LEXICAL DENSITY AND GRAMMATICAL INTRICACY OF READING MATERIALS IN ENGLISH IN FOCUS TEXTBOOK FOR FIRST GRADE OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.

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LEXICAL DENSITY AND GRAMMATICAL INTRICACY

OF READING MATERIALS IN ENGLISH IN FOCUS TEXTBOOK

FOR FIRST GRADE OF JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

A THESIS

Submitted to Fulfill the Partial Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan

By:

AMNA APRIANY DELIMA BATUBARA

Reg. Number. 2123321003

ENGLISH AND LITERATURE DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS

STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN

2017

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ABSTRACT

Batubara, Amna Apriany Delima. Registration Number: 2123321003. Lexical Density and Grammatical Intricacy of Reading Materials in English in Focus Textbook for First Grade of Junior High School. A Thesis. English Education Program, State University of Medan, 2017.

This study aims to find out the lexical density and grammatical intricacy of English reading texts in the textbook for the 1st grade of junior hih school to measure the difficulty of the text. The objectives of the study are to find out the lexical density and grammtical intricacy which formed in the reading texts of English in Focus Textbookwhich has the highest both of lexical density and grammatical intricacy. This study was conducted by descriptive method with qualitative research. The data of this research were the English reading texts of English in Focus Textbook for First Junior High School. The data were text analyzed by using Halliday’s theory. The result of this study; 1).Lexical density formed of the texts was high based on Halliday’s theory that the texts had more lexical item than grammatical item, Text 1 was 57.31%, Text 2 was 70.83%, Text 3 was 68.75%, Text 4 was 61.36%, Text 5 was 58.82%, Text 6 was 60.86%, Text 7 was 69.23%, Text 8 was 71.42%. Grammatical Intricacy formed of the texts was high based on Halliday’s theory that the texts had more complex clauses than simple clause, Text 1 was 7, Text 2 was 4, Text 3 was 2.16, Text 4 was 2, Text 5 was 1.08, Text 6 was 1.75, Text 7 was 2, Text 8 was 2. 2).Lexical density influences the difficulty of reading texts if it has higher proportion of lexical items than grammatical items. While grammaticcal intricacy also influences the difficulty of reading texts if it has higher proportion of complex clauses in comparison with simple clauses. 3).The length of the sentence did not influence the grammatical intricacy of the texts but the more complex clauses and content carrying lexical items could make the reader difficult to process the texts.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, the writer would like to thanks to Alah SWT for blessing, health and chance during her academic year at English and Literature Department Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) State University of Medan in completing the thesis and to completion of this final project with title Lexical Density and Grammatical Intricacy of Reading Materials in English in Focus Textbook for First Grade of Junior High School. Shalawat and salam for the Prophet Muhammad who brings us to darkness and brightness.

This Thesis is purposed to fulfill one of the requirements to obtain the S-1 degree of Sarjana Pendidikan. In fulfilling this thesis, the writer realizes that she cannot complete this final project without the help of others. Many people have helped the writer to writing this final project and it would be impossible to mention all of them. The writer wishes, however, to give the writer sincerest gratitude and appreciation to:

• Prof. Dr. Syawal Gultom, M.Pd., the Rector of State University of

Medan.

• Dr. Isda Pramuniati, M.Hum., the Dean of Faculty of Languages and

Arts, State University of Medan.

• Prof. Dr. Hj. Sumarsih, M.Pd., the Head of English Department and also

her Thesis Advisor who have guided, taught and advises her precious time in completing this Thesis.

• Dra. Meisuri, M.A., the Secretary of English Department.

• Nora Ronita Dewi, S.S., S.Pd., M.Hum., the Head of English Education

Study Program.

• Tiarnita Maria Sarjani Siregar, S. Pd., M. Hum., her Thesis Advisor

and also Academic Advisor who have guided, advised and given her precious time in completing this Thesis.

• Dr. Siti Aisah Ginting, M. Pd., and Rafika Dewi Nasution, S. Pd., M. Hum., her Thesis Reviewer and Examiner, who have given their precious

time, guidance, suggestions, and comments.

• All the Lecturers of English Department who have taught, guided, and

advised her throughout the academic years.

• Eis Sri Wahyuningsih, M.Pd., the Administration Staff of English

Department.

• Alm. Drs. Mawardy Batubara and Nurhayati, her beloved parents who

always give her uncountable love, pray, motivation, material, lesson and all the things that they ever gave that can make the writer understand and appreciate the meaning of struggle in life until she achieve her Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan.

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• Joko Machdy Batubara, S.H., and Jaka Medya Octavianus Batubara, S.E., her lovely brothers for their support, love and pray to finishing her

thesis.

• Prof. Dr. Zainuddin, M.Pd., her kindly uncle who always helped, guided

and advised in completing this thesis.

• Maifo, Khairani and Licha, her beloved friend for the time, motivation,

laugh, happiness and who always keep sporting her with loves in every single moment in achieving S.Pd, those things are meaningful for her. • Intan, Diba, Nisa, Melina, Wirda, Steven, Roy, Ayumi, Ica, her close

friends for all of their innoncence, supports and laughters that they experienced together in achieving S.Pd.

• Her friends in Extension B 2012, her great class for the love and togetherness throughout four years.

• The last but not the least, for her friends in PPLT SMK N. 1 Lubuk

Pakam for many experiences and togetherness, especially for Lubuk

Pakam Terdalam Members; Ajir and Obed for all their silly yet endless supports, pray and motivation in completing this thesis.

There are many people whose names are not mentioned above, the writer thanks to Allah for their support in finishing her study and may Allah SWT bless you all. Finally, the writer excepts this thesis be useful, especially for the writer and generally for the readers..

Medan, February 2017 The Writer,

Amna Apriany Delima Batubara Reg. No. 2123321045

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ABSTRACT ... i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ... ii

TABLE OF CONTENT ... iv

LIST OF TABLES ... vi

LIST OF FIGURE... vii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1

A. The Background of the Study ... 1

B. The Problems of the Study ... 6

C. The Objectives of the Study ... 6

D. The Scope of Study ... 7

E. The Significance of the Study ... 7

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ... 8

A. Theoretical Framework ... 8

1. Reading Materials ... 8

a. Definition of Reading ... 8

b. Reading Materials ... 9

c. Characteristics of Good Reading Materials ... 10

d. Reading Materials on English in Focus Textbook ... 17

2. Textbook ... 20

a. Definition of Textbook ... 20

b. The Functional of Textbook ... 20

3. Text ... 22

a. Definition of Text ... 22

b. Types of Text ... 22

4. Lexical Density ... 26

a. Lexical Items... 27

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5. Grammatical Intricacy ... 33

a. Complex Clause ... 36

b. Embedded VS Non-Embedded ... 38

B. Relevance of Study ... 39

C. Conceptual Framework ... 41

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 45

A. Research Design ... 45

B. Data and Source of Data ... 46

C. Technique Data Collection ... 46

D. Procedures Data Collection ... 47

D. Procedures of Analyzing Data... 48

CHAPTER IV FINDING AND DISCUSSION ... 50

A. Data ... 50

B. The Data Analysis ... 50

C. Finding ... 65

D. Discussion ... 66

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS... 68

A. Conclusion ... 68

B. Suggestions ... 69

REFERENCES ... 70

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vii

LIST OF FIGURE

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LIST OF TABLES

Pages

Table 4.1 Lexical Density and Grammatucal Intricacy Used...51

Table 4.2 Grammatical Intricacy Measuement of Text 1...52

Table 4.3 Grammatical Intricacy Measuement of Text 2...54

Table 4.4 Grammatical Intricacy Measuement of Text 3...56

Table 4.5 Grammatical Intricacy Measuement of Text 4...58

Table 4.6 Grammatical Intricacy Measuement of Text 5...60

Table 4.7 Grammatical Intricacy Measuement of Text 6...61

Table 4.8 Grammatical Intricacy Measuement of Text 7...63

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. The Background of The Study

One of the reading sources that are used in the learning process is textbook. Textbook is an essential element in education. It consist of instructional materials and provides much information and knowledge. It is used by the teacher in the learning-teaching process of most subjects in classroom as a main source. It plays a very important role in teaching-learning process because it tends to be the basic source which the teachers use in deciding what to teach and facilitate the teaching-learning process. Besides that it can be an additional knowledge for teacher who has limited teaching experience. It is also avalaible in many subject in the school such as English textbook, science textbook, social textbook, etc.

According to Tomlinson (1999:2), textbook is a main learning material which is usually used by teacher and students. In English classroom, textbook is used to serve the learners’ need about language skill. It also provides informations and knowledge that the students need which can not given by the teacher. The main point of the textbook is to improve the students’ English competence. In another words, the textbook is a tool for the teacher for transferring the knowledge. The textbook may have different amount in providing the language skills. Graves (2000; 151) mentions that an English textbook is a basic resource to determine the quality of language input and the language practise during teaching learning process in an English course.

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In English subject, textbook is used to serve the students’ need about language skills. The students must have capability related to four following skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing. The relationship of those skill is very closed because they cannot be essentially separated each other. Reading is one of the four skills considered quite necessary because by reading the students can automatically gain more and more knowledge, such as; vocabulary, the idea forming, the use of the tense forms, pronunciation, speaking fluency and many others to provided that it can be done seriously and frequently.

Reading skill is very important things that must be learned by the student. The student need to be exercised and trained in order to have a good reading skill. Budiantari et al (2013: 4) state that reading can be said as a skill that plays a very important role on teaching learning activity. By reading, people will be able to get many kinds of information and knowledge.

Beside using to serve the students’ need an English textbook used to serve an appropriate materials for students’ level. According to Nesia (2014), reading materials is one of the contents of the textbook besides listening instruction, some exercise, writing task and some conversation scripts. Reading materials is usually in the form of the text that is used to teach reading like pronouncing words, comprehending the content of the text, getting vocabulary and also understanding of grammar. Through the text, the students can get information, the knowledge and the vocabulary and also the grammar. It is provided in some types which are called as genre. The types of genre are arranged well based on the curriculum. As Sholichatun (2011) states the aim of English teaching according to School-Based

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Curriculum (KTSP) is that the students of junior high school hopefully can achieve that functional level of literacy because they are preparing to continue their study to the Senior High School.

Nowadays, every student should be able to understand every reading text in the textbook which is covered in the curriculum of the unit level of education. In the curriculum, reading material should be relevant to the students’ needs. The teachers have the freedom to choose the teaching media or strategy to improve the students‟ communicative competence which is relevant to the students‟ condition and needs. One of the students’ needs is to understand or comprehend the text based on the situation given in English subject.

In the reading section, every students usually get difficulties in comprehending a long text or a dense text such as descriptive text. When the students got the descriptive text with long and many paragraphs, they would felt bored with the text. It akes them get difficulties in comprehending the text. Some students also claimed that they get difficulties in memorizing certain English words and it makes them lack of vocabularies. When the student read the text which contains sophisticated words, they would be lazy to read the text. Then there are students may not be aware of the elements and characteristics of the genre of the text. In fact the main point of difficult text are the lexical density and grammatical intricacy of the text itself.

For the students, the text which content of high lexical item will make students got trouble to understand the text. In addition, lexical item includes verb, noun, adjective and adverb has open system in which one word can has more than

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one meaning. In other hand, the more lexical items the text has, the more difficult the text is. On the other hand, the students are demanded to comprehend the reading text because by comprehending it, the students will be able to reach the knowledge. Because of that, the teacher need to provide appropriate textbook content which reading text based on the students ability. Reading text in form of grammatical configuration is not too difficult to understand. Grammatical items are those that function as closed system in the language. Different from lexical configuration, grammatical configuration show the text is consist of determine, pronoun, most preposition, conjuction and numerals. It means that the balance between lexical items and grammatical items in a text is really important to consider in order to make the students mastered the reading materials in an English textbook.

The other thing that influences the difficulty of reading materials is grammatical intricacy. If in a text there are more clause complexes than simple clauses, it can be said that the text is more complex in the sense that it presents more information in a tight way. Consequently, the students are potential to face problems to comprehend the text. Because of that, lexical desnity and grammatical intricacy separated each other.

Based on researcher’s observation of the English teacher of SMP.N.12 Medan, the researcher found some information by interview the English teacher. The reasearcher asked about whether the reading materials in the textbook are suitable for the students or not. The teacher said that most of students face the difficulty to understand the text because they are lack of vocabulary. The students

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usually cannot define some vocabulary or wrong to define the vocabulary in the reading materials, it affects students’ reading assignment result become bad. In addition, the teacher also said that they are not checked the readingmaterials in textbook yet, whether the reading materials are suitable for the students or not, they just teach them following the textbook.

For an example, the researcher takes one of reading text from English textbook they learn randomly, the title is “Snowy Owls Large Prey Birds. After I analyzed, I found the result is 58, 76% of lexical item and grammatical item. It means that this text is difficult to understand by the first grade student of Junior High School. Regarding this measurement based on Ure’s method, if the numbers surprasses forty percent, it accounts for higher lexical density. While the result of Measurement the Grammatical Inticacy of the last paragraph, the text actually has 7 clauses. The reason why researcher chooses the paragraph above it because the paragraph actually does not have any simple clause. All of the sentences in that paragraph consist of 7 complex clauses. It shown that the paragraph is grammatical intricate.

Based on the preliminary observation, the researcher can say that when the students get difficulty to understand the content of the textbook especially in the reading text, the students will be hard to get the knowledge of the textbook. The proportion between the lexical items and the grammatical items in the text certainly will determine the difficulty of the text. Through the lexical density of the text, teacher can know whether the text is easy or difficult for the students.

The measurement of lexical density and grammatical intricacy in English Reading Text is important because it will be the consideration of the teacher or

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school to choose the avalaible book for the students in order to make the students learn the book easily.

B. The Problems of The Study

Based on the background of the study above, the problem of the study are formullated as the following:

1. What are the Lexical Density and Grammatical Intricacy used in reading materials of English in Focus textbook for first grade junior high school?

2. How are the Lexical Density and Grammatical Intricacy formed in the reading materials of English in Focus textbook for first grade of junior high school?

C. The Objective of The Study

Based on formulation of the research above, the objectives of this study are:

1. To find out the Lexical Density and Grammatical Intricacy in reading materials based on the reading text of English in Focus textbook for first grade of junior high school..

2. To find out the Lexical Density and Grammatical Intricacy formed in reading materials based on the reading text of English in Focus textbook for first grade of junior high school.

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D. The Scope of The Study

In this research, the researcher was focuses on the subject matter in analyzing the lexical density and grammatical intricacy of the reading materials in English in Focus textbook. The study is limitted to analyze the content of the reading texts in the first semester which consist of 8 texts in English in Focus textbook.

E. The Significance of The Study

In conducting this study, the writer hopes that this research has benefit theoretically aand practically to the readers.

Theoretically, this research hopefully will be useful to enrich the lexical density and grammatical intricacy theories. The finding in this research can add new information to other researcher aboout the lexical density and grammatical intricacy found in a textbook.

Practically, this research hopefully will be useful for the teachers as guidance to choose suitable textbook for the students and apply the result of this study as feedback on their teaching learning process so that the students are better in reading skills. Last, all of the benefits of analyzing the lexical density and grammatical intricacy hopefully will be useful for all educators because it will be affect students’ ability in learning english.

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68 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

A. Conclusion

After analyzing the data and elaborating the findings, the researcher can conclude that as the following:

1. Lexical density is formed by unification of lexical items and grammatical items which measured to find out the difficulty level in a text. While grammatical intricacy is formed by unification of complex clauses and simple clauses which measured to find how intricate the text is. Lexical density formed of the texts as follows; Text 1 was 57.31%, Text 2 was 70.83%, Text 3 was 68.75%, Text 4 was 61.36%, Text 5 was 58.82%, Text 6 was 60.86%, Text 7 was 69.23%, Text 8 was 71.42%. Grammatical Intricacy formed of the texts as follows; Text 1 was 7, Text 2 was 4, Text 3 was 2.16, Text 4 was 2, Text 5 was 1.08, Text 6 was 1.75, Text 7 was 2, Text 8 was 2.

2. Regarding the research result which shows that all of the texts are have high lexical density and grammatical intricacy, the researcher can explain that the reading materials found in English in Focus Textbook are difficult to understand by the students. Based on theories that the researcher use as guidance, lexical density influences the difficulty of reading texts if it has higher proportion of lexical items than grammatical items. While grammaticcal intricacy also influences the difficulty of reading texts if it

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has higher proportion of complex clauses in comparison with simple clauses.

3. The length of the sentence did not influence the grammatical intricacy of the texts but the more complex clauses and content carrying lexical items could make the reader difficult to process the texts.

B. Suggestion

Based on the conclusion to the findings pointed above, the following suggestions are needed to be considered in conducting the related research.

1. For the authors, they can use this study to present the next textbook in balancing composition between content carrying lexical items and grammatical items of lexical density, complex clauses and simple clauses of rammatical intricacy, in order to the students can understand about the reading texts.

2. For English teachers, they can apply the result of this study as feedback on their teaching activities to choose the appropriate learning sources and to teach. It used to fulfill the aim, the ability level of the students and their needs because each text had different level of lexical density and grammatical intricacy so it certainly has different teaching materials so that the students fell attracted to study.

3. For the students, the result of this study can be helpful for them to comprehend the content of the textbook in the reading texts and get the knowledge of the textbook by understanding the complex clauses and content carrying lexical items of texts.

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