Writing Recount Text Writing

commit to user 14 Nisa A. Azam

4. Writing Recount Text

There are some types of text used in teaching-learning language in genre- based approach. In brief, those are descriptive, narrative, recount, report, procedure, discussion, analytical exposition, and hortatory exposition. Nugroho and Hafrizon 2009: 7 mention that monologue texts introduced in secondary junior high school are procedure text, descriptive text, report text, recount text, and narrative text. Taken from the syllabus for the eighth grade of Junior High School students, two text types that should be mastered by the students in the first semester are descriptive and recount text. It is mentioned that the students should be able “to express meaning in short essay in descriptive, recount and exposition accurately, systematically, and acceptably to communicate with the closest environment andor in academic context to build good character” Teacher syllabus, 2010. The focus of this research is on teaching writing recount text. Recount text is used to retell past events chronologically for the purpose of informing or entertaining. Every text type has its own characteristics, including recount text. One single text commonly consists of three main parts: beginning, middle, and ending as Harsyaf, Nurmaini, and Izmi 2009: 13 say: Journals, diaries, biographies, personal letter all share a familiar beginning, middle and end structure. Each of them begins with a brief introduction usually providing some background information to the writing orientation stage. This is followed by a writing about recounting of different event, one after the other recount stages. This means that the generic structure of recount text consists of orientation, sequence of events, and reorientation. In the orientation, the reader is introduced to the setting and participants of the text. It is continued by the events happening which are arranged chronologically or based on time order and ended by the participant’s reflection called reorientation. Furthermore, Isaacson 2003 in the journal issued by Pennsylvania University 2006 mentions some critical details of personal narrative recount as follows: commit to user 15 Nisa A. Azam a. The story tells what happened to the author. b. It focuses on one interesting event. c. It tells everything in the order that it happened. d. The author uses details that help the reader “see” the action. e. The author tells why heshe remembers it or what was learned. Texts not only differ in its purpose and generic structure, but also the language used. Some text types are dominated by present tense sentences and some other are written in past tense form. Recount text is dominated by past tense sentences to retell or inform the past events. Besides, the use of sequential conjunction is easily indicated. It also focuses on human participant, either individual or group, and uses a lot of action verbs. Below is an example of recount text: My mother got me ready for school then I had to wait for her to brush my hair and place every strand in just the perfect position. I had to show her my shoes that I had cleaned the night before and my school bag had to be neatly put on my shoulder before I could get near the door. Only after my mother was totally satisfied would I be allowed to rush out of the front door. I would leave home at 8 am on the dot and make my way down the lane. After a walk of about 700 metres I would be able to see the tall steeple of the school. The playground would be full in the summer and the noise would make me want to rush into the yard and get into a good game of football before the bell went. Adopted from http:www.icteachers.co.ukchildrensatsrecounts.htm

5. Assessing Writing