Reason of Choosing the Topic

comfort and easy in comprehend a text. The differences among students’ appreciation when they comprehend a text becomes a consideration for the teacher in choosing the strategy which is appropriate for the students, that is semantic mapping strategy. The writer found semantic mapping strategy as the strategy which is used to solve the problem above. Semantic mapping strategy is an alternative strategy that has significant effect on teaching reading comprehension. There are several reasons why semantic mapping strategy use for reading section according to the statement of experts, there are: 1 Antonnaci 1991:174 states that, “semantic mapping is a visual representation of knowledge, a picture of conceptual relationship. It means that semantic mapping can be as a visual representation of knowledge. 2 Zaid 1995:6 said that, “the students who use semantic mapping manifest considerable improvement reading comprehension, written expression and vocabulary development. The semantic mapping strategy which can be a visual representation of knowledge that support students to create their own understanding of certain text into their own work by drawing a figure, table or chart which represented the content of the text. As stated by Zaid above the semantic mapping also can improve reading comprehension, written expression and vocabulary development. It means that comprehend the text by reading not only by visual representation in form of written expression but also the students will get their vocabulary development. She believes that by giving semantic mapping strategy in teaching reading and by choosing the narrative text as the target text in her research. The semantic mapping strategy will apply in experimental class. The strategies which are chosen by the writer are divided in three reading section, there are List-Group- Label LGL strategy in pre-reading, Think Alouds strategy in core-reading, and Somebody-Wanted-But-So SWBS strategy in post reading. She also uses another strategy of reading which will be apply in control class as a comparison in her research that is quick reading method which includes skimming and scanning.

1.3 Statement of the Problems The problems that will be discussed in this study are:

1 To what extent can the semantic mapping strategy be applied in teaching reading comprehension of narrative text of the eighth grade students of SMPN 6 Semarang? 2 Is there any significant difference of achievement before and after the students of the eighth grade students of SMPN 6 Semarang when they are taught reading narrative text by using semantic mapping strategy?

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study can be stated as follows: 1 To describe how the semantic mapping strategy can be applied in teaching reading comprehension of narrative text for the eighth grade students in SMPN 6 Semarang. 2 To find out whether or not there is significant difference of achievement before and after the students of the eighth grade students of SMPN 6 Semarang do reading narrative text by using semantic mapping strategy.

1.5 Hypotheses of the Study

There are two hypotheses in this study that are working hypothesis and null hypothesis: 1 Ho: There is a significant difference between the students’ reading comprehension of narrative text taught by semantic mapping strategy and taught by quick reading method. 2 Hi: There is no significant difference between the students’ reading comprehension of narrative text taught by semantic mapping strategy and taught by quick reading method.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The results of this study can contribute some benefits related to theoretical, pedagogical and practical significance as follow: 1 Theoretical significance The results of the research will give theoretical information about the effectiveness of using semantic mapping strategy in teaching narrative text reading comprehension. The semantic mapping strategy more effective in teaching reading of narrative text than the teacher uses other strategies. The