5 generally directed toward hypothesis testing and may measure only one variable
that involves the activity in reporting the frequency of some events p. 38. This study investigated the use of photographs in the teaching of writing
news item text for the tenth grade of SMA students. It dealt with conditions or relationships that existed, opinions that were held, processes that were going on,
effects that were evident, or trends that are developing. Accompolish the objective, the researcher used a descriptive research, namely the documentary
analysis to dig deeper on the use of photographs in teaching writing news item text for the tenth grade of SMA students and the result would be elaborated
descriptively.
6
CHAPTER II DISCUSSIONS
This chapter consists of discussion about the theories of writing, teaching language and the use of photographs in teaching writing, especially teaching
writing news item texts to the tenth grade students of SMA.
A. Theory of Writing
Ardianti and Esti 2013, write that in learning a language, there are four skills; listening, speaking, reading, and writing that should be mastered by the
learners. Through listening and reading, they will understand words; while through speaking and writing they can express their feeling and need p.1.
Therefore, teaching and learning process of the four skills in English, including writing skill should be the main focus of every English teacher. Uma and
Ponambala 2001 state that English is more than a subject to be learnt but a skill writing, reading, speaking, and listening to be practiced and developed p. 94.
As a result, the teaching and learning process of those skills need to be done well in order to prepare the students to master English skillfully. The teaching and
learning of four skills in English is important because students should have communicative abilities of writing, reading, speaking, and listening in using
English, in order to face today’s globalization era.
Writing, as the focus of this study, is considered difficult by most of the tenth grade SMA students. The main problem they face is because of the inability
7 or the weaknesses of the students in producing the content of the writing and
arranging what they want to say in the written form. According to Brown 2001, writing is the result of thinking, drafting, and revising procedures p. 335. It
implies that a writer needs to think about the content of the writing first and then arrange the ideas using appropriate language. Writing in correct forms of language
involves correct spelling, punctuation, diction, grammar, sentence, and paragraph formation, and etcetera.
In general, a good writing is developing ideas into a paragraph consisting of some important parts. A good paragraph consists of three major parts. They are a
topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. A topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. It is supported by supporting sentences
which give more details information about it. Then it is concluded by the concluding sentence which signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the
important points. In addition, Murcia 2003 states that writing is the production of written
words that produces a text which must be read and comprehended. In other words, writing makes a product in the form of written texts which are used to deliver the
writer’s ideas and meanings to the readers. Surely, the teacher cannot leave the students in their own confusion. Tenth
grade SMA students tend to give up easily when they get difficult tasks. They need help from the teacher, as the facilitator to facilitate their learning and as
motivators to keep their motivation to write high.
8 Therefore, the writer believes that the teacher should be able to help the
students. A teacher should be a facilitator, a motivator and also a feedback provider for the students. It also supported by Brown 2001: 340 that teacher
should be a facilitator and responder to students. As a facilitator, he offers guidance for students to write. As a responder, he should ensure students, respond
to, and use varieties of materials and techniques. Material, techniques, and media have to be combined in a balance without forgetting the goals.
In relation to teachers’ roles in the process of writing, Harmer 2004 also proposes some tasks that the teachers must perform before, during, and after the
process of writing. They are 1 demonstrating, 2 motivating and provoking, 3 supporting, 4 responding and 5 evaluating p. 41.
The first task, according to Harmer 2004 that must be done by the teacher in the process of writing is demonstrating p. 41. It is a need for the students to be
able to understand writing conventions and genre constraints of particular types of writing. As a result, the teacher has to be able to draw the two features to their
attentions. Furthermore, Harmer 2004 also proposes the second task for the teacher in
the process of writing is motivating and provoking the students p. 42. It is difficult for some of the students to write in English. Besides, they sometimes
have no idea of the words used to write their messages. This is the situation where teachers can help them by provoking them to get the ideas and then persuading
them to work on their writings.
