Background of the Study

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the general account of the present study. It covers background of the study, formulation of the problem, objective of the study, method of the study and significance of the study.

A. Background of the Study

People use language for doing things with each other because people as a homohominisocious, and their use of language itself is joint action. 1 By language, they understand each other, and interest as part of a society. There are many languages used in this world, such as English, Indonesian, Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, and many others. One of the languages used in this world is English language, and now English becomes an international language. Every human being who speaks a language knows its grammar. When linguists wish to describe a language, they attempt to describe a language. 2 Grammar is one of the important aspects in teaching and learning English. Every student has to understand English grammar, because grammar has the core position in learning English language. Without learning grammar, the student cannot use English well. Obviously, for example the students need to know about tenses, they may have difficulty to different between Past Tense, Present Tense, and Future Tense, and any other grammar materials. One of tenses which make student confused is Present Continuous Tense, because when they are demanded to speak based on the tenses, they have to be aware about the verb forms and the time, and also they have to different between the activity that is in progress or not, unlike the Indonesian language patterns where the time and the verb forms are regardless. Beside the Present Continuous Tense is stated in curriculum for the first grade of Senior High School. 1 Clark H. Clark, Using Language, New York: -Cambridge university press, 2008, p. 387. 2 Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman, an introduction to language, London: - HBC publishers 1998 P.14 2 Generally, the student felt confused to change an active voice of Present Continuous Tense into a passive voice of Present Continuous Tense, because in the Passive Voice, the object of an active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb. 3 Passive voice is generally difficult to be understood because of its rule and formula which are dissimilar with active voice. The important aspects in learning foreign language are the method of teac hing. The method of teaching can help the teacher to solve the student’s learning problem. Teaching methods can best be defined as the types of principles and methods used for instruction. There are many types of teaching methods, depending on what information or skill the teacher is trying to convey. For effective teaching to take place, a good method must be adopted by a teacher. The teacher may write lesson plans of their own, borrow plans from other teachers, or search online or within books for lesson plans. When deciding what teaching method to use, a teacher needs to consider students background knowledge, environment, and learning goals. Teachers are aware that students learn in different ways, but almost all children will respond well to praise. Students have different ways of absorbing information and of demonstrating their knowledge. Teachers often use techniques which cater to multiple learning styles to help students retain information and strengthen understanding. 4 Many methods are used in teaching English language, such as grammar translation method, direct method, oral approach, situational language teaching, audio-lingual method, total physical response, the silent way, communicative language teaching, natural approach, cooperative language teaching, competency- based language teaching, games method, collaboration method and any others method. 3 Betty SchrampferAzhar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, New York: Longman, 2002, p.208 4 Wikipedia, Teaching Method. http:en.wikipedia.orgwikiTeaching_method 3 The writer is interested in discussing about one of the grammar parts that is passive voice. In this research the writer focuses on the Passive form of Present Continuous Tense. The writer considers that it is necessary to find out the best techniques in teaching grammar that appropriate and interesting related to students’ condition. Students in the X grade Accountancy at SMK Bina Insani Tangerang are chosen by the writer to do his research. The teacher and the writer try to find out an appropriate strategy to improve students’ understanding in learning passive form of Present Continuous Tense better that is by using pattern drill. It is giving the class practice in making changes to grammar pattern.

B. Limitation and Formulation of the Problem