The Correlation between the Students' Grammar Mastery and Their Reading Comprehension (A Correlational Study at the Sixth Semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta)

COMPREHENSION

(A Correlational Study at the 6th _{Semester on Academic Year 2015-2016 of} Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif

Hidayatullah Jakarta)

Anis Choirunnisa

1110014000085

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION

FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH

JAKARTA

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Grammar Mastery and their Reading Comprehension (A Correlational Study at the 6th Semester on Academic Year 2015-2016 of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta). Skripsi of Department of English Education at the Faculty of Educational Sciences of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2016.

Advisor I : Ismalianing Eviyuliwati, M.Hum. Advisor II : Desi Nahartini, M.Ed.

The purpose of this study is to know whether there is a significant correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension.The study was conducted at Department of English Education (DEE) of UIN Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016. The sample of this study was taken from 31 students of class B and C at the 6th semester of DEE of UIN Jakarta. The method of this study was quantitative method and the technique used in this study was correlational technique. In collecting the data, the documentation of students’ grammar scores and the reading comprehension test were used. The scores of grammar were collected from the lecturer of grammar V subject at DEE of UIN Jakarta. Then, in assessing the students’ reading comprehension, this study conducted reading comprehension test which was adapted from the reading comprehension test of Barron’s Practice Exercises for the TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language of the 6th Edition. The result of this study shows that there is significant correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension. It is proved by the rxy

(0.386) which is higher than rt(0.367) with df = 29 in the table of significant of 5%.

As a result, the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected and alternative hypothesis (Ha) is

accepted. In other words, there is a correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension.

Keywords: Correlational Study, Grammar Mastery, Reading Comprehension, Grammar and Reading.

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the 6th Semester on Academic Year 2015-2016 of Department of English Education of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta). Skripsi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris di Fakultas Ilmu Tarbiyah dan Keguruan Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2016.

Pembimbing I : Ismalianing Eviyuliwati, M.Hum. Pembimbing II : Desi Nahartini, M.Ed.

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mencari tahu apakah ada korelasi yang signifikan antara penguasaan terhadap aturan tata bahasa (grammar) mahasiswa dan pemahaman membaca mereka. Penelitian ini di laksanakan di jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris (PBI) di UIN Jakarta tahun ajaran 2015-2016. Sampel pada penelitian ini adalah 31 mahasiswa diambil dari mahasiswa kelas B dan C semester 6 jurusan PBI UIN Jakarta. Metode yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah metode kuantitatif dan teknik yang digunakan adalah teknik korelasi. Dalam mengumpulkan data, peneliti menggunakan dokumentasi nilai grammar mahasiswa dan tes pemahaman membaca. Nilai penguasaan terhadap aturan tata bahasa (grammar) di dapatkan dari dosen mata kuliah grammar yang bersangkutan. Kemudian, dalam mengukur pemahaman membaca mahasiswa, penelitian ini mengadakan tes pemahaman membaca mahasiswa yang diadaptasi dari tes pemahaman membaca pada buku praktek latihan TOEFL Baron: tes bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing edisi ke 6. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ada korelasi yang significan antara penguasaan terhadap aturan tata bahasa (grammar) mahasiswa dan pemahaman membaca mereka. Hasil ini di buktikan oleh nilai rxy (0.386) yang lebih tinggi

disbandingkan dengan nilai rt (0.367) dengan derajat kebebasan 29 dan table

signifikan 5%. Hasilnya, null hipotesis (Ho) di tolak dan alternative hypothesis (Ha) di

terima. Dengan kata lain, terdapat hubungan antara penguasaan terhadap aturan tata bahasa (grammar) mahasiswa dan pemahaman membaca mereka.

Keywords : Correlational Study, Grammar Mastery, Reading Comprehension, Grammar and Reading.

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All praised be due to Allah, Lord of the world, who has given the researcher love and blessing to finish her last assignment in her study, “Skripsi”. Peace and salutation be upon to the Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companion, and his adherence.

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the help and contributions to all of lecturers, institution, family and friends who have contributed in the different ways hence this “Skripsi” is processed until it becomes a complete writing which will be presented to the Faculty of Educational Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree S.Pd. in English Language Education.

Firstly, the researcher would like to express her thanks and gratitude to her beloved parents, Drs. Abdul Rojak, M.Pd. and Nurnati, her brother, Didit Adhiyatma Rojak, M.Pd. and also her sister, Aulia Rahmah, who have given the greatest love, prayer, moral, and financial support to her. It also will be expressed to the whole members of her family for their biggest love and kindness to support her in finishing this “Skripsi”.

Secondly, the researcher also would like to give her sincere thanks to her advisors Ismalianing Eviyuliwati, M.Hum. and Desi Nahartini, M.Ed. who have given the researcher precious help, guidance and advices patiently during the completion and the development of this “Skripsi”.

Thirdly, the researcher also realizes that she has never finished this “Skripsi” without the help of some people around her. Therefore, the researcher would like to give her gratitude to:

1. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Thib Raya, M.A., as the Dean of Faculty of Educational Sciences State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.

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5. Atiq Susilo, M.A., as the lecturer of Grammar V of Department of English Education.

6. All classes of the sixth semester of Department of English Education Academic Year 2015/2016.

7. All of her friends in Department of English Education 2010 academic year, especially C class and her best friends (Irma, Fara Zikara Putri, Fenny Yutika Selly, Siti Fahda Fadila, Rizka Patrika Rizal, Evi Shofiyah, Fitriana Putri Kurnia, Mar’atus Solihah, and Nur Indah Rusydah).

The words are not enough to say any appreciation for their help and contribution in this “Skripsi”. May Allah, the Almighty bless them all. Moreover, the researcher also realizes that this “Skripsi” is far from perfect; it is a pleasure for her to get critiques and suggestions to make this “Skripsi” better.

Ciputat, 2nd December, 2016

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ENDORSEMENT SHEET………...iii

SURAT PERNYATAAN KARYA SENDIRI……….iv

ABSTRACT………v

ABSTRAK………..vi

ACKNOWLEDGMENT…...………..……….vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS……..………ix

LIST OF TABLES...………..………xi

LIST OF APPENDICES………..………xii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION………...1

A. Background of the Study………...……...1

B. Identification of the Problems………...………...5

C. Limitation of the Study………...………5

D. Formulation of the Study………...5

E. Objective of the Study………....6

F. Significance of the Study………...……….6

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK………..…….7

A. Grammar……...………...………...…...7

1. The Concept of Grammar ... …...…...7

2. The Importance of Grammar ... ...……...9

3. Types of Grammar………...…….10

B. Reading Comprehension.………...………...……11

1. The Definition of Reading Comprehension ... ……….11

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E. Theoretical Framework..………...………...18

F. Research Hypotheses………...………..…....19

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY……….21

A. Place and Time of the Research………..…………..21

B. Research Design……..………..21

C. Population and samples…..………...21

D. Techniques of Collecting Data...……...…...……….22

E. Techniques of Data Analysis………...………..22

F. Statistical Hypotheses………....………25

CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDING…...……….26

A. Data Description…...……….…...26

B. Data Analysis……...……….31

C. Data Interpretation...……….34

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION………...….37

A. Conclusion………...….37

B. Suggestion……….37

BIBLIOGRAPHY……….…...39

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Table 4.1 Grammar Scores………..26

Table 4.2 Statistical Scores of Grammar……….28

Table 4.3 Reading Comprehension Scores………..28

Table 4.4 Statistical Scores of Reading Comprehension……….30

Table 4.5 Data Analysis Table……….31

Table 4.6 SPSS Correlation Table………...33

xii Appendix 2 : Students’ Answer Sheets Appendix 3 : Students’ Scores

Appendix 4 : Surat Pengesahan Proposal Skripsi Appendix 5 : Surat Bimbingan Skripsi

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CHAPTER I

Introduction

A. Background of the Study

Grammar is a set of rules of a language. Every language has its own grammar. Based on Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, grammar deals with the sentences’ form and the smaller units, such as clauses, phrases, and words. 1 It means, by mastering grammar it will ease understanding a new word, phrase, clause, or even a sentence due to the form of sentence and the smaller units are based on the grammar rules. By mastering grammar of target language, especially English, it will be helpful in supporting the language student process in which in spoken or written language.

Furthermore, by mastering grammar, the language learning process will be easier due to they know how to make a good sentence and use every unit –clauses, phrases, words- in appropriate positions following the grammar rules in which it will get no difficulty to be understood by the reader.

In learning English, based on the 2013 curriculum, there are four skills that have to be learned by the students. One of them is reading. Reading is an important English skill that has to be mastered by the language students, such as Indonesian students, in order to pass any kinds of English examination or test. Reading skill does not just help the students especially Indonesian in passing English examinations or tests but also helps them in understanding many resources in the form of English text. By understanding many resources -like books, magazines, and newspapers-, the students can develop their knowledge.

In addition, the students often had difficulties due to they have to face many texts either long or short, that have to be read and be understood by them in limited

1 Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar, (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005), p. 1.

time in reading activities. According to Jeremy Harmer in his book, The Practice of English Language Teaching, reading is a training which the eyes and the brain are dominated: while the eyes receive messages, the brain has to exercise the meaning of these messages.2 It means that in reading, the reader needs to focus and concentrate due to the exercise in understanding the text is a complicated activity which needs the eyes -to read the text- and the brain -to process the meaning of text at the same time.

The main goal of reading activities is reading comprehension. Reading comprehension is an ultimate goal in reading. Without comprehension of a text that has been read, reading is nothing. In getting comprehension in reading something, it needs complicated process which is related to the readers’ abilities in reading. The abilities in reading influence the readers in understanding the texts or signs. In addition, the background knowledge also has impact in getting comprehension of a text. As Larry Lewin had stated in his book, Paving the Way in Reading and Writing, reading comprehension is an activity which is so complex due to the mind which works so hard to understand the written language while the eyes which move smoothly over the printed words.3 It means that reading comprehension is not an easy job for the process that they need to pass in order to understand the meaning of a text. The problems that the students often face in reading comprehension are the unknown words. In fact, beside the vocabulary mastery, the grammar mastery can also be helpful for the student to comprehend the reading texts. In understanding a text containing many combined words, the readers should have mastery about the sentence structure (how the words put into the text) for helping them understanding the message of the text completely or getting the writer’s messages accurately. For instance: All classes were canceled because the weather was bad, and students were told to listen to the radio to find out when classes would begin again.

2 Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, (New York: Longman Publishing, 1991), p. 190.

3 Larry Lewin, Paving The Way in Reading and Writing: Strategies and Activities to Support Struggling Students in Grades 6-12, (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003), p. 2.

The example above is containing two independent clauses and two dependent clauses which are connected by both conjunctions (i.e. for, and, but, or, yet, so) and subordinators (when, because, although, etc). That kind of sentence is called as the compound-complex sentence which is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.4

Based on Fromkin and Rodman, that had been stated by Darmono in his article, they stated that to understand the nature of language, it is a must for student to understand the nature of this internalized, unconscious set of rules which is part of every grammar of every language.5 Grammar has important part in successful of language student; it involves the successful of reading comprehension. In reading comprehension, the students should acquire what the writers’ messages completely. By understanding the sentence structures, they will acquire the complete messages of the writer’s idea due to their understanding of how to put the words into sentences that means it ease them to understand the meaning of the texts.

Zahra Akbari stated in his article that while reading a text, once the students study how to use syntactic structures in a text, their comprehension is significantly promoted. Furthermore, it permits them to get detailed reading comprehension, deepen their understanding and increase their reading speed. As a result, they will have a sense of self satisfaction, enjoy in reading English texts and are eventually encouraged to follow up the process of English learning.6 It seems that by learning about sentence structures the students will recognize easily the main ideas, supporting details and the part of speech that ease them understanding the meaning of the sentences in the texts completely, which is it is a long and complicated sentences. Then, they will get enjoy reading intended for understanding the texts easily and if

4 Marcella Frank, Modern English: Exercise for Non-Native Speaker Part II Sentence and Complex Structure, (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1972), p. 1.

5 Darmono, A Correlation between Grammar Achievement and Reading Comprehension Achievement, JP3, Vol. 1, 2013, pp. 25-26.

6 Zahra Akbari, The Role of Grammar in Second Language Reading Comprehension: Iranian ESP Context, Procedia: Social and Behavior Science, Vol. 98, 2014, p. 125.

they have often used their knowledge of sentence structure (grammar), they can increase their reading comprehension.

Based on Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, compare with the pronunciation and the words’ stock, grammar of the Standard English is much more stable and uniform; there is remarkably little dispute about what is grammatical (in compliance with the rules of grammar) and what isn’t.7

It showed that the rule of grammar in Standard English is constant and there was little disagreement in deciding which the sentence that was grammatically corrects or no. For instance: the phrase “the lucky boys” is a well-formed phrase in English, but the following two phrases are not at all well-formed.

*boys the lucky *lucky boys the

(The asterisk used to indicate that the form is ungrammatical or unacceptable)

The example above showed that in English, it has strict rules of a language (grammar) for combining words into phrases. In addition, those strict and many rules are difficult to be mastered by the students in fast way. For instance, some rules in well-formed phrase are the position of the article (the) which must go before the adjective (lucky) and the adjective which should have to go before noun (boys). It can be concluded that to be grammatical correct, those type of phrase must have the sequence article + adjective + noun.

In other words, if the students had mastered the English Grammar, it would be easy for them to master English. A student can be said as a good language student if he can communicate with their partner well without finding any confusing utterances. A good communication in English showed that the students have mastered the English Grammar.

Due to the explanation above, the researcher would like to research about: “The Correlation between The Students’ Grammar Mastery and Their Reading

Comprehension (A Correlational Study at the Sixth Semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta).

B. Identification of the Problems

Based on the background of the study above, the researchers found some problems which are developed into the following statements:

1. In reading comprehension, the students often get difficulties concerning the types and length of the reading texts.

2. Moreover, in the reading test, they face the problem of having limited time to comprehend the text.

3. The problems that the students often face in reading comprehension are the unknown words. In fact, beside the vocabulary mastery, the grammar mastery can also be helpful for the student to comprehend the reading texts due to in understanding a text containing many combined words; the readers should have mastery about the sentence structure.

4. In English, it has strict rules of a language (grammar) for combining words into phrases. In addition, those strict and many rules are difficult to be mastered by the students in fast way.

C. Limitation of the Study

This research focuses on the correlation of the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta in academic year 2015/2016.

D. Formulation of the Problem

Based on the background of the study above the problem of this research can be formulated as follows.

Is there any significant correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta in academic year 2015/2016?

E. Objective of the Study

By virtue of the formulation, the purpose of the study is to know the significant correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta in academic year 2015/2016.

F. Significance of the Study

The result of this research is hopefully going to help teacher or people who are interested in education to be aware of the importance of teaching grammar in order to help the students in understanding the texts.

For the language teachers, by knowing their students’ grammar mastery, they will know how to help them in order to increase their ability in reading comprehension.

For the students, by knowing the importance of grammar mastery for their reading comprehension, they will be aware that beside vocabulary they also need grammar mastery in order to understand any kinds of texts which not only contain simple or short sentences but also complex or long sentences that cannot be understood by translating the sentences word by word.

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CHAPTER II

Literature Review

A. Grammar

1. The Concept of Grammar

Every language has its own rules and it is needed to make it understandable. By understanding the rules in the target language, it can ease the student in language learning process. In learning a language, it cannot denied that the knowledge about grammar has important part in successful in language learning due to it is a basic knowledge that the student should master, beside the vocabulary of the target language. It is supported by Darmono who stated Fromkin and Rodman’ statement in his article, he explained that in order to understand the nature of language, it is a must for student to understand the nature of this internalized (unconscious set of rules) which is part of every grammar of every language.1 The statement showed that in learning a foreign language, it is a must to master grammar due to it is the essential part of the language. By understanding the foreign language’s grammar, the student can use the foreign language in the right structure or grammatical correct. Without grammar knowledge, the student will get difficult in using the language correctly.

Following to Peat, Elliot and Baur, grammar is on the subject of knowing the reason why something reads improperly and know how to fix it.2 It can be concluded that if the sentences are in ungrammatical pattern, it can made the reader difficult to get the ideas yet if the reader have knowledge of grammar they can easily fix them and catch the ideas of the sentences. While Kolln and Funk defined grammar into three definition:3

1 Darmono, A Correlation between Grammar Achievement and Reading Comprehension Achievement, JP3, Vol. 1, 2013, pp. 25-26.

2 Jennifer Peat, et al., Scientific Writing: Easy When You Know How, (London: BMJ Books, 2002), p. 214.

3 Martha J. Kolln and Robert W. Funk, Understanding English Grammar, (USA: Pearson Education, 2012), 9th Ed., p. 5.

a. Grammar is the system of rules in our heads. Additionally, your language competence is that subconscious system and those internalized rules differ from one language community to another.

b. Grammar is the formal description of the rules. It refers to the branch of linguistic science which concerned with the formal description of language - identify the form and the structure of sentence.

c. Grammar is the social implication of usage or linguistic etiquette -do’s and don’t’s of usage, rather than grammar. For instance, there are some certain words which are thought of as bad manner in a particular context and this description also applies the terms like “poor grammar” and “good grammar”. Based on Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, grammar deals with the sentences’ form and the smaller units, such as clauses, phrases, and words. Compare with the pronunciation and the words’ stock, grammar of the Standard English is much more stable and uniform; there is remarkably little dispute about what is grammatical (in compliance with the rules of grammar) and what isn’t.4

It showed that the rules of grammar in Standard English is constant and there was little disagreement in deciding which was the sentence was grammatical correct or no. In other words, if the students had mastered the English Grammar they will ease to use language and it seemed that by mastering English Grammar would not be confusing anymore in understanding English language usage. A student could be said as a good language student if he can communicate with their friend well without finding any confusing utterances.

It is supported by Gana Kumara and friend who stated Cristal definition about grammar in Sharaf’s article, that grammar is as the structural foundation of peoples’ ability in order to express their ideas. The more students be familiar with and comprehend the language grammar, the more structural and grammatical their

4 Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar, (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005), pp. 1-2.

language is.5 The more structural and grammatical their language, it would be easier for the student in using the language and it also would make the reader or the student’s partner in communication easier getting the student’s ideas. It means the communication between them, either in written or spoken language, would be well due to they didn’t get any confusing language usage.

2. The Importance of Grammar

George Yule defined grammar as the method of how to explain the structure of phrases and sentences in such a way that we account for all grammatical sequences in a language and rule out all the ungrammatical sequences.6 For instance: the phrase “the lucky boys” is a well-formed phrase in English, but the following two phrases are not at all well-formed.

*boys the lucky *lucky boys the

(The asterisk used to indicate that the form is ungrammatical or unacceptable)

The example above showed that English has strict rules for combining words into phrases. The article (the) must go before the adjective (lucky) and the adjective should have to go before noun (boys). It can be concluded that to be grammatical correct, those type of phrase must have the sequence article + adjective + noun.

From the explanation above, it seems that the rules of the sentences pattern is important to know in order to use the language in correct grammatically. The well-formed of language usage is important in order to get the clear understanding of foreign language usage between the student and other student, either in their reading, speaking, listening, and writing activities. It is supported by Peter Knapp and Megan Watkins who stated in their book that the grammar knowledge is needed in the process of becoming literate; furthermore language use from the implicit and

5 Gana Kumara, et al., The Effect of Task-Based Language Teaching and English Grammar Mastery toward Reading Comprehension of The Second Semester Students, e-Journal Program Pascasarjana Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Vol. 1, 2013, p. 4.

6 George Yule, The Study of Language fourth edition, (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010), p. 81.

unconscious to a conscious manipulation of language and choice of appropriate text was shifted by the grammar knowledge through speaker or writer.7 It shows that the knowledge of grammar is important to be mastered due to its function not only to make the correct sentences but also it refers to its meanings.

3. Types of Grammar

According to Kolln and Funk, there are two types of grammar, namely: Structural and Transformational Grammar. Each type will be explained below:8

a. Structural Grammar

The Structuralists identify the importance of describing language on its own term. By paying particular attention to how the change of words in sound and spelling (their forms) and how the use of them in sentences (their functions), the Structuralists examined the sentences objectively. In addition, new grammar, which is another important feature of structuralism, is its emphasis on the systematic nature of English.

b. Transformational Grammar

Contrast with structuralists, whose goal was to analyze the sentences we actually speak and to give details their systematic nature, the transformationalists goal was to unlock the secrets of language which was to build a model that would produce all of the grammatical sentences. It might be helpful to imagine of our built-in language system as a computer program. The transformationalists are trying to illustrate that program.

7 _{Peter Knapp and Megan Watkins, Genre, Text, Grammar: Technologies for Teaching Assessing}

Writing, (Sydney: UNSW Press Book, 2005), p. 32. 8 Kolln and Funk, op. cit., pp. 6-7.

B. Reading Comprehension

1. The Definition of Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is an ultimate goal in reading. Without comprehension of what is being read or what has been read, reading is not anything. In getting comprehension in reading a text, it needs complicated process which is related to the ability of someone in reading. The ability in reading influences someone to understand the texts or signs. In addition, the background knowledge also has impact in getting comprehension of a text.

Larry Lewin, in his book Paving the Way in Reading and Writing, stated that reading comprehension is an activity which is so complex due to the mind which works so hard to understand the written language while the eyes move smoothly over the printed words.9 It means that reading comprehension is not an easy job, the reader has to work hard to understand what they are reading. It cannot be done without the ability of the readers in reading. In fact, there are many factors in getting comprehension in reading. Those are the reader’s ability, background knowledge, vocabulary mastery, motivation, purpose, and many more.

Other explanation about reading comprehension comes from JoAnne Schmidt in her book that stated the definition of reading comprehension based on RAND Reading Study Group, which is simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning process during interaction and involvement with written language.10 It is supported by Lems, Miller, and Soro which stated in their book that reading comprehension is not a static competency -it varies according to the purposes for reading and the texts that are involved- and it is an ability to construct meaning from a given written text.11 Therefore, reading comprehension is an activity that needs to

9 Larry Lewin, Paving The Way in Reading and Writing: Strategies and Activities to Support Struggling Students in Grades 6-12, (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003), p. 2.

10 JoAnne Schudt Caldwell, Comprehension Assessment: A Classroom Guide, (New York: The Guilford Press. 2008), p. 204.

11_{Kristin Lems, et al., Teaching Reading to English Language Learners: Insight from Linguistics,}

use the complex process in order to understand the meaning of the text they are reading, and then represent the meaning based on their understanding of the text by using their own words.

Margo stated in his book that for English language student, a purpose of both graphic and textual support -that is, the students’ understanding of text or print is facilitated through illustrations, photographs, tables, charts, and line art- is reading comprehension. In addition, Students’ comprehension is also supported by bold print -to support important points-, a glossary –as a footnote to text-, or the bilingual or picture dictionary usage –to clarify meaning.12 It showed that the illustrations give the students clues, and it is really helpful for them in order to understand the text accurately. Furthermore, it will be really helpful for them who poor in reading comprehension to comprehend the text precisely and to improve their reading comprehension speed. Besides, it also will make the students enjoy doing reading activities.

2. Facets of Comprehension

Raymond Philippot and Michael F. Graves stated five facets of comprehension in their book. Those are:

a. Fostering learning from text. The students are supported in understanding, learning form, and enjoying each and every text they read by providing them a combination of pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading activities. b. Teaching for Understanding. In order to students thoroughly understand

these topics, remember important parts of what they read, and can use the knowledge they gain from reading in school and in their lived outside of school, they are treated by important topics in depth.

12 Margo Gottlieb, Assessing English Language Lernera: Bridges From Language Proficiency to Academic Achievement, (USA: Corwin Press, 2006), p. 53.

c. Nurturing Response to Literature. Both cognitive and affective outcomes and assisting students in responding to literature in a variety of ways are leaded by literature.

d. Teaching Comprehension Strategies. By ensuring that they master strategies (such as predicting, summarizing, and being metacognitive), the students are assisting in becoming independent readers.

e. Promoting Higher-order Thinking. To engage in analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and other thought-demanding activities, the students are provided by both instruction and rich opportunities.13

3. Reading Comprehension Strategies

Reading comprehension requires strategies usage before, during, and after reading.14 It is supported by Eagleton and Dobler who stated a few key comprehension strategies and their application to both print and Web-based reading: activating prior knowledge, predicting, determining important ideas, synthesizing, monitoring, and repairing.

a. Activating Prior Knowledge

Following Duke and Pearson’s statement which was stated by Maya and Elizabeth in their book that by developing connections between the text and themselves, the text and other text, and the text and the world, the prior knowledge is used by a good reader in order to check whether their construction of meaning matches what they know about the topic and structure of the text. In addition, the readers can be able remember more, determine the important information in the text, and then make conclusions from what they read and prior knowledge of the topic and the structure of the

13 Raymond Philippot and Michael F. Graves, Fostering Comprehension in English Classes, (New York: The Guilford Press, 2009), pp. 4-5.

text which provides a starting point from which to move forward through the comprehension process with their greater prior knowledge.

b. Predicting

Making prediction before, during, and after reading is the way good readers comprehend texts. Based on Presley who was stated by Maya and Elizabeth on their book, in order to make the predictions accurately, it should rely on a sensitive balance of prior knowledge of the topic, a sense of wonderment or curiosity, and other experiences with similar types of text. There are three steps in predicting, those are making the prediction, gathering information to confirm or disconfirm the prediction, then making a judgment about the accuracy of the prediction. Following Beers who was stated by Maya and Elizabeth on their book, a reader feels a connection with the text and a sense of understanding when accurate predictions are made, while a reader begins to feel disconnected or lost -which can break down meaning if this occurs too often and is not corrected- when predictions are made that are not confirmed in the text.

c. Determining Important Ideas

Through sifting out the important from the unimportant, the strong readers reduce the text into manageable chunks of key ideas mentally. Then the reader combines the mental chunks of key ideas into one overall main idea or several key ideas representing the text in general after the predictions are verified during the reading process. Yet it is particularly crucial when reading informational text, this process of determining important ideas differs according to a reader’s purpose for reading.

d. Synthesizing

By thinking about what is being read and how this information enhances their understanding and supports the construction of meaning, skilled readers learn to stop every so often in their reading and summarize. Additionally, in order to help create an understanding of what is being read, strong readers

not only sort and summarize the most important ideas from within single texts, but also between texts in order to synthesize ideas

e. Monitoring

On difficult parts of the text, strong readers tend to be cautious in their reading and use more time. Then, during and after reading in monitoring their process of making meaning, these readers possess the metacognitive ability to mentally summarize chunks of the text. They are more conscious of their level of understanding or lack of understanding and can maneuver between skimming, scanning, and slow, careful reading skillfully. Skillfully readers are not only can adjust their reading rate, but also adjust their use of reading strategies in order to better understand a text.

f. Repairing

When discovering that the meaning has been lost, good readers know what to do. Based on Garner who was stated by Maya and Elizabeth on their book, skilled readers select an appropriate mental tool or strategy to repair confusion by using what are called “fix-up” strategies –such as rereading, skipping ahead, or searching for context clues. Furthermore, they are also more flexible in their use of strategies, displaying an ability to change strategies in order to meet different reading situations.15

C. Grammar Mastery and Reading Comprehension

Grammar is a set of rules of a language. Every language has its own grammar. Based on Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, grammar deals with the sentences’ form and the smaller units, such as clauses, phrases, and words. 16

It means, by mastering grammar it will ease understanding a new word, phrase, clause, or even a sentence due to the form of sentence and the smaller units are based on the

15_{Maya B. Eagleton and Elizabeth Dobler, Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet Inquiry, (New}

York: The Guilford Press, 2007), p. 36-40. 16 Huddleston and Pullum, op. cit., p. 1.

grammar rules. By mastering grammar of target language, especially English, it will be helpful in supporting the language student process in which in spoken or written language, in this case is reading comprehension. In addition, in order to understanding information or story, the reader should have knowledge about the sentence structure. In this case, in English, the readers who have mastered many vocabularies and have knowledge about English sentence structure, they will get the idea of the information or story easily due to they know the meaning of vocabulary based on the sentence structure. Furthermore, English vocabulary have many meaning based on the function of the word in a sentence. Moreover, it is important having knowledge of sentence structure or grammar.

In second language reading research, Alderson points to the significance of a particular syntactic structures knowledge or the ability to process them to some aspects of second-language reading and the ability to parse sentences into their accurate syntactic structure emerges to be an important element in understanding text for him.17 Following Nassaji, any understanding of reading texts and knowing the utterance need close attention to a numeral of factors; one fundamental factor of which is the knowledge of grammar.18 It can be concluded that grammar mastery has been the important part in getting the understanding of a text due to its knowledge about the sentence structure which is essential in comprehending a text.

D. The Relevant Study

There are three studies that are related to this study. Those are the relationship between grammatical knowledge and the ability to guess word meaning: the case of Iranian EFL students with upper intermediate level of proficiency written by Ranjbar, a correlation between grammar achievement and reading comprehension

17 Dongbo Zhang, Vocabulary and Grammar Knowledge in Second Language Reading Comprehension: A Structural Equation Modeling Study, The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 96, No. 4, 2012, p. 560.

18 _{Mehnoosh Ranjbar, The Relationship between Grammatical Knowledge and the Ability to Guess}

Word Meaning: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners with Upper Intermediate Level of Proficiency, Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 2, No. 6, 2012, p. 1305.

achievement written by Darmono, and the correlation between grammar mastery and writing ability (a correlational study at the sixth semester of Department of English Education students of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta) written by Septiani.

The first study is the relationship between grammatical knowledge and the ability to guess word meaning: the case of Iranian EFL students with upper intermediate level of proficiency written by Ranjbar, the study was conducted in June 2012. This study provided some empirical data to examine the contribution of grammatical knowledge in getting the meaning of unknown words. Moreover, this study used correlation design. In addition the objective of the study was to see if grammatical knowledge played any significant role in word guessing. Then, the participants of the study were thirty female students of Iranian EFL students with upper intermediate level of proficiency. Furthermore, there were three kinds of instrument in this study; those are vocabulary test, grammar test, and unknown words in context. In the result, it was indicated that grammar knowledge was a key factor in deciphering the meanings of unknown words and it was also concluded that the more comprehensive the grammar knowledge was, the higher the students’ proficiency level in guessing words would be.19

The second study is a correlation between grammar achievement and reading comprehension achievement written by Darmono in 2013. The research focused on the correlation between grammar achievement and reading comprehension at the first semester of English Department of Islamic University of Malang and the aim was to ascertain the relationship between grammar achievement and reading comprehension achievement. The population of this research was the first semester of English Department of Islamic University of Malang and the sample is 33 students of 110 English Department students. The instrument in this research was the document (final score of semester test). Then the collected data analyzed by using Pearson Product

Moment Correlation Formula. In addition, the result showed that there was a very weak correlation between grammatical achievements and reading comprehension achievements at the first semester of English Department of Islamic University of Malang.20

The third research is the correlation between grammar mastery and writing ability (a correlational study at the sixth semester of Department of English Education students of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta) written by Septiani in 2014. The aim of the research was to know whether there is a significant correlation between grammar mastery and writing ability at the sixth of Department of English Education students of State Islamic University Jakarta. Then, this research used quantitative method and correlational technique. Furthermore, the population of this research was the sixth semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta and the sample of this research was 33 students of B class. Finally, the result showed that there is a very low correlation between students’ grammar mastery and writing ability.21

E. Theoretical Framework

Based on Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, Grammar deals with the sentences’ form and the smaller units, such as clauses, phrases, and words. Compare with the pronunciation and the words’ stock, grammar of the Standard English is much more stable and uniform; there is remarkably little dispute about what is grammatical (in compliance with the rules of grammar) and what isn’t.22 It showed that the rules of grammar in Standard English is constant and there was little disagreement in deciding which was the sentence was grammatical correct or no. In

20 Darmono, A Correlation between Grammar Achievement and Reading Comprehension Achievement, JP3, Vol. 1, 2013, p. 25.

21 _{Reni Septiani,} “The Correlation between Grammar Mastery And Writing Ability (A

Correlational Study at The Sixth Semester of Department of English Education Students of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta)”, a SKRIPSI Presented To The Faculty of Educational Sciences In State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Jakarta, 2014, p. v, not published.

other words, if the students had mastered the English Grammar they will ease to use language and it seemed that by mastering English Grammar wouldn’t be confusing anymore for them to understand English language usage, in this case reading comprehension.

Based on Larry Lewin, reading comprehension is an activity which is so complex due to the mind which works so hard to understand the written language while the eyes which move smoothly over the printed words.23 It showed that reading comprehension is not an easy job; the reader has to work hard to understand what they are reading. It cannot be done without the ability of the readers in reading.

The problems that the students often face in reading comprehension are the unknown words. In fact, beside the vocabulary knowledge of the students, their grammar knowledge is also having a big impact in their successful in getting the goal of reading activities. In understanding a text containing many combined words, the readers should have knowledge about the sentence structure (how the words put into the text) for helping them understanding the message of the text completely or getting the writer’s messages accurately.

A student can be said as a good language student if he can communicate with their partner well without finding any confusing utterances. The well communication in English showed that they have mastered the English Grammar.

As the topic of the study, is to find out whether or not there is a significant correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension. Therefore, it is conducted to find out the possible correlation between two variables through correlational statistics.

23 Lewin, loc. cit.

F. Research Hypotheses

Based on the literature review and the theoretical framework above, the hypothesis is formulated as follows:

H0 = There is no correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their

reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016.

Ha = There is correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their

reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016.

21

CHAPTER III

Research Methodology

A. Place and Time of the Research

This research was conducted at Department of English Education of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, which is located at Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No. 95, Ciputat, Tangerang Selatan, Banten, 15412. The research started on odd semester in academic year 2015-2016 from May up to November 2016.

B. Research Design

In this research, the researcher used quantitative method through correlational research. Correlational research or ex post facto research focuses on the connection between variables as they take place in natural setting.1 In addition, correlational research is used to find out whether there is a significant correlation between one variable to another variable. Correlational design is also a procedure in quantitative research in which investigators measure the degree of association (or relation) between two or more variables using the statistical procedure of correlation analysis.

In this research, there are two variables, the students’ grammar mastery which is independent variable and the students’ reading comprehension which is dependent variable.

C. Population and Sample

The population of this research was the 6th semester students of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif

1 William Wiersma & Stephen G. Jurs, Research Methods in Education: An Introduction, (USA: Pearson, 2009), p. 190.

Hidayatullah Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016. The 6th semester of English education divided into three classes, class A, B and C. The total of them are 71.

Therefore, for this research, the researcher just took the 31 students from two classes; B and C class, as the sample. The researcher took the sample by using random sampling method.

D. Techniques of Data Collection

The researcher collected data by getting documentation of score and doing test in order to get data about the students’ grammar mastery scores and the students’ reading comprehension scores.

In getting grammar score, the researcher collected the data from the lecturer at the Department of English Education. The researcher chose Grammar 5 due to the subject of Grammar 5 at DEE of UIN Jakarta was more focus on TOEFL preparation and the students have learned grammar 1 to 4 which are the basic knowledge of grammar that should be mastered by the students in order to learn grammar 5.

Then, in getting reading comprehension score, the researcher conducted the reading comprehension test to 6th semester students. Due to the material of Grammar 5 was more focus on TOEFL preparation, the researcher adapted the reading comprehension test from Barron’s Practice Exercises for the TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language of 6th Edition. The reading comprehension test consists of 30 items.

E. Techniques of Data Analysis

In this step, the researcher used correlational design. The researcher compares the students’ grammar mastery scores and their reading comprehension scores at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. To find out the correlation

between students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension, the researcher used the Product-Moment Correlation coefficient formula. Product-Moment Correlation is one technique that is usually used to find out the significance of the correlation between two variables. This technique was published by Karl Pearson; therefore it is often called as Pearson Correlation Technique.

The next step is analyzing the data. This analyzing is done in order to know whether there is significance correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Then, to find out the result of this study, the researcher used the Pearson Product Moment Correlation formula, as follow:2

The formula is:

�

= � −( )( )

� 2−( )2 _� 2−( )2

Note:

� : Correlation coefficient between the students’ grammar mastery scores and their reading comprehension scores at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

� : Number of respondents

: Distribution of students’ grammar mastery scores : Distribution of Students’ reading comprehension scores ∑X : Total score of students’ grammar mastery scores distribution ∑Y : Total score of students’ reading comprehension scores distribution ∑XY : Total number of multiply between X scores and Y scores

X2 : Total multiply of X score multiplies X score

2 Budi Susetyo, Statistika untuk Analisis Data Penelitian dilengkapi cara Perhitungan dengan SPSS dan Office Excel, (Bandung: PT Refika Aditama, 2010), p. 180.

Y2 : Total multiply of Y score multiplies Y score

Significant critical value : 0.05 Criteria:

Rejected Ha when � < rt

Accepted Ha when � >rt

With that formula, the researcher got r coefficient that can describe the correlation between X variable and Y variable, as below:

Tabel 3.1

The Interpretation of Correlation ‘r’ Product Moment3

rxy Interpretation

0.00 – 0.199 The correlation between X variable and Y variable is very weak or can be told there is no correlation between the variables. 0.20 – 0.399 There is weak correlation between X variable and Y variable. 0.40 – 0.699 There is medium correlation between X variable and Y

variable.

0.70 – 0.899 There is strong correlation between X variable and Y variable. 0.90 – 1.00 There is very strong correlation between X variable and Y

variable.

Then to find out the significant between two variables, the formula of significant test is as follow:

�= � �−2

1− �2 Note:

tcount : t value

rxy : value of correlation coefficient

n : Number of respondents

F.

Statistical Hypotheses

1. If ro as same as or higher than rt, the Ha is accepted. It means there is a

significant correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016.

2. If ro is lower than rt, the Ha is rejected. It means there is no significant

correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016.

26

A. Data Description

The researcher conducted the research at the State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta (UIN). The participants of the research were the 6th semester of Department of English Education (DEE) students on academic year 2015/2016. There was one test that was given to the participants, it was reading test, in order to get the reading scores of the participants. The test consisted of 30 questions of multiple choices. However, the researcher did not conduct the grammar 5 test by itself yet the researcher collected the grammar 5 scores from the lecturer of grammar 5 of DEE of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. The data that were gotten are:

Table 4.1 Grammar Scores

Participants Grammar Scores (X)

Student 1 66

Student 2 77

Student 3 69

Student 4 88

Student 5 88

Student 6 71

Student 7 76

Student 8 80

Student 9 80

Student 10 83

Participants Grammar Scores (X)

Student 12 80

Student 13 97

Student 14 71

Student 15 76

Student 16 85

Student 17 71

Student 18 76

Student 19 60

Student 20 71

Student 21 77

Student 22 57

Student 23 76

Student 24 76

Student 25 71

Student 26 57

Student 27 63

Student 28 80

Student 29 77

Student 30 60

Student 31 90

From the scores that were collected above, the researcher needed to know the statistical score of the data including the mean, median, mode, maximum score, minimum score, and standards deviation of the scores. To find out those statistical scores of the data above, the researcher used SPSS. The descriptions of the finding were described below:

Table 4.2 Grammar Score

Statistics Grammar

N

Valid 31

Missing 0

Mean 75.00

Median 76.00

Mode 76

Std. Deviation 9.606

Variance 92.267

Minimum 57

Maximum 97

From the calculation of SPSS, the average score of grammar is 75. The median score of grammar is 76. The mode or the score that show the most is 76. The highest score of grammar is 97 and the lowest score is 57. The standard deviation is 9.606 with variance 92.267.

Table 4.3

Reading Comprehension

Participants Reading Comprehension Scores (Y)

Student 1 40

Student 2 57

Student 3 53

Participants Reading Comprehension Scores (Y)

Student 5 57

Student 6 50

Student 7 93

Student 8 60

Student 9 83

Student 10 80

Student 11 73

Student 12 70

Student 13 93

Student 14 90

Student 15 67

Student 16 70

Student 17 57

Student 18 63

Student 19 60

Student 20 60

Student 21 40

Student 22 53

Student 23 67

Student 24 50

Student 25 70

Student 26 57

Student 27 75

Student 28 73

Participants Reading Comprehension Scores (Y)

Student 30 53

Student 31 75

To find out the statistical scores of the data above, the researcher used SPSS. The descriptions of the finding were described below:

Table 4.4

Reading Comprehension Statistics

Reading

N

Valid 31

Missing 0

Mean 64.68

Median 63.00

Mode 53a

Std. Deviation 13.862

Variance 192.159

Minimum 40

Maximum 93

a. Multiple modes exist. The smallest value is shown

From the calculation of SPSS above, the average score of reading comprehension is 64.68. The median score of reading comprehension is 63. The mode or the score that show the most is 53, and 57. The highest score of reading comprehension is 93 and the lowest score is 40. The standard deviation is 13.862 with variance 192.159

B. Data Analysis

Table 4.5 Data Analysis Table

Participants X Y XY X2 Y2

Student 1 66 40 2640 4356 1600

Student 2 77 57 4389 5929 3249

Student 3 69 53 3657 4761 2809

Student 4 88 53 4664 7744 2809

Student 5 88 57 5016 7744 3249

Student 6 71 50 3550 5041 2500

Student 7 76 93 7068 5776 8649

Student 8 80 60 4800 6400 3600

Student 9 80 83 6640 6400 6889

Student 10 83 80 6640 6889 6400

Student 11 76 73 5548 5776 5329

Student 12 80 70 5600 6400 4900

Student 13 97 93 9021 9409 8649

Student 14 71 90 6390 5041 8100

Student 15 76 67 5092 5776 4489

Student 16 85 70 5950 7225 4900

Student 17 71 57 4047 5041 3249

Student 18 76 63 4788 5776 3969

Student 19 60 60 3600 3600 3600

Student 20 71 60 4260 5041 3600

Student 21 77 40 3080 5929 1600

Student 22 57 53 3021 3249 2809

Participants X Y XY X2 Y2

Student 24 76 50 3800 5776 2500

Student 25 71 70 4970 5041 4900

Student 26 57 57 3249 3249 3249

Student 27 63 75 4725 3969 5625

Student 28 80 73 5840 6400 5329

Student 29 77 63 4851 5929 3969

Student 30 60 53 3180 3600 2809

Student 31 90 75 6750 8100 5625

N = 31 ∑X= 2325 ∑Y= 2005 ∑XY = 151918 ∑X2 = 177143 ∑Y2 = 135443

N = 31 ∑X=2325 ∑Y=2005 ∑XY = 151918 ∑X2

=177143 ∑Y2

=135443

� = � −

� 2 – 2 � 2 – 2

=

31 . 151918− 2325 2005

31 . 177143− 2325 2 31 . 135443− 2005 2 =

4709458− 4661625

5491433−5405625 4198733− 4020025 =

47833

85808 178708 = 47833

=

47833 123832.86 = 0.386

To ensure the result of the calculation above, the researcher used SPSS program in order to know whether the result of calculation that the researcher did manually was accurate. The description of the calculation of SPSS was described below:

Table 4.6

SPSS Correlation Table Correlations

Grammar Reading

Grammar

Pearson

Correlation 1 .386

*

Sig. (2-tailed) .032

N 31 31

Reading

Pearson

Correlation .386

*

1 Sig. (2-tailed) .032

N 31 31

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

The results of both calculations (manual and SPSS calculation) are similar. The results showed that the value of rxy is 0.386. It means that there is no mistake in

manual calculation process. In addition, the degree of freedom (Df) is 31-2=29. Then, in table significant of 0.05 it is obtained 0.367.

The next step is to find out the significant of the variables by using the significant test formula:

� = � �−2

1− �2

� =

0.386 31−2

1−0.149

� =

0.386 5.385 0.851

� = 2.079 0.923

� = 2.253

Based on the calculation above, the result is compared by ttable in the significant

of 5% and the degree of freedom (Df) = 31-2=29. From df, it is obtained ttable of

5%=2.045.

C. Data Interpretation

After the writer calculated using the formula of Product Moment, it shows that the correlation value is rxy = 0.386 and the degree of freedom (Df) = 29. In the table of

significant shows if Df value is 29, the table of significant of 5% is 0.367. The statistical hypotheses state:

1. If ro the same as or higher than rt, the Ha is accepted. It means there is a

significant correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016.

2. If ro is lower than rt, the Ha is rejected. It means there is no significant

correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016.

Based on the score of rxy = 0.386, it indicates that rxy is higher than rt, in which

is tobserved is higher than ttable,2.253 ˃ 2.045. As a result, the correlation between the

students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016 is positive or significant. So, the null hypothesis (Ho) which states

that there is no significant correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016 is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) which states that there is significant correlation between

the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016 is accepted.

Table 4.7

The Interpretation of Correlation ‘r’ Product Moment1

rxy Interpretation

0.00 – 0.199 The correlation between X variable and Y variable is very weak or can be told there is no correlation between the variables. 0.20 – 0.399 There is weak correlation between X variable and Y variable. 0.40 – 0.699 There is medium correlation between X variable and Y

variable.

0.70 – 0.899 There is strong correlation between X variable and Y variable. 0.90 – 1.00 There is very strong correlation between X variable and Y

variable.

Based on the table above, it can be seen that the correlation index (rxy = 0.386)

is in the interval 0.20 – 0.399 which means that the correlation belong to weak correlation. In other word, there is low correlation between variable X and variable Y.

Furthermore, it has a positive and weak correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension at the 6th semester of Department of English Education of State Islamic University Jakarta on academic year 2015-2016.

37

A. Conclusion

Based on the research finding, it is found that the null hypothesis (Ho) is

rejected and alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. It can be seen from the data

analysis that rxy = 0.386 and to = 2.253 with degree of freedom (Df) = n - 2 = 31

– 2 = 29; in the table of significant of 5% it is obtained rt = 0.367 dan tt = 2.045.

As a result, rxy ˃ rt and to ˃ tt that means there is correlation between the

students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension although the correlation is weak. Then, it can be concluded that if the students have high scores in grammar, they will also have high scores in reading comprehension, and the other way around.

B. Suggestion

Based on the conclusion above, the researcher would like to suggest the following suggestions:

1. For English Teachers/Lecturers

The results of the research showed that there is correlation between the students’ grammar mastery and their reading comprehension. Furthermore, in order to increase the students’ ability in reading comprehension, the teacher should increase the students’ grammar mastery by explaining about the rules of grammar in appropriate and various methods and media.

2. For Students

By knowing that the students’ grammar mastery has contribution for their reading comprehension, it is a must for them to increase their grammar mastery

due to it helps them to understand the meaning of text completely and accurately.

3. For the Further Researchers

This research can be a contribution for other researchers who would like to research about a correlation between two variables, in this case grammar and reading. Furthermore, this research may also be beneficial for the further study about the correlation between other language components and other language skills.

Caldwell, JoAnne Schud, Comprehension Assessment: A Classroom Guide, New York: The Guilford Press, 2008.

D. G. A., Gana Kumara, et al., The Effect of Task-Based Language Teaching and English Grammar Mastery toward Reading Comprehension of The Second Semester Students, e-Journal Program Pascasarjana Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, 1, 2013.

Darmono, A Correlation between Grammar Achievement and Reading Comprehension Achievement, JP3, 1, 2013.

Eagleton, Maya B., and Elizabeth Dobler, Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet Inquiry, New York: The Guilford Press, 2007.

Frank, Marcella, Modern English: Exercise for Non-Native Speaker Part II Sentence and Complex Structure, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1972.

Gottlieb, Margo, Assessing English Language Lernera: Bridges From Language Proficiency to Academic Achievement, USA: Corwin Press, 2006.

Harmer, Jeremy, The Practice of English Language Teaching, New York: Longman Publishing, 1991.

Huddleston, Rodney and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Knapp, Peter, and Megan Watkins, Genre, Text, Grammar: Technologies for Teaching Assessing Writing, Sydney: UNSW Press Book, 2005.

Kolln, Martha J. and Robert W. Funk, Understanding English Grammar 9th _{Ed, USA:}

Pearson Education, 2012.

Lems, Kristin, et al., Teaching Reading to English Language Learners: Insight from Linguistics, New York: The Guilford Press, 2010.

Lewin, Larry, Paving the Way in Reading and Writing: Strategies and Activities to Support Struggling Students in Grades 6-12, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003.

Peat, Jennifer,et al., Scientific Writing: Easy When You Know How, London: BMJ Books, 2002.

Philippot, Raymond and Michael F. Graves, Fostering Comprehension in English Classes, New York: The Guilford Press, 2009.

Ranjbar, Mehnoosh, The Relationship between Grammatical Knowledge and the Ability to Guess Word Meaning: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners with Upper Intermediate Level of Proficiency, Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2, 6. 2012.

Septiani, Reni, “The Correlation between Grammar Mastery And Writing Ability (A Correlational Study at The Sixth Semester of English Education Department Students of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta)”, a SKRIPSI Presented To The Faculty of Tarbiya And Teachers Training In UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Jakarta, 2014, not published.

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Zhang, Dongbo, Vocabulary and Grammar Knowledge in Second Language Reading Comprehension: A Structural Equation Modeling Study, The Modern Language Journal, 96, 4, 2012.

In question 1-10, you will be asked to recall and relate information and content from narration or sequence passages about popular culture. Choose the best answer.

Basketball

Although he created the game of basketball at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, Dr. James A. Naismith was a Canadian. Working as a physical education instructor at the International YMCA, now Springfield College, Dr. Naismith noticed a lack of interest in exercise among students during the wintertime. The New England winters were fierce, and the students balked at participating in outdoor activities. Naismith determined that a fast-moving game that could be played indoors would fill a void after the baseball and football seasons had ended.

First he attempted to adapt outdoor games such as soccer and rugby to indoor play, but he soon found them unsuitable for confined areas. Finally, he determined that he would have to invent a game.

In December of 1981, Dr. Naismith hung two old peach baskets at either end of the gymnasium at the school, and, using a soccer ball and nine players on each side, organized the first basketball game. The early rules allowed three points for each basket and made running with the ball a violation. Every time a goal was made, someone had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball.

Nevertheless, the game became popular. In less than a year, basketball was being played in both The United States and Canada. Five years later, a championship tournament was staged in New York City, which was won by the Brooklyn Central YMCA.

The team had already been reduced to seven players, and five became standard in the 1897 season. When basketball was introduced as a demonstration sport in the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, it quickly spread throughout the world. In 1906, a metal hoop was used for the first time to replace the basket, but the name basketball has remained.

d. Dr. James Naismith

2. When was the first demonstration game of basketball held during the Olympics?

a. 1891 b. 1892 c. 1897 d. 1904

3. The phrase “balked at” in line 5 could best be replaced by a. resisted

b. enjoyed c. excelled at

d. were exhausted by

4. The word “fierce” in line 5 is closest in meaning to a. long

b. boring c. extreme d. dark

5. The word “them” in line 10 refers to a. indoors

b. seasons c. games d. areas

6. Where in the passage does the author discuss the first basketball championship tournament?

a. Lines 9-10 b. Lines 12-14 c. Lines 18-20 d. Lines 22-24

b. Basketball became popular worldwide after its introduction at the Olympic Games in St. Louis.

c. Basketball players from many countries competed in the Olympic Games in St. Louis.

d. Basketball was one of the most popular sports at the Olympic Games in St. Louis

8. Why did Naismith decide to invent basketball?

a. He did not like soccer or rugby. b. He was tired of baseball and football.

c. He wanted his students to exercise during the winter. d. He could not convince his students to play indoors.

9. The author mentions all of the following as typical of the early game of basketball, EXCEPT

a. three points were scored for every basket b. running with the ball was not a foul c. nine players were on a team

d. the ball had to be retrieved from the basket after each score 10. It can be inferred from the passage that the original baskets

a. were not placed very high b. had a metal rim

c. did not have a hole in the bottom d. were hung on the same side

Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly his most famous one. It was on a cross-country train trip from New York to California in 1927 that Disney first drew the mouse with the big ears. Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. No one is quite sure why he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes. But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened and christened him Mickey Mouse.

Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie, Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. By the 1930s Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career.

Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. Mickey is appealing because he is nice. He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He is both good-natured and resourceful. Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. Why else would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When interviewed, he would say. “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” And that mouse has remained one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

11. Which of the following is the main topic of the passage? a. The image of Mickey Mouse

b. The life of Walt Disney c. The history of cartoons

d. The definition of American culture

d. The longer format

13. The word “pervasive” in line 22 could best be replaced by a. well loved

b. widespread c. often copied d. expensive to buy

14. The word “appealing” in line 17 is closest in meaning to a. attractive

b. famous c. exceptional d. distinguishable

15. The word “Those” in line 17 refers to a. cartoons

b. forms c. gloves d. changes

16. Where in the passage does the author relate how Mickey got his name? a. Lines 7-8

b. Lines 9-10 c. Lines 12-13 d. Lines 14-17

a. The current version of Mickey Mouse is different in every way from the early cartoons.

b. The original Mickey Mouse was one of the first cartoons characters. c. In the first cartoons, Mickey Mouse looked more like a child. d. The personality of Mickey Mouse has not changed over the years. 18. What did Disney mean when he said, “There is a lot of the mouse in me?”

a. He was proud of the mouse that he created.

b. He knew that the mouse would be a famous creation. c. He created the mouse with many of his own qualities. d. He had worked very hard to create the mouse.

19. The first image of Mickey Mouse is described as all of the following EXCEPT a. he was dressed in shorts with two buttons

b. he had big ears c. he wear yellow shoes

d. he was wearing white gloves

20. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses a. the history of cartoons

b. other images in popular culture c. Walt Disney’s childhood

d. the voices of cartoons characters

Federal Policies for Native Peoples

Federal policy toward the Native Americans has a long history of inconsistency, reversal, and failure. In the late 1700s, the United States government owned and operated factories, exchanging manufactured goods for furs and horses with the hope that mutual satisfaction with trade would result in peace between Native Americans and the rush of settlers who were moving west. At the same time, the government supports missionary groups in their effort to build churches, schools, and model farms for those tribes that permitted them to live in their midst.

By the 1800s, federal negotiators were trying to convince many tribes to sell their land and move out of the line of frontier expansion, a policy that culminated in the forced expulsion of the major Southeastern tribes to the west. Over protests by Congress and the Supreme Court, President Andrew Jackson ordered the Native Americans to be removed to what is now Oklahoma. On the forced march, which the Cherokee Nation refers to as the “Trail of Tears,” many Native Americans died of disease, exposure, and hunger.

By the end of the 1800s, the government had discovered that some of the land allocated as permanent reservations for the Native Americans contained valuable resources. Congress passed the Dawes Severalty Act, and for the next forty years Indian agents and missionaries attempted to destroy the tribal system by separating the members. It was during this time that the government boarding schools were established to educate Native Americans youth outside of the home environment.

Under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, scattered tribes were encouraged to reorganize their tribal governments. Anti-Indian sentiment resurfaced only can ten years later, and by the 1950s relocation centers to move Native Americans from the reservations to urban areas were established.

Today, government policies are unclear. Many officials want to remove the federal government completely from Native American governance. Others believe that the government should support Native American efforts to maintain their culture. Not surprisingly, the Native Americans themselves are ambivalent about the role of the federal government in their affairs.

American affairs.

c. The federal government has been inconsistent and unclear in its policies for Native Americans.

d. The Indian Reorganization Act was a failure. 22. What was involved in the “Trail of Tears”?

a. Native American children were separated from their families and sent to boarding school.

b. Native-American families living in the Southeast were forced to move to Oklahoma.

c. Native-American families were resettled on reservations. d. Native Americans were moved from reservations to cities. 23. The word “ambivalent” in line 30 refers to

a. exhibiting suspicion

b. experiencing contradictory feelings c. expressing concern

d. demonstrating opposition

24. The word “culminated” in line 11 is closest in meaning to a. ended

b. failed c. belonged d. caused

25. The word “them” in line 8 refers to a. missionary groups

b. efforts c. model farms d. tribes

c. Lines 18-20 d. Lines 23-26

27. What does the author mean by the statement in lines 12-13: “Over protests by Congress and the Supreme Court, President Andrew Jackson ordered the Native Americans to be removed to what is now Oklahoma”?

a. Oklahoma objected to the president’s order to move Native Americans to their state.

b. The Native Americans had to move to Oklahoma because Congress and the Supreme Court objected to the president’s order.

c. The president ordered the Native Americans in Oklahoma to move despite opposition by Congress and the Supreme Court.

d. Despite objection by Congress and the Supreme Court, Native Americans were forced to move to Oklahoma by the president.

28. Why did Congress pass the Dawes Severalty Act?

a. Because the government agencies wanted to exploit the resources on reservations

b. Because missionaries wanted to convert the Native Americans to Christianity.

c. Because teachers wanted to set up schools for Native Americans in urban areas.

d. Because officials on the reservations wanted to preserve Native-American culture.

29. Native American policies are described as all of the following EXCEPT a. inconsistent

b. destructive c. permanent d. unclear

d. the intertribal councils that Native Americans have established

*** GOOD LUCK ***

2. D 12. B 22. B

3. A 13. B 23. B

4. C 14. A 24. A

5. C 15. A 25. A

6. C 16. A 26. C

7. B 17. D 27. D

8. C 18. C 28. A

9. B 19. D 29. C

Name

Class

DaylDate

READING COMPREHENSION

TEST

,@h

:Le

,%)"k-,Ni

-4->o\v

In

question L-10, you

will

be asked

to

recall and relate information and

content from narration or sequence passages about popular culture. Choose the best answer.

Basketball

Although he created the game

of

basketball

at

the YMCA in

Springfield, It{assachusetts,

Dr.

James

A.

Naismith was

a

Canadian.

Working as a physical education instructor at the International YMCA, now

Springfield College, Dr. Naismith noticed a lack

of

interest in exercise

among students during the wintertime. The New England winters were fierce, and the students balked

at

participating

in

outdoor activities. Naismith determined that a fast-moving game that could be played indoors would fill a void after the baseball and football seasons had ended.

First he attempted to adapt outdoor games such as soccer and rugby to indoor play, but he soon found them unsuitable for confined areas. Finally, he determined that he would have to invent a ganle.

In December of 1981, Dr. Naistiith hung hvo old peach baskets at

either end of the gymnasium at the school, and, using a soccer ball and nine players on each side, organized the first basketball game. The early rules

allowed three points for each basket and made running rvith the ball a

violation. Every time a goal was made, someone had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball.

Nevertheless, the game became popular. In less than a year, basketball was being played in both The United States and Canada. Five years later, a

championship tourna^nent was staged in New York City. which was rvon by the Brooklyn Central YI\4CA.

The team had already been reduced to seven players, and five became

standard

in

the

1897 season. When basketball was introduced as a

demonstration sport in the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis,

it

quickly spread throughout the world. In 1906, a metal hoop rvas used for the first