The Relationship between Web-based Grammar Practice and Grammatical Competence

samples taken are 30 students from four different classes. The quantitative research shows that the correlation between grammar practices and student‟s grammatical competence and writing skill is high. This positive and significant relationship is supported by the results of the in-depth interview of the three interviews conducted to the low, middle, and high achievers.

1. The Relationship between Web-based Grammar Practice and Grammatical Competence

Grammatical competence is the knowledge of grammar that students possess. Chomsky 1965 suggests that grammatical competence is the knowledge of language. To measure this knowledge of language, the aspects of grammatical competence are taken into account. Grammatical competence deals with the knowledge of lexical items, morphology rules, syntax, sentence-grammar semantics, and phonology Canale Swain 1980. Therefore, in this study, these aspects are measured in terms of grammar scores and sentence complexity. Grammar scores are calculated based on the number of sentences and the number of mistakes that the students make in the passages, while sentence complexity deals with the average number of words in a sentence. Thus, it shows how students use their grammatical knowledge to combine words into sentences grammatically. The result shows that web-based grammar practicehave positive correlation to the students‟ grammatical competence that is proved by the direction of the relationship, which is positive, and the magnitude of the relationship, which is significantly high. The correlation coefficient is 0.770 for grammar score and 0.453 for sentence complexity. Therefore, it was statistically found out that there PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI is positive and significant relationship between web-based grammar practice and grammatical competence. This positive and significant relationship is supported by the results of the in-depth interview conducted to one high achiever and one low achiever if compared. The major theme is about the relation between web-based grammar practice and grammatical competence. In perceiving the nature of web-based grammar practice, the high achiever claimed that the advantage of having web- based grammar practice compared to conventional grammar practices is that of the use of internet to seek more information that are needed. Indeed, the advantage of web-based learning is in its facilities in providing abundant information easily quickly Jenkins Hanson 2003, Waller 2003. True and False practices in web-based learning in ELTGallery are different from grammar practices in books. We get many sources and information from the internet Interview Result 2 – D10 Meanwhile the low achiever stated that web-based grammar practice are different from conventional grammar practices in terms of scoring computation technology, in which web-based grammar practice directly show the result of the practices in the form of scores. When we submit our answers, the result is automatically shown. We don‟t have that in traditional learning using grammar practices in books. Interview Result 2 – N6 It can be seen from the answers that the high achiever tends to see the use of web- based learning in terms of its function in providing information, while the low achiever tends to see its technical function in terms of score computation. The high achiever then used resourcing learning strategy to support the learning process. Resourcing learning strategy enables the students to find sources once PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI they think they might need Benson 2001. On the other hand, the low achiever did not relate the web-based grammar practice as learning process, but merely as an assessment. Related to grammatical competence, the high achiever evaluated the web- based grammar practice by suggesting additional topics to be added. It shows that the high achiever really noticed the grammar aspects taught in ELTGallery , and then identified what aspects that she did not get. Thus, it shows the grammatical competence that she possesses, covering lexical items, morphology rules, syntax, sentence-grammar semantics, and phonology Canale Swain 1980. The high achiever claimed that grammar aspect that should be added is important in developing her grammatical competence. She suggested Preposition as the additional topic to be added based on her experience. She mentioned that she had difficulty not in Prepositional Phrase , but more on the certain prepositions that go with certain adjectives or verbs, such as interested in, keen on, afraid of, and so on. I think Preposition should be added to the grammar topics. It is simple and trivial, but I think it‟s difficult. Interview Result –D8 Compared to the low achiever‟s statement: No, I think the topics are enough for now. Interview Result – N6 It clearly shows that students with more attention on web-based grammar practice tend to have higher achievement than those who do not. 2 The Relationship between Grammar Practices and Writing Skill Concerning on the grammar aspects in the practices, the high achiever perceived that writing skill is influenced by practicing writing, reading novels and articles, and understanding the structure of the sentences. The high achiever learned the structure of the sentences by reading English novels and articles. It shows that meaningful context enables the students to learn and pay attention more on the grammatical aspects in the texts Norris Ortega 2000, Ellis 2002. In my opinion, the more I practice writing, write anything, or read novels or articles in English, the better writing I can produce. It is due to our habit. If we often practice writing, then we know the structure of the sentences, and later we know how to write well. Interview Result 1 – D2 On the other hand, the low achiever tends to perceive that the most important grammar aspects are the subject and predicate in sentences. In English sentence we have subject and predicate. We have to know the subject and predicate to write well. Interview Result 1 – N2 These answers show their opinion towards the relation between grammar practices and writing skill. The high achiever clearly mentioned that the more practice students do, the better writing they can create. Meanwhile, the low achiever claimed that the minimum requirements of grammar aspects that have to be acquired are subject and predicate. In addition, related to the use of peer-feedback in sentence writing and passage writing, the high achiever stated that she always gave comments for her peers and directly gave the correct answers. I personally gave my comments for my friends. I also provided the correct answers for the mistakes that I found, for example: “don‟t use question mark for positive sentence”. Interview Result 1- D10 The low achiever also provided comments for her peers, but not for every topic. She wrote down the correct answers if she knew the mistakes, but she would just write “good” most of the time. Yes, I made some comments, but not all the time. If I knew the mistakes then I gave the correct answers, but usually I ju st write “good”. Interview Result 1 – N10 Concerning on the peer-feedback, the high achiever also revised her sentences after getting comments from her friends. It shows that the high achiever really understands and benefits from the peer-feedback activity in web-based learning. It means that the learning process that she conducted is not only autonomous but also collaborative Swan 2005, Taber 2006, Sjoberg 2007. I checked the commentsfrom my friends, if I think they‟re right then I made revisions. Sometimes I got comments from lecturer too. Interview Result 2- D18 On the other hand, not only did the low achiever not revise her sentences, but she did not even check the comment from her friends and lecturer. It surely supports her previous argument that she did not provide comments all the time. It shows that the low achiever lacks of independent learning. I did not revise my sentences. In fact, I have not even checked the comments for me up to now. Interview Result – N11 Similarly, for the passage writing, the high achiever claimed that she did pay attention to the evaluation given by the lecturer. However, she mentioned that she did not revise her passages. She further explained that students were not told to do so, that is why she did not revise her passages. However, she benefited from the evaluation provided by the lecturer by identifying the mistakes that she made and avoiding making the same mistakes for the next passages. Kakasevski et al . 2008 suggests that the use of web-based learning opens up more chances for the students to be more independent and self-reflected. I did not really pay attention to the detail evaluation given by the lecturer, but I had one most impressive comment for me. I wrote “I and my friend”, PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI and I just knew that it was wrong. It should be “My friend and I”. Interview Result 1 –D14 My mistakes taught me not to do same mistakes again. Interview Result 1 –D15 She stated that she became more careful after she knew her mistakes. She further stated that the comments were advantageous and now she always keeps the new expressions in her mind. It shows that the comments that provide positive feedback for the subjects ‟ linguistic performance improve students‟ progress Alip 1987. On the other hand, the low achiever did not really pay attention to the evaluation. She admitted that all that she did was just about submitting tasks. I did not really check my mistakes. I did open the evaluation, but I just looked at it, not really noticed the evaluation symbols. I did not make any revisions as well. Interview Result 1- N15 I did not know the most mistakes that I made, on Article maybe. Interview Result 1- N16 Related to the web- based grammar practice‟ topics, the high achiever applied the topics that she had learned in True and False practice in the passage writing tasks. She was not aware that she applied the grammar topics, but she focused more on adjusting the grammar topics to the passage writing topics. Of course I did not intentionally apply all grammar topics for my writings, but surely there were several, maybe most of, grammar topics that I included in my writings. I did not realize that, just as long as it suited to the topic of my writing. Interview Result 1 – D20 Relative Clause and Noun Clause are new to me. Now I like to use them when I write. Interview Result –D22 It shows that the high achiever maintains the communicative writing by adjusting and selecting the proper grammar aspects to use in her writing. In addition, she also applied the new acquired knowledge in her writing. By applying grammatical rules and patterns, she was able to make us her micro skills of writing Brown PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 2004. Similarly, the low achiever also stated that she might have been using the grammar topics but she did not realize it. I did not know. I just wrote what I needed to write. Interview Result 1 – N22 It can be seen that the low achiever focuses on writing as assessments, not entirely as a process of learning and acquiring knowledge. 3 The Contribution of Web- based Grammar Practice to Students’ Grammatical Competence and Writing Skill The results of the in-depth interviews are interpreted to describe the contribution of web- based grammar practice to students‟ grammatical competence and writing skill. It brings about the effect of web-based grammar practices to students‟ learning strategies in writing course. The nature of web-based grammar practice that leads to the stu dents‟ independent learning is believed to be the main contribution. Students‟ independent learning that comes as the result of the rules in web-based grammar practice is generated into some learning strategies. a The Nature of Web-based grammar practice Web-based grammar practice is designed in twelve separate aspects. These aspects are separated in order to optimize the learning process Berger 2001, Hinkel 2004. These aspects are taught separately in twelve different practices. Students perceive that these separate aspects facilitate them to deepen their understanding under the different aspects of grammar. The material covers many topics, like Compound and Passive Voice , so we really understand them one by one. Interview Result 1,-L1 By determining the grammatically correct and incorrect sentences over and over again, students carefully identify each sentence regarding to the grammar aspect that they choose. It shows that web-based grammar practice enables the students to dig and deepen their comprehension on each grammar aspect that they learn. In Sentence topic, I carefully pay attention not only at the subject verb agreement but also at the use capital letter in the first letter of the first word in the sentence and the use of full stop at the end of the sentence. Interview Result 2-N4 The exercises are arranged based on the difficulty level. The challenging and motivating exercises arrangement in the web-based grammar practice also enable the students to improve their learning strategy Wyse 2001. These exercises enable the students to develop their grammatical competence as well as writing skill as they conduct the exercises. The stages in the grammar practices, from TrueFalse , SentenceWriting , and then Passage Writing , make us really apply the material that we learn. Interview Result-L1 Web-based grammar practice is composed in 250 different items of sentences for each topic with randomly selected 50 sentences for each trial that the students conduct. Students are able to conduct the practices over and over again with other randomly selected 50 sentences. It means that the possibility of getting the same sentences is low. We are allowed to revise our work on grammar practices, the true false. Then I liked to try over and over again until I get 8. Interview Result – N3 This rule enables the students to conduct the practices as many as possible. Therefore, the practices indirectly lead the students to independent learning. It means that they learn with their own awareness Sinclair 2000. True and False practices taught me how to be more patient. Interview Result –L30 ELTGallery made me become more independent. Interview Result –L34 Since the score is taken from the score of the last trial, students are automatically more careful each time they take the practicetrial. It means that the nature of the practices encourage students‟ autonomous learning. Students become more aware of the grammar aspects that they select. Thus, students are more thoughtful and they pay attention more on the grammar aspects. We can do the grammar practices over and over again. Our scores are the last scores that we obtain, not the highest scores. That is why sometimes I am afraid of losing my high scores. Interview Result –D6 I think True and False practices made me become more careful in reading the sentences to check whether there are mistakes or not. Interview Result 2 – D8 The autonomous learning is successfully conducted since web-based learning applies learner-centered approach. By implementing learner-centered approach, students are able to conduct web-based grammar practice optimally Long 2000. At first, I did the grammar practices 7 times. Recently I have more spare time, so I can do the practices over and over again. Interview Result –N4 Students control their own learning and decide what they should do in their learning process. It means that students are aware and this awareness includes reflection and decision-making process Borg 2012. The nature of the web-based grammar practice that allows them to do the practices as many as possible makes the students eager to try more and to get better results. In fact, there are no time and space constraints for them since they can do the web-based grammar practice every time and everywhere they like. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI We did the grammar practices in the class. If I already got 7, then I did it again in my boarding house. Interview Result – D5 b Students’ Learning Strategy The contribution of web- based grammar practice to students‟ grammatical competence and writing skill is seen through students‟ learning strategies. Three learning strategies were investigated with the use of in-depth interviews. These three strategies include metacognitive strategy, cognitive strategy, and affective strategy. These strategies are developed as they conduct the web-based grammar practice. It means that web-based grammar practice, including the nature and rules, contributes to stud ents‟ learning process in developing their grammatical competence and writing skill. The most visible learning strategies seen from students‟ perspective were the use of monitoring, analyzing, resourcing, and evaluating strategy in the metacognitive and cognitive strategies. Meanwhile, in affective strategy, students conduct self-monitoring and peer-feedback in their autonomous and collaborative learning. Checking comprehension in learning process is significant for students. They need to be aware of their progress and see their development during the process. Monitoring is a significant learning strategy in learning process Benson 2001. It means that students should monitor or track their progress. It can be done by realizing mistakes and improvement that they have made in the learning process, in this case, in conducting grammar practices. Grammar aspect that is improved is RelativeClause . I had that in high school, but now it is getting better. Interview Result –D23 Students conduct the web-based grammar practice per aspect and the more the conduct the practices, the more they understand the topic. They use their PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI previously acquired grammatical competence and they realize that their grammatical competence about certain topics is improved. I think the grammar practices should be discussed together in the class, so that we know which sentences are grammatically correct and incorrect. Interview Result –N6 The need for having discussion is seen as an indication of a well-developed monitoring strategy. It shows that they are able to identify their strengths and weaknesses in identifying grammatically correct or incorrect sentences. The 50 sentences that they get every time they start new practices are randomly and automatically chosen. Therefore, students have to deal with different sentences with different mistakes. This influences them whenever they conduct passage writing. In conducting passage writing in 6 different topics, students also monitor their mistakes in one passage and identify those mistakes. Thus, they tend to be more careful in writing the next passages, especially dealing with the mistakes that they previously had. Before I wrote passage[s] for the following topic, I checked my mistakes for the previous passage[s] first. Interview Result 1 –L11 This learning strategy is mostly affected by the web-based grammar practice. Students identify the patterns of mistakes in the previous trial before they redo the web-based grammar practice. Even though the possibility of getting the same sentences is low, they try to recognize the patterns of the sentences and the patterns of the mistakes. Benson 2001 proposes this as an analyzing strategy, in which the students analyze and recognize the patterns and rules of their mistakes. Most of my mistakes in Passage Writing are about Article and Word Choice . Interview Result 1 –L20 The most difficult aspect is PassiveVoice , but I made mistakes most on Article . It is trivial but I really made many mistakes on it. Interview Result 1 –D24 Students analyze their grammatical competence when they conduct web- based grammar practice. They identify what aspects that they understand better than the other aspects. Students realize their weaknesses by identifying their most difficult grammar aspect in web-based grammar practice. However, this most difficult aspect of grammar is not their most mistakes in passage writing. It seems that they tend to be more careful when they write sentences using the grammar aspect that they believe to be difficult. I think the easiest topics are Article and Question , but eventually I made many mistakes on Article in Passage Writing Interview Result 2 – D16 I do not use all aspects in True and False practices for writing my passages, but when the topic is related to certain aspect, then I have to be more careful, for example in My Unforgettable Experience topic, I had to use Past Tense . Interview Result 2 – L5 Students also make use the 12 topics in web-based grammar practice for their passage writing. They identify the topics in passage writing and decide what grammar aspects that best suit to the topics. Even though they do not use all aspects, but at least they are able to select the correct grammar aspects in their writing. I used Past Tense in writing My Unforgettable Experience and Future Tense in writing My Future Job . Interview Result 2 – N10 In addition, the grammar topics that are provided in web-based grammar practice also inspire the students to write using those topics. Students like to see the writing style of the 50 sentences in web-based grammar practice. They make use of those sentences as inspiration when they write for passage writing. Sometimes I get new thing s from the sentences, like “I‟ve got nothing”, usually I say “I don‟t get anything”. Interview Result 2- D20 Students learn new expressions from the sentences. It means that web-based grammar practice contribute not only to the grammatical competence, but also to writing skill, in terms of writing expressions. They also like to apply their newly acquired grammatical competence in their passage writing. Relative Clause and Noun Clause are new to me. Now I like to use them when I write. Interview Result 1 –D22 Other strategy that students apply is by finding out other sources to seek new information that are needed. Resourcing is believed to be one of learning strategies that effectively applied in leaner-centered approach Benson 2001. Students seek out other information if they feel that they lack of information. Students also relate certain information to other information and combine them to form well-developed knowledge. The grammar practices examples provided in the explanation are not enough, so I tried to google them more. Interview Result 1 –D27 Sometimes while I was doing the grammar practices, I tried to recall and relate to Structure course since the topics are almost the same. Interview Result 1 –N17 Students that seek out other information show that they are able to evaluate their learning process. Evaluating learning process is significant in developing and improving learning strategy Benson 2001. Students identify improvement to be made and they also assess how well their learning strategies are applied. My learning strategy is doing the true false practice. If I get bad scores then I do it again and again. If I still do not know then I ask my friends. Interview Result –D21 I think my grammatical competence has improved. Interview Result – D22 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI I think generally my grammatical competence and writing skill are improved though I do not realize it. Interview Result –L27 It can be concluded that students‟ grammatical competence and writing skill are improved as they conduct the web-based grammar practice optimally using their learning strategy. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 95 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION The first sub-chapter of this chapter elaborates the conclusion of the research. It covers the summary of the answered three research problems. Meanwhile, the next sub-chapter discusses the implication and suggestion of the research. Implication presents practical consequences as a result of the research. Suggestions for the development of ELTGallery as well as for further research are also administered.

A. Conclusion