The dis Pictures series in the writing learning process
27 The assumption that the weaknesses at SMP students in writing ability is that
they do not use the interactive techniques. It has supported the teachers to choose an appropriate technique and media to be used in teaching and learning process.
Picture series was selected as an effective media to improve students’ writing skill. By using picture series, students would be interest in writing. Picture series
also helped students develop their skill. Picture series helped the teachers create context to make language meaningful. Moreover, students could get involved in
the activity and contribute in their group. In group-work games, as an activity, the students could work together, help each other, and solve the problems, related to
writing. An appropriate media in teaching writing helped students achieve their writing skill.
Learning through picture series made the students relax and interest because these activities created a good atmosphere in the classroom. It would improve the
students’ motivation. When the students were motivated, ideas might come up in their minds and they were able to write easily. They could learn grammar and new
vocabulary through picture series. Compared with using picture series in teaching and learning writing, teaching
and learning without picture series seemed monotonous. The classes were static and formal. The students would get bored soon. The teachers that use the
conventional method just collected the students’ work and corrected it in several days. Students would not be motivated in learning writing because the way of
28 teaching was not varied and students would get so bored. The teacher in SMP 3
Sleman used paragraph writing technique in teaching writing. Freeman 2000 : 23 argued that paragraph writing technique that is usually used in direct method.
The teacher asked the students to write a paragraph in their own words. They wrote based on their memory or a passage in the lesson as a model. Then, she
adds the picture series in her teaching. The students became more communicative than before, they had certain features in common with real communicative. In
addition, students learned language in communicative activity which is meaningful.
Picture series could be desired interestingly. By applying the media, it helped the students on their writing skill better than those who were not given it. The
implementation of the media involved the researcher, the English teacher, and the students at the eighth grade of SMPN 3 Sleman in the academic 20132014.