CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents nd discusses the background of the study, limitation of the study, formulation of the problem, and significance of the study.
A. Background of The Study
Language is Communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols.
Language is the principal means used by human beings to communicate with one another. Language is primarily spoken, although it can be transferred to
other media, such as writing, if the spoken means of communication is unavailable, as may be the case among the deaf, visual means.
Discussion about the importance of language, Sidney Greenbaum stated in his book “Good English and The Grammarian” that:
Schools should teach about language for a variety reason. First, an understanding of the nature and functioning of language is a part of general
knowledge that students should acquire about themselves and the world they live in. Language study has a place in curriculum as justifiable as say
biology, geography and history. For language is both our most personal possession every individual’s language is unique to some extent and at the
same time a facility that contributes most to our relationships with others it is the major means of human communication. Secondly, linguistics the
study of the language in all its aspect is a central discipline for the social sciences and humanities, just as mathematics is important for the physical
science. Its relationship to other disciplines is evident in the hybrid disciplines that focus on language: psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, the
sociology of language and philology. Even at elementary levels, the study of the language provides a useful introduction to research methods and
argumentation, since language data are readily available: students can draw on their knowledge of the language and can easily collect samples of the
language of others
1
.
First of all it is quite clear that as a statement of simple fact English is an international language in that it is the most widespread medium of
1
Sidney Greenbaum, Good English and The Grammarian, New York : Longman
Inc., 1988, p. 27
international communication, both because of the number and geographical spread who use it for its speakers, and because of the large number of non-
native speakers who use it for part at least of their international contact
2
.
One of the international languages that have important role in the world is English. In the schools of our country, English becomes one of the
important subject material taught at school, even it includes as one of material of national examination. In Indonesia, English is considered as the first
foreign language and becomes compulsory subject learned by all students from the elementary school or even in the kindergarten up to the university
level. English is different from Indonesian language. Every language has its
own characteristic, rules and skill. In learning English, there are four skills Listening, Speaking, Reading
and Writing that should be mastered by the students. Besides the four skills., there are language sub-skill or language component Grammar, vocabulary
and pronunciation, they are also should be mastered by them. Grammar consists of form and rules, as Dianne Larsen-Stated that:”
Grammar is about form and one way to teach form is to give students rules; however grammar is about much more than form and its teaching is ill served
if students are simply given rules”.
3
However, it is not easy to master Grammar, Especially for students in the second grade of Junior High School. Most of them say that Grammar is a
boring lesson and it makes them confused. If they want their English is good they should master the grammar and able to differentiate the kind of grammar
such as, `tense, comparison degree, the use of modal , passive voice, etc. and it is not easy to do, as the writer found when she taught in SMPI HIDAYATUL
ATHFAL Cinere.
2
Christopher Brumfit, English for International Communication, London: Pergamon Pres Ltd., 1982, p. 1
3
Diane Larsen-Freeman Mariane Celce-Murcia, editor, Teaching Grammar in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language
, USA:HeinleHeinle Publisher, 2001, p. 251.
One of the difficulties which is faced by the students in learning regular and irregular verb is lack of remembering of the past tense and past
participle change of whether that is regular or irregular verb. Based on the statement described previously, the writer would like to
discuss about: “AN ANALYSIS ON THE DIFFICULTIES OF LEARNING REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERB FACED BY THE
SECOND GRADE STUDENTS OF SMPI HIDAYATUL ATHFAL CINERE”. The writer chooses this title because there are many students still
face difficulties in using Regular and Irregular Verb. By observing the students’ difficulties in using Regular and Irregular Verb, the writer tries to
identify and to analyze them. The writer hopes it can make teaching and learning better and can give a new idea for her how to teach Regular and
Irregular Verb well.
B. Limitation of the Study
Kategori