules and examples, are told to memorize them, and then are asked to apply the rules to other examples. They also learn grammatical paradigm such as verb conjugations. Grammar translation method dominated European and foreign language teaching from the 1840s to the 1940s, and in modified form it continues to be widely used in some parts of the world today. At its best, as Howatt in Richards and Rodgers (2001:6) points out, it was not necessarily the horror that its critics depicted it as. Its worst excesses were introduced by those who wanted to demonstrate that the study of French or German was no less rigorous than the study of classical languages. This result in the type of Grammar-Translation courses remembered with distaste by thousands of school learners, for whom foreign language learning meant a tedious experience of memorizing endless lists of unusable grammar rules and vocabulary and attempting to produce perfect translations of stilted or literary prose. Although the Grammar-Translation method often creates frustration for students, it makes few demands on teachers. It is still used in situations where understanding literary texts is the primary focus of foreign language study and there is little need for a speaking knowledge of the language. Contemporary texts for the teaching of foreign languages at college level often reflect Grammar-Translation principles. These texts are frequently the products of people trained in literature rather than in language teaching or applied linguistics. Consequently, though it may be true to say that the

8 Grammar-Translation Method is still widely practiced, it has no advocates. It is a method for which there is no theory. There is no literature that offers a rationale or justification for it or that attempts to relate it to issues in linguistics, psychology, or educational theory. Prator and Celce-Murcia in Brown (2000:15) mention list the major characteristics of Grammar translation: classes are taught in the mother tongue, with little active use of the target language, much vocabulary is taught in the form of lists of isolated words, long elaborate explanations of the intricacies of grammar are given, grammar provides the rules for putting words together, and instruction often focuses on the form and inflection of words, reading of difficult classical texts is begun early, little attention is paid to the content of texts, which are treated as exercises in grammatical analysis, often the only drills are exercises in translating disconnected sentences from the target language into the mother tongue and little or no attention is given to pronunciation. Subject of the Study The present classroom action research was conducted at the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014 especially VII B with 36 students. The students of class VII B that consisted of 20 males and 16 females. This study was intended to find out a solution of learning problem in teaching reading comprehension to the subjects. The class was chosen by researcher because based on the preliminary observation, it was found that most of students had difficulty in reading comprehension. Therefore, the immediate improvement is needed for the subjects of this class. Research Design This research design is a process which involves of defining a problem stating an objective and formulating an hypotesis. It involves gathering information, classification analysis and interpretation to see to what extent the initial objective has been achieved. The study was designed in form of action research. Mcniff and Whitehead (2006:5) state that action research is about practitioners creating new ideas about how to improve practice and putting ideas

9 forward as their personal theories of practice. Action research reflects a process that aims to solve a particular teaching-learning problem that has been identified. According to Cohen et al. (2000:243), action research may be used in almost any setting where a problem involving people, tasks and procedures cries out for solution, or where some change of feature result in a more desirable outcome. Meanwhile, Ary, et al (2010:513) state that in education, action research can be applied to such areas as curriculum development, teaching strategies, and school reform. This classroom study was mainly concerned with teaching reading through grammar translation method. This action research was conducted by practicing language teachers because they themselves are valuable source of knowledge regarding their own classroom situations and a result change can be implemanted more credibly because by practicing, the teachers can find the result more credible and valid for their needs. In this classroom action study, the learning processes were divided into two cycles, each of the cycle consists of two sessions. Each cycle consists of four interconnected activities namely: Planning (P), Action (A), Observation (O), R (Reflection) and RP (Revised planning). If the first cycle (cycle I) cannot fulfill the researcher target, it should be continued by making the second cycle (cycle II). It means that the second cycle (cycle II) revises the first cycle (cycle I). The research design is described as follow: Cycle I : P1 A1 O1 R1 Cycle II : RP A2 O2 R2 FINDING AND DISCUSSION There were three kinds of instruments used by the researcher to collect the data of the present classroom action study; they were pre-test, post-test and questionnaire. Therefore, the important datas to answer the research were gathered through administering pre-test, post-test and questionnaire to the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati. The pre-test in reading comprehension was administered to the subjects under study to obtain their pre-existing. Meanwhile post-test was administered for four times (two times in cycle I and two times in cycle II) at the end of every teaching process in every session in every

10 cycle in order to find out students improvement in every session after they were taught reading comprehension through grammar translation method. Besides, Qustionaries was given to the students to find out the students changing behavior when they were taught reading through grammar translation method. Questionnaire was given once at the end of session 4 in Cycle II. The mean of initial reflection or pre-test (X0) obtained by the subjects under study in reading comprehension was This mean figure clearly showed the ability of the subjects under study was low. It meant they had a problem in reading comprehension. Their problem certainly needed to be solved. Therefore, the researcher decided to apply grammar translation method to overcome students difficulty in reading comprehension. The result of the data analysis of the reflection score in cycle I (S1 and S2) showed the increasing mean figure of 5.44 and The grand mean figure reflection of post-test scores obtained by the subjects under study in cycle I was This findings clearly showed that the reading comprehension of the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati was significantly improved after being taught through grammar translation method. The result of the data analysis of the reflection of post-test scores obtained by the subjects under study for cycle II (S3 and S4) pointed out the increasing of mean figure of 7.02 and The grand mean figure of the reflection of post-test score by the subjects under study in cycle II was Compared to the mean figure of IR score, the mean figure obtained by the subjects of the study for each session was obviously higher than the IR mean figure. The result of the questionnaie for item A, B, C and D which were scored by using the rating scale 1-4 showed the comparative percentage of (59.00%, 30.60%, 10.40% and 0%). This figure proved that the subjects learning behaviors changed positively, that was their attitudes and motivation hightened significantly. The study aimed was to improve students ability in reading comprehension through grammar translation method. This aim was sucessfully achieved after two cycles were carried out. The students looked more interested and more active in involving themselves in the classroom activities. Therefore, the hypothesis is implementation of grammar translation method might not be used to

11 improve the reading comprehension of the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukwati in acdemic year 2013/2014. At last, the researcher can conclude that the hypothesis of the present study was accepted. The findings of the present classroom action study was in line with existing research findings which revealed the effectiveness of grammar translation method in teaching reading comprehension. In relation to the objective of the present classroom action study although the finding of the present classrooom action study might not be generelized in all junior high schools of the different classes belonging to the same school but it can be stated that grammar translation method could improve the reading comprehension of the sevent grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION The study dealt with teaching reading comprehension through grammar translation method at the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014 could finally be concluded in findings where this study provided some benefits for English teacher and the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati. 5.1 Conclusion Based on the findings of this study, the researcher concluded that grammar translation method could improve reading comprehension of the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014. It showed that the students avarege score in pre-test was 3.88 and then the mean figure improved to 5.72 in terms of level of mastery. The increasing was This mean score was obtained by calculating the average point in cycle I (5.44 and 6.00) and then devided by 2. The increasing of the mean figures of S1 and S2 was While after the following the second cycle treatments, the grand mean of the students achievement increased extremenly into This mean score was also derived from adding two means scores in cycle II (7.02 and 7.88) and the devided by 2. The increasing of the mean figures of S1 and S2 was The increasing of the grand mean could be calculated by decreasing grand mean figure of cycle II and cycle I. The different grand mean figure of cycle II and cycle I was The

12 established mean figure for each session is much higher than the IR mean figure from S1 to S4 the resulted mean figures progressed and increased significantly. The findings of the present classroom action study convincingly revealed that teaching reading comprehension through grammar translation method could effectivelly improve and increase the low ability in reading comprehension of class VII B students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati. The result of the analysis of the questionnaire scores clearly showed the comperative percentage figure of 59,00% for option A, 30,60% for option B, 10,40% for option C and 0% for option D. These findings significanly proved that the attitudes the learning motivation of the subjects under study changed and hightened positively. The findings of the present classroom action study might not be extended and generalized to other students even though in the fact an action class study was mainly undertaken for helping particular students who have problems in learninng reading. Therefore, the findings of the present action study are predominatly valid and reliable for the seventh grade students of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati in academic year 2013/2014. The English teachers can use the findings of the present classroom action study as a guidance to devise their teaching method. 5.2 Suggestion Based on the findings on the previous chapter, the researcher suggests the following : 1. The English teachers especially class VII B of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati are suggested to pay more serious attention on their own learning motivation of their students. They are suggested to be more active, creative and innovative in making and experimenting different method. 2. The English teachers especially class VII B of SMP Widya Suara Sukawati are further suggested to apply grammar translation method as one alternative teaching method to teach reading comprehension. In addition, the teachers should inform the students that their success and failure are depend on themselves. 3. The students should be motivated in learning English especially in learning reading comprehension not only in the classroom but also at home.

13 4. As the findings result of the students before being taught through grammar translation method that students ability in reading comprehension was still low, the students are recommended to have more practice in reading comprehension. And the result of this study is expected to be useful since the grammar translation method may improve their understanding in reading comprehension. 5. To the other researchers, since in this study of the use of grammar translation method is only experimented in reading comprehension. Then it is recommeded to conduct further research to know the effectiveness of the use of grammar translation method in teaching other language skills in teaching English for junior high school. REFERENCES Ary, D., Jacob, L. C., & Sorensen, C. (2010). Introduction to Research in Education (Eight Edition). USA: Wadsworth. Benhardt, E. (2011). Understanding Advanced Second Language Reading. New York: Routledge. Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of Language Teaching and Learning (Fourth Edition). New York: Wesley Longman, Inc. Brown, H. D. (2004). Language Assessement Principles and Classroom Practices. New York: Wesley Longman, Inc. Chair. C. S. (2002). Reading for Understanding. USA: RAND. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Research Methods In Education (Fifth Edition). London: RoutledgeFalmer. Harmer, J. (2007). How to Teach English. London: Cambridge University Press. Klinger, J. K., Vaugn, S., & Boardman, A. (2007). Teaching Reading Compherison to the Students with Learning Difficulties. New York: The Guildford Press. Larsen-Freemen, D. (2000). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (Second Edition). New York: Oxford University Press. Linse, C. T. (2005). Practical English Language Teaching: Young Learners. New York: the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

14 McNamara, D. S. (2007). Reading Comprehension Strategies. USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. McNiff, J. & Whitehead, J. (2006). All You Need to Know about Action Research. London: SAGE Publications. Pollard, L. (2008). Guide toteaching English. London: Lucy Pollard. Pramita, I Gusti Ayu Aneda. (2011) The Implementation of Think Pair Share To Improve Reading Comprehension Of SMPN 2 Bebandem in Academic year 2012/2013. Unpublished thesis: Mahasaraswati Denpasar University. Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative Language Teaching Today. New York: Cambridge University Press. Richards, J. C. & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (Second Edition). New York: Cambridge University Press. Thornbury, S. (2002). How to teach vocabulary. England: Pearson Logman Westwood, P. (2008). What Teachers Need to Know about Teaching Methods. Victoria: ACER Press. Woolley, G. (2011). Reading Comprehension: Assisting Children with Learning Difficulties. USA: Springer Science + Business Media B.V.

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