CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION A.

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents and discusses the background of the study, identification of the problem, limitation of the problem, formulation of the problem, objective of the study, and significance of the study.

A. Background of Study

Many researchers conduct some researches about the effectiveness or the relationship between Computer-Assisted Language Learning CALL and foreign language mastery. They used software application, audio-visual media, website, social networking sites, and so on. For example, researchers from Malaysia -Yunus and Salehi- held the research with the title “The Effectiveness of Facebook Groups on Teaching and Improving Writing: Students‟ Perceptions”, the findings showed that „Facebook groups‟ is an effective tool in improving the students‟ writing skills, especially in the brainstorming of ideas before the actual writing. 1 In contrast, the result of a research by Mardi a skripsi at UIN Jakarta with the title “The Effectiveness of Using ICT Information Communication and Technology on Students‟ English Achievement” showed that using ICT is more difficult than using non-ICT. So, the students‟ English scores taught by using non ICT are better than those who were taught by using ICT. 2 Those studies motivate the writer to conduct a research about CALL too in order to know whether it can be an effective tool as Yunus and Salehi said or a difficult tool according to Mardi‟s research. Today, the education world is moving toward the use of technology. Learners love everything related to technology and internet, so that new technology is highly 1 Melor Md. Yunus and Hadi Salehi, “The Effectiveness of Facebook Groups on Teaching and Improving Writing: Students‟ Perceptions”, International Journal of Education and Information Technologies Issue 1, 6 2012, p. 87. 2 Teni Mardi, “The Effectiveness of Using ICT Information Communication and Technology on Students‟ English Achievement”, Skripsi, Jakarta: UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, 2011, not published. motivator which they can take advantages of. The advent of smartphones, tablet computers and Wi-Fi at school or campus means that students are always connecting, sharing, publishing, playing and networking with other people in the world. Computers are used widely in teaching and learning languages. They are used for many applications in the teaching and learning process. In EFL context, we have to answer on how to use computers most effectively to support language learning. One of the ways to use CALL in language learning effectively is by using social networking sites SNs in the teaching and learning process. According to Krashen in Surthiwartnerueput and Wasanasomsithi‟s article, by using SNs, students can decrease their anxiety and can be more motivated in learning English. It is because many learners often have problems such as the anxiety of speaking in front of their friends, the fear of making mistakes, and many other negative feelings in participating in normal classroom condition. 3 When students can decrease their negative feelings in learning, the material can be taught easily by the teacher. Now, we know Facebook as one of many social networking sites in the world. In Facebook, people can share their thought, photos, videos, location, and so on to the world. Not only those but also we can use it for media to learn especially in writing. Actually, many people love to write their idea, experience, or something inspiring in some social media. It can be said that everyone has an opportunity to write anything and to be read by the others. The writer sees this as a chance to enhance the students‟ writing skill. Furthermore, Indonesia has English Standard Competence to guide teachers to teach writing. As what is stated in Curriculum of 2013, the students in senior high school level have to be able to write some kinds of texts in order to achieve the learning goals formulated by government. One of those texts is recount text. The 3 Thanawan Suthiwartnarueput and Punchalee Wasanasomsithi, “Effects of using Facebook as a Medium for Discussions of English Grammar and Writing of Low- Intermediate EFL students”. Electronic Journal of Foreign language Teaching 9, no. 2 2012: 198. main material is recount text as a simple oral and written text about experienceactivityevent. In the area of EFL, writing has many uses and functions. To begin with, the ability to write acceptable scientific English is essential for post-graduate students who must write their dissertations in English. Moreover, writing EFL allows for communication to large numbers of people all over the world. It also provides students with physical evidence of their achievement. This in turn helps them to determine what they know and what they dont know. Writing can also enhance students thinking skills. Additionally, writing can enhance students vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. Finally, writing skills are often needed for formal and informal testing. 4 So, writing is important because it has many functions in mastery English. If someone learns the writing skill, automatically they can communicate with people in the world, improve their thinking skills because writing can stimulate their brain to produce idea, develop their vocabulary, spelling, and grammar, and help them in many tests in the future. Based on the writers‟ observation when teaching in tenth grade of SMA Negeri 87 Jakarta, some students said that they like writing using English so much especially in their personal blog or their social media account. It makes their writing can be read by foreigner and get a response or comments from them. In contrast, the other students said they really dislike writing because they have no idea and a will to start their writing even though they all have social networking sites account. Moreover, the basic reason why they do not want to write is they are too afraid to make a mistake in writing either the grammatical error or the wrong diction. Furthermore, their writing scores are not really good but just average. It happened because the grammatical error and the structure of writing. 4 Abdel Salam Abdel Khalek El-Koumy, Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language: A Comprehensive Approach, USA: Educational Resources Information Center ERIC, 2004, p. 106. The students‟ low ability in writing can be caused by technical problem. The teacher does not provide the chance for the students to practice writing. Students may not write very much because the teacher does not give enough writing tasks. The teacher sometimes does not ask the students to do writing tasks because assigning and correcting students‟ writing takes much time. From those cases, the writer wants to know how a social networking site has a role in their writing skill and how effective a social media for everyday use while enhancing their writing skill. In addition, the writer also wants to improve their writing through this research. There are some solutions of this problem. One of the solutions that can help the students to practice their writing skill is by using SNs especially Facebook in the learning process. As students become increasingly connected through social networking sites such as Facebook, it is important for us to explore how these can be utilized specifically in the foreign language classroom. As users connect, they are able to share their idea in writing. This could allow the instructor to facilitate discussion among students of target language and culturally relevant material. The writer will teach recount text which are the students have to retell their past activities. Learners can write their thought for their task, find the other sources in the internet, give comments and argue each other in the tasks that given by the teacher. Based on the background above, the writer would like to take a research under the title: “The Effectiveness of Using Social Networking Site in Teaching Writing of Recount Text at SMA Negeri 87 Jakarta”

B. Identification of the Problem

From the background of the study written above, the researcher identifies problems as below: 1. From previous observation in SMA Negeri 87 Jakarta, many students have some difficulties in writing by using English, they are; they have no idea and a