achievement score in reading descriptive text. Based on the English teacher ’s
explanation, the students in VII – 1 class gained the average score about 60 sixty
in daily tests for reading descriptive text. Meanwhile, the school determined score of the Minimum Mastery Criterion
– Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal KKM for English subject is 65 sixty five.
Based on those problems, the writer discussed with the teacher to find a
solution. The writer determined to use group work as a technique that can help
developing students’ reading comprehension in descriptive text. That technique hopefully can work well
to develop students’ reading comprehension in descriptive text and pass the Minimum Mastery Criterion
– Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimal KKM score determined by that school.
B. Formulation of the Problem
From the explanation above, the writer would like to formulate the problem. There are:
1. Can teaching reading through group work technique develop students’
reading comprehension of descriptive text? 2.
How is the implementation of teaching reading comprehension of descriptive text through group work?
C. Aim of the Study
The aim of the study is to know whether group work can develop students’
reading comprehension in descriptive text. In addition, this study aims to know how the implementations of group work in teaching descriptive text in developing
students reading comprehension.
D. Contribution of the Study
The writer expects that this study will give the contributions. First, for the English teacher is to develop strategy in teaching reading. Second, for the students
is to solve their problem in understanding text. Third, for the school MTsN 19 Pinang Kalijati is to increase the school quality.
4
CHAPTER II THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
This chapter covers theoretical framework which consists of general concept of reading, understanding of descriptive text, and theories and
implementations of group work in teaching reading.
A. READING 1.
General Concept of Reading
Reading has many definitions given by linguist. There are some definitions which have same opinion. Among others, reading is viewed as one of
the important skills in learning English as a foreign language. It is in line with McDonough who said that as a skill, reading is the most important foreign
language skill.
1
It can be seen that reading becomes the most important skill because in some cases students have to read the English material to understand the
written text. Furthermore, reading is the most important learning tool and a source of pleasure, satisfaction, and growth.
2
It means that reading is an important tool that gives the usefulness in life.
1
Jo McDonough and Christopher Shaw, Materials and Methods in ELT: Second Edition A Teacher’s Guide, Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2003, p.89.
2
Ivan J. Quandt, Teaching Reading: A Human Process, Chicago: Rand Mc Nally College Publishing Company, 1977, p, 10.
Based on the point of view above, generally reading is a complex process of human’s activity. As they are reading, they use their eyes and brain to get the
meaning of the author’s message. In this sense, Harmer said that reading is an
activity that uses the eyes and the brain in which the eyes have function to get the message or information and to send the message to the brain, and then the brain
gets the message from the eyes and manages the message.
3
In addition, Aeberson stated that
“reading is what happens when people look at a text and assign meaning to the written symbols in that text.”
4
It means that in activity of reading there is an interaction between what the reader looks of the text and what the
author writes into printed symbols. Meanwhile, according to Allen, reading is more than just know sounds of
foreign language written words but it has to comprehend of the written text.
5
Therefore, reading seems difficult skill for students who use English as a second language and foreign language because they have to transfer their mother
language to the foreign language in comprehending the text. That assumption is in line with DeBoer, he said that reading is an activity which involves the
comprehension and interpretation of the written language.
6
It means that reading is not a simple activity because reading includes some activities such as to
comprehend and interpret the written text. Moreover, Heilman said that
“Reading is a process of getting meaning from printed word symbols; it is not merely a process of making conventionalized
noises associated with these symbols.”
7
On the other word, reading is not just a mechanical process because actually reading needs emphasizing of the process in
3
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching: New Addition, New York: Longman Publishing, 1991, p. 190
4
Jo Ann Aebersold and Mary Lee Field, From Reader to Reading Teacher: Issues and Strategies for Second Language Classrooms, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997, p.
15.
5
Edward David Allen and Rebecca M. Valette, Classroom Techniques: Foreign Languages and English as a Second Language, New York: Harcourt Brace Javanovich, 1977,
p.249
6
John J. DeBoer, and Martha Dallmann, The Teaching of Reading: Revised Edition, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1964, p. 17.
7
Arthur W. Heilman, Principles and Practices of Teaching Reading: Second Edition, Ohio: A Bell and Howell Company, 1967, p. 8.
