The Background of Problem

2 For example, language learning is important for human’s social development. English, as a language, is such an important part of our means of communication, the ability to use and understand language will be a significant factor in success in education. 4 English is a tool of communication among peoples of the world to get trade, social-cultural, science, and technology goals. Moreover, English competence is important in career development, therefore students need to understand and use English to improve their confidence to face global competition. As in Pusat Kurikulum, Balitbang Depdiknas , states English as a formal subject is given to senior high school level, which has several goals stressing on the students: The goals of teaching and learning English for this level are improving the ir English skills and and giving the opportunities to the students such as: a. Getting specify information , main idea, and the opinion of the speakers . b. Answering the questions , the students are be able to express about several topics and explore by themselves to defend their opinion. c. Reading quickly to get a general idea skimming, the students are be able to find specify information scanning. d. The students are be able to understand general idea, main idea and the opinion in reading material. e. The students are be able to organize and correlate the ide clearly, sequently, and accurately using diction in writing . 5 The statement above implied the results of learning can be seen in the achievement after the students learning in a particular of time. The success in learning process can be visible from the reached achievement. If the achievement has fulfilled the targets, the students are success , if the students have not fulfilled the target yet; it means that they have not yet success. As we know, students’ lear ning achievement in SMA can be measured with doing several test known as daily test, mid test and final test. Thus, students’ learning achievement can be categorized into three domains; cognitive, affective and ________________ 4 Steve Bartlett and Diana Burton, Introduction to Education Studie , Los Angeles: Sage Publication, 2007 2 nd edition, p.151. 5 Pusat Kurikulum, Balitbang Depdiknas , Model Kurikulum SBI, 2007, p. 128 3 psychomotor. Learning achievement obtained by students is the knowledge cognitive, affective and skill psychomotor. Unfortunately, the results of students’ achievement are varieties for each subject. Especially in English subject achievement. In SMAN 1 Sepatan, the result of mid test and final test in English subject is still low and under sixty five of the Standard Minimum in Mastery of Learning . This score, sixty five of the Standard Minimum of Mastery in Learning, is determined by considering three criteria such as complexity, students’ intake, and support capability for indicator of learning, standard competence, and base c ompetence in English subject. By considering the score of three citeria for each, the teacher determine Standard Minimum in Mastery of Learning. The students have learned En glish from the first-grade of junior high school until senior high school, but most of them still cannot use Eng lish as tool of communication. Moreover, its not only happened to the s tudents who have score below, but also the students who have a good score in junior high school can not use English in real communication in their level. Besides, their receptive skills are also below the expectation. This condition is derived from the documentation of English teacher and students ability using English in their communication in classroom activities. There are so many factors influencing English learning achievement . In Self Access, Susan Shreen stated that individuals clearly differ enormously in their personality, beliefs and attitudes. Moreover, they differ in their cognitive abilities and language learning aptitude; some people learn languages more quickly and easily than others. 6 Joy M Reid stated that students learn in many different ways. For example, some students learn primarily with their eyes, visual learners, or with their ears, auditory learners, and some students prefer to learn by experience and by practice, kinesthetic learners. 7 ________________ 6 Susan Shreen, Self Access, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989, p.5. 7 Joy M. Reid, Understanding Learning Styles in the Second Language Classroom , New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1998, p.162. 4 Learning styles refer to the variations in student’s ability to accumulate as well as assimilate information. Basically, students’ learning style is the method that best allows students to gather and use knowledge in a specific manner. Students should know and be able to do in different subject areas at particular grade levels and particular of time. To meet these expectati ons, students need to know how to learn as well as what to learn. 8 Based on the explanation above on this skripsi, the writer will discuss the English learning achievement in comparison with two major of learning styles. Furthermore, the writer choose “THE STUDENTS’ ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT BASED ON THEIR LEARNING STYLES ” An Ex Post Facto at Second-Grade Students SMA Negeri 1 Sepatan as the title of his research.

B. The Limitation and the Formulation of Problem

There are many problems that can be identified, such as performance of English teacher in classroom activities, students’ interest in learning English, the atmosphere of school building and infrasturcture. B ut it is impossible to cover all o f the problem in this research. The writer only limits on the English learning achievement and learning styles; visual and auditory of second grade students at SMAN 1 Sepatan Tangerang . Therefore, based on former discussion, the for mulation of research; Is there any significant difference on the students’ English learning achievement based on their visual and auditory learning styles? .

C. The Significance of Problem

The significance of the study will be established on the basis of the anticipated outcomes, which may be in the form of products or processes. The outcomes of students’ learning style; visual and auditory through English achievement will influence the teachers’ method in teaching learning process. ________________ 8 Anna U Chamot, The Learning Strategies, New York:Longman, 1999, p. 3. 5 As the result in this research, regardless of outcomes, it will improve or change the perspective way in teaching learning in classroom and this can be a significance contribution.

D. The Organization of Writing

This Skripsi consists of five chapters. Each chapter has some sub -chapter. The discussion of the introduction of this Skripsi will be found in chapter one which also contains the background of problem, the limitation and the formulation of problem, the significance of problem, and the organization of writing. Chapter two focus on the discussion of theoretical framework. This ch apter deals with the understanding of achievement, the understanding of l earning styles which is discuss two major learning style i.e. , visual learning style and auditory learning style. Chapter three explains research methodology. It involves the objective of the research, the place and time of the research, the method of the research, the population and the sample, the instrumentation which is divided into exp lanation of two variables of research, the technique of collecting the data, and the technique of data analysis. Chapter four explains about research findings and discussion, which is consists description of data, analysis of data and the interpretation of data. The last but not least, chapter five, it involves conclusion and suggestion.