The Background of the Research

3 materials. 3 Meanwhile, Marianne Celce-Murcia explains that A method is a set of procedures, i.e., a system that spells out rather precisely how to teach a language. 4 So, it can be assumed that without suitable method, the teaching learning activity will be failure as William Francis Mackey states that the method has often been said to be the cause of success or failure in language learning; for it is ultimately the method that determines the what and the how of language instruction. 5 One of the methods is the Audio Lingual Method that is used for teaching foreign languages. The language-teaching methodology is based on behaviorist theory, that much learning suggested result from habit formation through conditioning. The application of this concept in Audio Lingual techniques took the form of mimicry-memorization usually of dialogue material and structural pattern drilling where by students learned to manipulate structures to a point of automatic response to a language stimulus. 6 This method emphasizes on repetition of dialogues about everyday situations that are imitated and drilled to make the respond automatic, it is based on the common wise-word in Behaviorism “practice makes permanent”. 7 Brooks as quoted by Jack C. Richards and Theodore S Rodgers explain that the objectives of Audio Lingual Method consist of short-range and long-range objectives. Short-range objectives include training in listening comprehension, accurate pronunciation, recognition of speech symbols as graphic signs on the printed page, and ability to reproduce these symbols in 3 H. Douglas Brown, Teaching by Principles, New York: Longman, 2001, p.16. 4 Marianne Celce-Murcia, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, Boston: Heinle Heinle, 1991, Second Edition, p.5. 5 William Francis Mackey, Language teaching Analysis, London: Longman, 1966, p.138. 6 Wilga M. Rivers, Teaching Foreign Language Skill, Chicago: The University of Chichago Press, 1981, 2 nd ed., p.42. 7 Keith Johnson, An introduction to Foreign Language Learning and Teaching, Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, p.175. 4 writing. Meanwhile, the long-range objectives must be language as the native speaker uses it…….. 8 By using the Audio-Lingual Method, the teacher can lead students to remember patterns correctly, and then the students can follow and remember teacher‟s instruction directly. The writer assumed that teaching oral skill by imitating and repeating the form of the grammar through dialogues about daily activities will improve their English speaking automatically, so students can apply it in their daily life. The method that is used by the teacher at the SMP Islam Al-Fajar in teaching grammar is Grammar Translation Method. Its principle uses translation and analysis of the grammar rules in teaching learning activities and the main focus is on teaching reading and writing skill. The objectives of Grammar Translation Method are “understanding the grammar of the language and training the students to write the new language accurately by regular practice in translating from the native language”. 9 Based on the writer experience when doing teaching practice at SMP Islam Al-Fajar Pamulang, the writer assumed that Grammar Translation Method is the method used by the teacher. It could be seen from several teaching technique implemented in classroom teaching. The teacher often applied the translation or grammatical explanation techniques in presenting the material, the students were encouraged to translate the passage or memorize the rules of the pattern of the grammar. Besides, the teacher seems to be the central in teaching learning process and students just received what the teacher taught. From that matter of facts, it is clearly seen that the method used by the teacher, in this case is Grammar Translation Method, and became the causes of students‟ grammar problem. Even tough this assumption needs to be approved through this research, actually its not easy to teach language especially grammar without using suitable method because a large number of methods are based on ideas of how languages are learned. Therefore, the 8 Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: A Description and Analysis Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986, p.52. 9 River, W. M., Teaching Foreign- language .…, p. 29. 5 research is done in order to know the effectiveness of the method in teaching grammar. So, here the writer would like to propose the method that should be used in teaching grammar at SMP Islam Al-Fajar, which is Audio Lingual Method. Based on the background above, the writer is interested in doing an experiment that is related to the student‟s language acquisition especially teaching the grammar using Audio Lingual Method. The title of her Skripsi is: “Teaching Simple Past Tense through Audio Lingual Method”. This experiment will be held at the Second Grade of Junior High School of SMP Islam Al-Fajar Pamulang, Tangerang-Banten, because the writer knows that this school still using Grammar Translation Method to teach English.

B. The Identification of the Problem

Based on the background above, the problem that cover the research can be identified as follow: 1. The difficulties in understanding English language because lack of the knowledge of the grammar. 2. The difficulties in understanding the rules of the grammar in the sentence. 3. The difficulties in using the English grammar in the sentence.

C. The Limitation of the Research

As mentioned on the background of the research above, the writer would like to limit the discussion only on the effectiveness of using Audio Lingual Method and Grammar Translation Method which covers the irregular verbs for second grade students of SMP. The writer carried out the research to the second grade students of SMP Islam Al-Fajar Pamulang, Banten. 6

D. The Formulation of the Problem

Based on the background, the writer would like to formulate the problem of the research as follows: Is the use of Audio Lingual Method more effective in teaching simple past tense compared to the use of Grammar Translation Method?

E. The Objective of the Research

In line with the formulation of the problem of the research above, the objective of the study is to find the empirical evidence of the effectiveness of teaching simple past tense using Audio-Lingual Method compared to the use of Grammar Translation method.

F. The Significance of the Research

The writer expects that the research will be useful for increasing the writer‟s knowledge about methods above in teaching simple past tense and for the English teacher who might use this method when they teach simple past tense.

G. The Organization of the Writing

This “Skripsi” is divided into four chapters. As follow: Chapter I present the Introduction, this chapter state of: the background of the research, the identification of the research, the limitation of the research, the formulation of the research, the objective of the research, the significance of the research, the organization of the writing. Chapter II is theoretical framework that divided into four sections. The first section discuss about the theory of grammar. The second section discusses about simple past tense, the understanding of simple past tense, the form of simple past tense, the usage of simple past tense. The third section discusses about Audio Lingual Method, the understanding of Audio Lingual Method, the characteristics of Audio Lingual Method, the principles of Audio Lingual Method, the techniques of Audio Lingual Method, the 7 teaching the simple past tense through Audio Lingual Method, the step in teaching simple past tense through Audio Lingual Method. The fourth section discusses about Grammar Translation Method, the understanding of Grammar Translation Method, the characteristics of Grammar Translation Method. the principles of Grammar Translation Method, the techniques of Grammar Translation Method, the teaching the simple past tense through Grammar Translation Method, the steps of teaching simple past tense through Grammar Translation Method, the differences between the Audio Lingual Method and Grammar Translation Method, the conceptual framework, the relatively Study, the hypothesis of the research. In chapter III, the writer will focus on the methodology of the research and the finding of the research. The methodology of the research deals with the objective of the research, the place and the time of the research, the method of the research, the population and sample of the research, the technique of data collecting, the technique of data analysis, the procedure of the research. The description of data, the analysis of data, the test of hypothesis and the interpretation of data are includes in the finding of the research section. The last chapter IV will talk about the conclusion and suggestion.