The mastery of prepositions at, in and on a mong the fifth semester students of the english language education study program of Sanata Dharma University

THE MASTERY OF PREPOSITIONSAT, IN, ANDONAMONG THE FIFTH SEMESTER STUDENTS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

STUDY PROGRAM OF SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

A THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana PendidikanDegree

in English Language Education

By

Nancy Paula Herin Student Number: 051214156

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

i

THE MASTERY OF PREPOSITIONSAT, IN, ANDONAMONG THE FIFTH SEMESTER STUDENTS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

STUDY PROGRAM OF SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

A THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain theSarjana PendidikanDegree

in English Language Education

By

Nancy Paula Herin Student Number: 051214156

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

TEE MASTERY OF PREPOSMONS II, IN, AND ONAMONG TIIE FIITH SEMESIER STUDENTS OF THE, ENGLISH LANGUAGD EDUCATION

STUDY PROGRAM OF SANATA DIIARMA UMVERSITY

By

Nancy Paula i-Ierit

Students Number ; 051214156

Appro'lr,ld by

Sponsor

April 15,2010

ll ade Frida Yulia- S.Pd.. M.Pd.

TsE MASTERY OF PREPO$IIONS .417, AT, AI.D OJV AMONG TIIE FITTH SEMESTER STUDENTS OF TIIE ENGLISH LAIIGUAGE EDUCATION

STUDY PROGRAM OF SANATA DIIARMA TINrIIERSITY

By

Nancy Paula Herin Student Nulrber 05 12141 56

Lrefended beforc the Board ofLxa:ninen on May 4, 2010

and Deciiued Acceptable

Chai!person Searetary Mernber Member Member

Bouds ofErrmiseG

Caecilia Tutyandari, S.Pd., M.Pd. Maiie Frida Yuiia; S.Pd., M.Pd. &{ade Flida Yuii4 S.Fd., M.Pd Drs. Y. B. G'raa*'an, Ni.A.

Carla Sih Prabandari, S.Pd., M.Hum.

Yograkart4 May 4, 2010

Faculty ofTeachen Training and Education Pharma University

iv

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

(Philippians 4: 13)

“When the door of happiness closes, another opens;

but often times we look so long at the

closed door that we don't see the one

which has been opened for us.”

“Life is not measured by

the number of breaths we take;

but by the moments that take our breath

away.”

I dedicate this thesis to

My Almighty God, Jesus Christ,

My beloved parents, sister, and brothers,

and

v

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY

I honestly declared that this thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and references, as a scientific paper should.

Yogyakarta, March 20, 2010 The Writer

Nancy Paula Herin 05 1214 156

vi

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN

PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:

Nama : Nancy Paula Herin

Nomor Mahasiswa : 051214156

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:

THE MASTERY OF PREPOSITIONS AT, IN, AND ON AMONG THE

FIFTH SEMESTER STUDENTS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM OF SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.

Dibuat di Yogyakarta

Pada tanggal: 20 Maret 2010 Yang menyatakan

vii ABSTRACT

Herin, Nancy Paula. 2010.The Mastery of Prepositions at, in, and on among the Fifth Semester Students of the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

Grammar is one important element in learning English language. There are so many topics of English grammar which should be mastered by the students of the English Language Education Study Program, one of which is the English preposition. However, there are still many students of this study program who are confused about the uses of English prepositionsat,in, andonindicating time and place. They often make mistakes in using these prepositions. In fact, as English teacher candidates who will teach English and will be the role model to their students in the future time, it is important for the students of the English Language Education Study Program to have good understanding about these prepositions as the basic knowledge of English. Since English prepositions at, in, and on are essential to be mastered, it is important to investigate the students’ ability in using those prepositions through research.

This research was a survey research which investigates the mastery of English prepositions at, in, and on among the fifth semester students of the English language Education Study Program. There are two problems which are discussed in this research, namely (1) How well have the fifth semester students of the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University mastered prepositions at, in, and on? and (2) What are the possible factors which cause the students’ errors in using prepositionsat, in, and on? In order to answer the first research question, the researcher administered a test to two classes of the fifth semester students in the academic year of 2009/ 2010. Meanwhile, in order to answer the second research question, the researcher made a data triangulation from two research instruments, namely a questionnaire and an interview. To select the sample of the test and the questionnaire, the cluster sampling method was used in this research.

It was discovered from the research results that the mastery of prepositionsat,in, and on among the fifth semester students of the English Language Education Study Program was sufficient according to the academic regulation of Sanata Dharma University. The results of the research showed that the students’ mean score was 59.4. This achievement was over the minimum standard of mastery,

viii

which is 56% of the maximum score as the lower margin to pass with grade C or ‘sufficient.’

Based on the research results which were obtained by distributing the questionnaire and interviewing some students, it was discovered that there were several possible factors which cause the students’ errors in using prepositions at, in, and on. Those possible factors were divided into two, namely the internal factors and the external factors. The internal factors consist of the students’ perception of prepositions at, in, and on indicating time and place, the students’ motivation to learn prepositions at, in, and on, the students’ actions when they find difficulty in using prepositionsat,in, andon,and the students’ considerations underlying their choice of using prepositions at, in, and on. Meanwhile, the external factors consist of the influence of Indonesian language as the mother tongue, the feedback on the students’ performance in using prepositionsat, in, and on, and the availability of the explicit learning about English prepositions.

There were several suggestions which were proposed based on the results of the research. The first suggestion was to the lecturers of the English Language Education Study Program. They were recommended to provide clear explanations about the concept of prepositionsat, in,andonto the students so that the students would not be confused about the uses of these prepositions. The second suggestion was to the students of the English Language Education Study Program. They were suggested to be proactive to increase their understanding about the uses of prepositions at, in, and on by reading several grammar books which discuss about prepositions at, in, and on. The last suggestion was to future researchers. They could improve the study by using other methods or research instruments. They could also conduct a further research as the follow up study of this research to investigate the students’ mastery in using prepositions at, in, and on.

ix ABSTRAK

Herin, Nancy Paula. 2010.The Mastery of Prepositions at, in, and on among the Fifth Semester Students of the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Tata bahasa adalah salah satu unsur penting dalam mempelajari Bahasa Inggris. Ada begitu banyak kemampuan mengenai tata bahasa yang harus dikuasai oleh mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, salah satunya adalah kata depan dalam Bahasa Inggris. Akan tetapi, banyak mahasiswa dari Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris yang masih bingung dengan penggunaan kata depan at, in, dan on yang menjelaskan tempat dan waktu. Mereka masih sering melakukan kesalahan dalam menggunakan kata-kata depan ini. Kenyataannya, sebagai calon guru yang akan mengajar Bahasa Inggris dan menjadi teladan bagi para siswa di masa mendatang, sangatlah penting bagi mereka untuk memiliki pemahaman yang baik terhadap kata-kata depan ini sebagai pengetahuan Bahasa Inggris yang mendasar. Karena kata depan at, in, dan on sangat penting untuk dikuasai, maka mengukur kemampuan para mahasiswa dalam menggunakan kata-kata depan tersebut melalui kegiatan penelitian menjadi sangat penting untuk dilakukan.

Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian survei yang menitikberatkan pada pengukuran penguasaan kata depan at,in, danondi antara mahasiswa semester lima Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma. Ada dua permasalahan yang dibahas dalam penelitian ini, yaitu: (1) seberapa baikkah para mahasiswa semester lima Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma telah menguasai kata depanat,in, danon? dan (2) apa saja faktor-faktor yang memungkinkan para mahasiswa melakukan kesalahan dalam menggunakan kata depanat, in, danon? Untuk menjawab pertanyaan nomor satu, peneliti mengadakan sebuah tes yang ditujukan pada dua kelas dari mahasiswa semester lima tahun akademik 2009/ 2010. Sedangkan untuk menjawab pertanyaan nomor dua, peneliti membuat triangulasi data berdasarkan dua buah instrumen penelitian, yaitu kuesioner dan interview. Untuk memilih sample yang dapat mewakili seluruh target penelitian, peneliti menggunakan metode cluster sampling.

Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, penulis menemukan bahwa penguasaan kata depan at, in, dan on di antara mahasiswa semester lima Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma adalah cukup. Hasil ini didasarkan

x

pada Peraturan Akademik Universitas Sanata Dharma. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa nilai rerata mahasiswa adalah 59.4. Hasil ini berada di atas standar minimal penguasaan materi, yaitu 56% dari nilai maksimal yang juga merupakan batas bawah untuk lulus dengan nilai C atau ‘cukup’.

Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang diperoleh dengan membagikan kuesioner dan melakukan interview terhadap beberapa mahasiswa, peneliti menemukan bahwa ada beberapa faktor yang memungkinkan para mahasiswa melakukan kesalahan dalam menggunakan kata depan at, in, dan on. Faktor-faktor tersebut dibagi ke dalam dua bagian, yaitu faktor-faktor internal dan fakor-faktor eksternal. Faktor-faktor internal terdiri dari persepsi mahasiswa terhadap kata depan at,in, dan on yang menjelaskan tempat dan waktu, motivasi mahasiswa untuk mempelajari kata depan at, in, dan on, usaha yang dilakukan oleh mahasiswa ketika menemui kesulitan dalam menggunakan kata depan at, in, dan on, dan pertimbangan mereka ketika memilih untuk menggunakan kata depanat, in,danon. Sedangkan, faktor-faktor eksternal terdiri dari pengaruh Bahasa Indonesia sebagai bahasa ibu, feedback terhadap penggunaan kata depan at, in, dan on oleh mahasiswa, dan ketersediaan materi pembelajaran yang secara eksplisit mempelajari tentang kata-kata depan dalam Bahasa Inggris.

Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, ada beberapa usulan yang diajukan. Usulan pertama ditujukan bagi para dosen dari Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris. Mereka disarankan untuk memberikan penjelasan yang baik dan menyeluruh tentang konsep kata depan at, in, dan on kepada para mahasiswa agar mereka tidak bingung lagi dengan penggunaan kata-kata depan tersebut. Usulan yang kedua ditujukan bagi para mahasiswa dari Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris. Mereka disarankan untuk lebih proaktif dalam meningkatkan pemahaman mereka tentang penggunaan kata depan at, in, dan on dengan membaca beberapa buku tata bahasa yang membahas kata depan at, in, dan on secara rinci. Usulan yang terakhir ditujukan bagi para peneliti yang akan datang. Mereka dapat mengembangkan penelitian ini dengan menggunakan metode ataupun instrumen penelitian lainnya. Mereka juga dapat melakukan pengembangan lebih lanjut terhadap penelitian ini untuk mencari tahu perkembangan penguasaan mahasiswa dalam menggunakan kata depanat, in, danon.

xi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my Almighty

God, Jesus Christ,for caring about me and giving me much love and blessings

so that I could see that HE is more than enough for me.

I am greatly indebted to my sponsor,Made Frida Yulia, S.Pd., M.Pd., for

all her great patience, valuable time, feedback and guidance during the process of

finishing this thesis. Her advice and suggestions along the process of writing this

thesis were really helpful for me.

My special gratitude and appreciation goes to my beloved and wonderful

family, my father Elias Ileatan Herin, my mother Theresia Chaterine Lintje

Sundah, my sister Tanti, and my brothers Paulino and Ignas for their endless

cares, prayers and love. I thank them for not being tired to give me support and

motivation in finishing this thesis and my study as well.

I would like to sincerely thank Fidelis Chosa Kastuhandani, S.Pd. and

Dionisius Sasmoyo Hermawan, S.Pd., as the lecturers of the Translation 1 class

for the opportunity which was given to me to administer the test in their classes. I

would also thank all the fifth semester students of Translation 1 classes of

2009/2010, for their willingness to be my respondents and giving me valuable

information for the sake of this thesis.

I owe a great debt to all lecturers of the English Language Education Study

Program of Sanata Dharma University for guiding me during my study. I thank

xii

also thank Laurentia Sumarni, S.Pd.and Dr. Retno Muljani, M.Pd. for being

my academic advisors in this study program. My gratitude also goes to Mbak

DhanniekandMbak_{Tarifor all their help during my study.}

I would like to express my appreciation to all my friends in PILLAR

English Course,Topik,Eska,Epha,Nope,Tari, andGaluh. I really thank them

for the supports and assistance that they had given to me when I was in a big

trouble. I would also like to express my gratitude to all my friends in SPRING

English Course (Taju, Frida, Fandi, Andre, Koko, Thomas, and Yason) for

their cooperation and hard work during the process of passing SPD class.

My special thankfulness is administered toBu _{Rita Pakpahan,} Pak_Evan,

Pak _Im, Bu _{Novi, and} Pak _{Budi for the love, advice, and cares that they had}

given to me as my priests. I thank them for showing me the right way to meet The

Truth and The Life. I would also thank my brothers and sisters in GEREJA

TAKHTA YESUS YOGYAKARTA, Bu _Dwi, Bu _Dyah, Kak _Olla, Kak _Rike,

Neneng,Nuel,Yoyoand those whose names cannot be mentioned one by one.

I would also like to express my special thanks to my friends in PMK

EFATA, especially Mbak _{Silvi, Wahyu, and Ria who have been my sisters in}

God. I thank them for the love, laugh, and joy that they have shared with me. My

special thanks also go to my boarding house friends in SWA 3D, especially

Indah,Redi, Reta,Arum “Mui”,Hanna, and Taju. I really thank them for the

unforgettable moments that we have all along. May God bless them all.

xiii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE……….. APPROVAL PAGES……….. DEDICATION PAGE ……… STATEMENT OF WORK'S ORIGINALITY ………... LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS………... ABSTRACT ………... ABSTRAK………... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……… TABLE OF CONTENTS……… LIST OF TABLES………. LIST OF APPENDICES………...

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION……… A. Research Background ………... B. Problem Formulation ……… C. Problem Limitation ………... D. Research Objectives ………. E. Research Benefits ………. F. Definitions of Terms ………

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE……… A. Theoretical Description ………

1. Prepositionsat,in, andon……….……… a. Prepositionsat, in, and onas Prepositions of Place……….. 1) Preposition of Placeat……… 2) Preposition of Placein……… 3) Preposition of Placeon………... b. Prepositions at, in, and on as Prepositions of Time………...

Page i ii iv v vi vii ix xi xiii xvi xvii 1 1 4 4 5 5 7 10 10 10 12 14 15 15 16

xiv

1) Preposition of Timeat………

2) Preposition of Timein………

3) Preposition of Timeon………... c. Potential Problems in Mastering Prepositionsat,in, andon…………. 1) at,in, andonas Prepositions of Place……… 2) at,in, andonas Prepositions of Time……… 2. Indonesian Prepositionsdi,pada,dalamanddi atas………... a. Indonesian Prepositiondi……….. b. Indonesian Prepositionpada………. c. Indonesian Prepositiondalam………... d. Indonesian Prepositiondi atas……….. 3. Affective Filter Hypotheses………... 4. Feedback……… 5. Errors in Language Learning…….……….... a. Definition………... b. The Causes of Errors………. c. The Importance of Studying Errors………... 6. The Mastery of Language……….. a. Definition………... b. The Criteria of Mastery………. B. Theoretical Framework ………

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY……… A. Research Method ……….. B. Research Participants ……… C. Research Instruments ……… 1. Test………

a. Validity of the Test……… b. Reliability of the Test……… 2. Questionnaire………... 3. Interview Guide……….

16 17 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 22 22 23 24 26 26 27 28 29 29 29 30 34 34 35 38 38 40 44 46 48

xv

D. Data Gathering Technique ……… E. Data Analysis Technique ……….. F. Research Procedure ………..

CHAPTER IV. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION…………. A. The Students’ Mastery of Prepositions at, in, and on……… 1. Data Presentation………...

a. The Students’ Achievements in Each Part of the Test………... b. The Students’ Achievement in the Whole Part of the Test…………... 2. Discussion……….. a. Students’ Mastery of Prepositionatindicating Place………... b. Students’ Mastery of Prepositionatindicating Time……… c. Students’ Mastery of Prepositioninindicating Place………... d. Students’ Mastery of Prepositioninindicating Time……… e. Students’ Mastery of Prepositiononindicating Place………... f. Students’ Mastery of Prepositiononindicating Time………... B. The Possible Factors Which Cause the Students’ Errors in Using

Prepositionsat,in, andon………. 1. Data Presentation………...

a. Data Presentation based on the Questionnaire……….. b. Data Presentation based on the Interview……… 2. Discussion………..

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS……….. A. Conclusions ……….. 1. The Fifth Semester Students’ Mastery of Prepositionsat,in, andon... 2. The Possible Factors Which Cause the Students’ Errors in Using

Prepositionsat,in, andon………. B. Suggestions ………...

REFERENCES………. 49 51 54 56 56 56 57 59 62 63 64 67 69 71 73 76 76 76 80 85 89 89 90 91 93 97

xvi LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1. The Relations of Meaning between Some Prominent Prepositions of Place……… Table 3.1. The Coding of Interviewees’ Names………... Table 3.2. The Distribution of the Test Items……….. Table 3.3. Best’s Reliability Classification………. Table 3.4. The Raw Scores and Their Meanings………. Table 3.5. The Scores and Their Meanings……….. Table 4.1. The Students’ Scores in Part A of the Test………... Table 4.2. The Students’ Scores in Part B of the Test……..……… Table 4.3. The Students’ Final Scores in the Test…….……… Table 4.4. The Students’ Scores in Relation to the

Category……… Table 4.5. The Students’ Mastery of PrepositionatIndicating Place Table 4.6. The Students’ Mastery of PrepositionatIndicating Time Table 4.7. The Students’ Mastery of Prepositionat……… Table 4.8. The Students’ Mastery of PrepositioninIndicating Place Table 4.9. The Students’ Mastery of PrepositioninIndicating Time Table 4.10. The Students’ Mastery of Prepositionin………. Table 4.11. The Students’ Mastery of PrepositiononIndicating Place Table 4.12. The Students’ Mastery of PrepositiononIndicating Time Table 4.13. The Students’ Mastery of Preposition on………

Page 12 37 41 45 51 53 57 58 59 60 63 65 66 67 69 70 71 73 74

xvii LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1 Surat Permohonan Ijin Penelitian……….. APPENDIX 2 The Blueprint of the Test ……….. APPENDIX 3 The Blueprint of the Questionnaire……… APPENDIX 4 The Blueprint of Interview Guide……… APPENDIX 5 The Key for the Test……….………. APPENDIX 6 The Sample of the Students’ Test Sheets.………… APPENDIX 7 The Students’ Test Scores……….. APPENDIX 8 The Questionnaire Results...……… APPENDIX 9 The Raw Data of Interview……….. APPENDIX 10 The Sample of the Students’ Questionnaire Sheet

Page 102 103 105 108 110 111 115 117 120 124

1 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the introduction of the study, which consists of six parts. The first part is background of the research, which deals with the reasons underlying the choice of prepositionsat, in,andonas the subject of the study. The second part is problem formulation, in which the researcher formulates the questions to be answered in this study. The third part is problem limitation, which functions as the boundary to limit the scope and the focus of the research. The fourth part presents the objectives of the research. The fifth part is research benefits, which elaborates what the benefits of conducting this study are. This part also identifies who will obtain the benefits of the study. The last part is definition of terms, in which the researcher provides the definitions of the key words or phrases specifically used in the study.

A. Research Background

Grammar is an important aspect in learning English. It usually happens that English learners find difficulties in learning English grammar. English grammar consists of many rules which make the learners understand how to construct and to produce a correct sentence in English. In learning English grammar, the learners will inevitably learn preposition. Preposition is a grammar element which is commonly used. The researcher quotes in Collin’s Cobuild English Guides 1 Prepositions (Sinclair, 1994: vi) that “most sentences that people produce

normally consist of at least one preposition”. Based on this fact, the researcher assures that the use of preposition is essential to support English acquisition.

In learning English as a second or foreign language, language transfer usually happens. The language transfer occurs when the learners translate the first language into the target language word by word. In Indonesian, prepositionsat, in, and on are usually translated into di, pada, di dalam and di atas. Learning those prepositions is not easy for Indonesian learners. It is possible for the learners to find difficulty when they try to translate or to apply Indonesian prepositions di, pada, di dalam and di atas into English. It is also possible that the learners are confused in choosing the right preposition among prepositions at, in, and on to make a good sentence since in Indonesian, the meanings of those prepositions are almost the same.

As an example of this condition, some Indonesian learners want to saysaya mau makan di rumah makan sekarang. When they translate the sentence into English, it becomes *I want to eat on a restaurant now. The learners might think that this translation is correct because the preposition on also means di in Indonesian. In fact, it is incorrect because the meaning of preposition on in this sentence is di atas. Then, if we use preposition on in this sentence, the meaning would be saya mau makan di atas rumah makan sekarang.The correct sentence should be “I want to eat at a restaurant now.” By seeing this example, it could not be denied that some English prepositions have their own rules or restrictions and cannot be replaced by others with similar meanings in Indonesian.

This research emphasizes the measurement of the mastery of prepositions

at, in, and on among the fifth semester students of the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University. As teacher candidates, it is required that the students of the English Language Education Study Program master English grammar since it plays an important role in acquiring English as the second or foreign language. According to Fromkin and Rodman (1978: 13), in order to understand the nature of a language, we must understand the nature of internalized, unconscious set of rules, which is part of every grammar of every language. Lado (1964: 90) also says, “anyone using a language must use its grammar, mere words without grammar do not constitute a language.” Thus, acquiring English grammar is important for the students of the English Language Education Study Program, because when they become teachers, their mastery of English grammar will help them to explain the learning material clearly and correctly to their students.

Learning English grammar includes preposition as the basic knowledge. Preposition is important to learn in acquiring English as the second or foreign language. It is ironic that there are still many students of the English department who make errors in using prepositions at, in, and on. For example, once the researcher heard one of her classmates said, *I will study at this room. Another time, the researcher also heard her senior from the seventh semester said, *I don’t see anything in the blackboard. Then, when the researcher retook Structure V class, one of the students in that class asked the lecturer, “Miss, could you please explain what the differences among at, in, and on are?” At that time, the

researcher realized that there are many students of the English Language Education Study Program who are still confused about the uses and the differences among those three prepositions. These examples has opened the researcher’s mind to concern about the mastery of prepositions at, in, and on

among the students of the English Language Education Study Program and to find the possible factors which cause the errors in using those prepositions.

B. Problem Formulation

The research problems of this study are formulated as follows.

1. How well have the fifth semester students of the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University mastered prepositionsat, in, andon? 2. What are the possible factors which cause the students’ errors in using prepositionsat, in, andon?

C. Problem Limitation

Preposition is a word or a group of words often placed before a noun or pronoun to indicate place and time (Curme, 1994: 27). Close (1962: 141) also states that there are two kinds of commonly-used preposition, namely preposition of place and preposition of time. There are many prepositions in English which indicate time and place, but this study focuses on the discussion about prepositions at, in, and on since the uses of those three prepositions are usually confusing for the English learners.

The study is focused on two main points. The first is the fifth semester students’ mastery on prepositions at, in, and on; and the second is the possible factors which cause the students’ errors in using prepositions at, in, and on. The researcher thinks the fifth semester students of the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University are qualified to be the participants of this research because they are the students who have taken some courses related to English grammar comprehension. As an example, since most of them have taken Structure I to Structure V class, the researcher thinks that they are qualified to be assessed whether they have mastered prepositionsat, in, andon.

D. Research Objectives

This research is conducted to reach the following objectives:

1. To find out the mastery of prepositionsat, in, andonamong the fifth semester students of the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University.

2. To find out the possible factors which cause the students’ errors in using prepositionsat, in, andon.

E. Research Benefits

This research is conducted to produce some beneficial contributions for the students and the lecturers of the English Language Education Study Program, the future researchers, and generally for all the readers of this thesis.

1. The students of the English Language Education Study Program

This research helps them to improve their understanding about English prepositions at, in, and on indicating place and time so that they will not be confused in choosing the correct preposition among those three prepositions and will obtain a good achievement in using English as their second or foreign language. Besides, this research shows them the mastery level of prepositions at, in,andonamong the students of the English Language Education Study Program. Hopefully, by seeing the findings related to their mastery on those prepositions, the students would be more aware of their mastery in using these prepositions so that they could encourage themselves to improve their understanding on those three prepositions well.

2. The lecturers of the English Language Education Study Program

This research gives a picture to the lecturers of this study program about the mastery of prepositions at, in, and on among their students, especially the fifth semester students. It also helps the lecturers to know the students’ difficulties in learning prepositionsat, in, andon. As a result, the lecturers are likely encouraged to teach and to help the students in overcoming the difficulties which they face in using these prepositions.

3. Future researchers

For future researchers, who intend to conduct further research related to students’ mastery of English prepositions, the researcher hopes that this research could enrich their knowledge and become a good reference for their research. The

researcher also hopes that this research could inspire them to conduct further research, which could be the enrichment of the existing research and could also be a good contribution for the English language education field.

4. Readers of this thesis

This research provides the information about the mastery of prepositionsat, in,and onamong the fifth semester students’ of the English Language Education Study Program. It also elaborates information about the possible causes of the students’ errors in using those three prepositions. Besides, this research provides more knowledge about prepositionsat, in, andonindicating time and place so that the readers could enrich their knowledge about those three prepositions well.

F. Definition of Terms

The following part is the explanation of terms which are used in this study. The purpose is to avoid misunderstanding in interpreting the important terms. The terms and their definitions are explained as follows.

1. Mastery

There are various definitions about the term “mastery”. According to Hornby (2000: 822) in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, mastery means “great knowledge about or understanding of a particular thing.” Hagboldt (1935: 2) states that we have a mastery of a certain language when “our comprehension by ear is spontaneous; our reading is effortless and fluent; our use of words, idioms and sentences in speech and writing habitual are skillful.” Fries (1948: 3) agrees with this definition by saying that firstly, a person has ‘learned’ a foreign

language when he has mastered the sound system, that is, when he can understand the stream of speech and achieve an understandable production of it within a limited vocabulary. Secondly, a person has ‘learned’ a foreign language when he made the structural devices, that is, the basic arrangements of utterances as a matter of automatic habit. From the definitions of the term “mastery” above, the researcher concludes that the word “mastery” used in this study refers to the ability to recognize and to attach. In this study, someone is considered to have a good mastery of English prepositions at, in, and on when he or she is able to identify the form of those prepositions (to recognize) and to use them correctly in the sentences (to attach).

2. Preposition

A preposition is a word that connects a noun or pronoun with a verb, adjective, or another noun or pronoun by indicating a relationship between the things for which they stand (Barnes & Noble, 1994: 19). According to Hornby (2000: 1037), preposition means “a word or group of words that used before a noun or pronoun to show place, position, time, or method.” Curme (1966: 27) also states that preposition is “a word or a group of words which is often placed before a noun or pronoun to indicate place and time.”

Based on the definitions of preposition above, the researcher concludes that preposition is a group of words that has a function as the connector of the noun or pronoun by indicating a relationship between the things for which they stand. There are many English prepositions, but this research only focuses on some

prepositions, which are commonly-used in learning English. Those prepositions areat, in, andon.

In this study, prepositions at, in, and on are the prepositions, which are commonly-used to indicate time and place. Corder (1979: 107) states that to indicate place, preposition at is used to show the exact points, preposition in is used within a larger area and is consequently used with bigger towns, valleys, and countries, whereas according to Close (1962: 150), preposition on is used to indicate position on a surface partially or entirely. Another linguist, Murphy (2001: 240), states that to indicate time, prepositionatis used to denote a point in time or the time of day; preposition in is used for longer periods, for example months, years, and seasons; meanwhile prepositiononis used for days and dates.

3. Error

According to Dulay, Burt and Krashen (1982: 139), the term error means “the flawed side of learner speech or writing. It is part of conversation or composition that deviates from some selected norm of mature language performance.” Corder (1967) in Dulay et al. (1982: 139) states that error means

systematic deviations due to learners’ still-developing knowledge of the second language rule system…. The term of errors will refer to any deviation from a selected norm of language performance, no matter what the characteristics or causes of the deviation might be.

In other words, it could be concluded that errors are resulting from the lack of knowledge of the rules of the target language. Error in this study refers to the students’ incorrect answers in the test, which deviate from the rules of using prepositionsat, in, andon.

10

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter consists of two main parts. The first part of this chapter discusses the theories related to the study, which is elaborated in Theoretical Description. The second part of this chapter is Theoretical Framework. All major relevant theories, which will help the writer to solve the research problems, are summarized and synthesized in this section.

A. Theoretical Description

In the first part of this section, the writer discusses prepositions at, in, and on, including the uses of these prepositions in sentences. The second part discusses Indonesian prepositions di, pada, dalam, and di atas. The third part consists of the discussion of Krashen’s theory of Affective Filter. The fourth part focuses on theory of feedback, meanwhile in part five, the researcher provides theories of error in language learning. Finally, in the last part, the writer discusses a brief review on English language mastery.

1. Prepositionsat, in,andon

“A preposition is a word that connects a noun or pronoun with a verb, adjective, or another noun or pronoun by indicating a relationship between the things for which they stand” (Curme, 1994: 27). According to Curme (1994: 28-29) in his bookEnglish Grammar, prepositions have played a conspicuous role in the development of our language. In Syntax, there is a list of 127 prepositions,

which is used frequently. However, some prepositions are in certain grammatical relations. Therefore, they are perfectly rigid and cannot be replaced by others with the same or similar meaning.

R.A. Close (1962: 141) states that prepositions express a relationship in space between one thing and another, and relationship in time between events. There are many kinds of prepositions in English related to place and time, and the meanings of those are different. Preposition of place as a part of language system has a certain function. Its function is to indicate direction or location of the following noun. Those prepositions of place indicate:

a. something with no dimension or unspecified dimension: A POINT b. something with one dimension: A LINE

c. something with two dimensions: A SURFACE (having an area) d. something with three dimensions: A SPACE (having volume)

In the most general terms, a preposition expresses a relation between two entities, one of which being represented by prepositional complement (Quirk, Leech, Greenbaum, and Svartvik, 1972: 306). Among the various types of relational meaning, prepositions of time and place are the most prominent and easy to identify. This study deals with these kinds of preposition. In English, there are simple and complex prepositions. Simple prepositions refer to prepositions consisting of one word, whereas complex prepositions are prepositions consisting of more than one word. Several examples of simple prepositions areat, in,andon which are always used to indicate prepositions of place and time.

a. Prepositionsat, in, and onas Prepositions of Place

Prepositional phrases of place are typically either adjuncts, which relate an event or state of affairs to a location, or post modifiers, which relate some ‘objects’ to a location. They may also act as obligatory ‘predicative’ adjuncts following the verbbe, as inMaggy is in the kitchen(Quirk et al., 1972: 308).

Table 2.1 Relations of Meaning between Some Prominent Prepositions of Place (Quirk et al., 1972: 307)

Picture Position Dimension

O X

At Dimension type 0 (point)

O___

On Dimension type1/2 (line or surface) In Dimension type

2/3 (area or volume)

In Table 2.1, it could be seen that prepositions of place at, in, and on are specified into several group types. The first type is called dimension type 0. It is explained further that this type of preposition is related to something described as a dimensionless location. It is a vague “point on the map” which has no details concerning its shape or size comes into focus. The example is the prepositionatin the phraseat the bus stop.

The second type is dimension type 1/2. It is explained that these prepositions are related to something as a two dimensional thing, which is a surface. The example is the preposition on in the phraseon the wall. Preposition

onin this phrase can indicate location of either one or two dimensions (a line or a surface). The third type is dimension type 2/3. The prepositions of this type are related to the phrase which is seen as a three dimensional object, or in other words, as object having a volume, for example, prepositioninin the phrase in the room. Preposition in can also be applied to two-dimensional locations, which are seen as “areas”. Quirk et al. (1972) also mention that the contrast between on (surface) and in (area) has various implications in accordance with the context as seen in the examples number (1) to (4).

(1) The frost made pattern on the window.

The word “window” in example (1) refers to the glass surface. (2) I saw my face in the window.

The word “window” in example (2) refers to the framed area. (3) The boys were playing football on the field.

The word “field” in example (3) refers to the surface for sports. (4) Cows were gazing in the field.

The word “field” in example (4) refers to the enclosed area of land.

Quirk et al. (1972: 310) also mention that difficulty might also be caused by opposition between at (dimension type 0) and in (dimension type 2/3). For continents, countries, provinces, and sizable territories of any kind, the appropriate preposition isin. Meanwhile, for towns and villages, eitherat orinis appropriate. A very large city such as New York, London, or Tokyo is usually treated as an area. For example, he works in London, but he lives in the country. Also at and in can be used with buildings. The difference is that at refers to

building in its institutional or functional aspect, whereas in refers to it as a three dimensional structure. Below are further explanations of prepositions at, in, and onindicating place.

1) Preposition of Placeat

According to Corder (1979: 170-178), the function of preposition of placeat is to show an exact point. Close (1962: 142-143) states that the other function of prepositionatis to show the same position without specifying dimension. In other words, he says that the preposition of place at has the idea of stationary relationship with an unspecified dimension. There are many uses of preposition of place at according to its functions. Murphy (2001: 244) gives some examples of the uses of prepositionatwhich are used to indicate exact points. Preposition atis used when someone is at an event or exact time, as in She met the headmaster at the conference.This preposition is also used to show an exact place or location, as seen in We went to a concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Preposition at is used when a town or village is a point on a journey, as in This train stops at Nottingham.

The use of preposition of place at, which has an idea of stationary relationship with unspecified dimension, is shown in the sentences: The man is at the bus stop,He is standing at the door, and She is sitting at the window.These sentences suggest that the subjects occupy more or less the same position as the indicated places without specifying dimensions.

2) Preposition of Placein

The preposition of placeinis to indicate that a certain object occupies some or all the space of the place where the object exists (Close, 1962: 141). The preposition of place in has an idea of within a geographical location such as towns, valleys, and countries (Corder, 1979: 107). Murphy (2001: 244) gives examples of the uses of prepositioninindicating place in sentences (5) to (8). (5) There is no one in the room/ in the building/ in the garden.

(6) Look at those people swimming in the pool/ in the sea/ in the river. (7) What have you got in your hand/ in your mouth?

(8) She is in a queue/ in a row to the ticket window.

3) Preposition of Placeon

According to Close (1962: 142), the preposition of place on is used in relation with a line (one dimension), as in sentencesI am on my way homeandWe are on the motorway. This preposition is also used to indicate location on a surface (two dimensions), for example in the sentence I hang that picture on the wall.The uses of prepositiononindicating place in sentences are as follows. (9) Don’t sit on the floor.

(10) There is a dirty mark on the ceiling/ on the door/ on the wall. (11) My family made a picture on a beach.

(12) She wrote her comment on a paper.

According to Murphy (2001: 246), the uses of preposition on indicating place are:

a. as idiomatic expression with preposition of place on, such as on the left/ on the right (oron the left-hand side), on the ground floor, on the first floor, on a list, for exampleHer flat is on the second floor of that building.

b. to indicate location on a small area, for exampleJack spent all his holiday on a small island.

c. to indicate enclosure in a geographical map, such ason the coast, on a river, on a road, for exampleLondon is on the River Thames.

b. Prepositionsat, in,andonas Prepositions of Time

There are many prepositions of time in English. These prepositions express relationship in time. Some prepositions of time indicate a point in time, and some of them indicate duration. “Prepositions of time at, in,and on are to some extent parallel to the same items as positive prepositions of position, although in the time sphere there are only two ‘dimension-types’, which arepoint of timeandperiod of time” (Quirk et al., 1972: 317). It should be noted that there are some restrictions for the use of prepositionsat,inandon. It could be explained as follows.

1) Preposition of Timeat

Preposition at can be used for periods of identified vaguely, as in at that time, at breakfast, at night; as well as for short holiday periods, at Christmas, at Easter (Close, 1975: 174). At is used for points of time, chiefly clock-time, for example at ten o’clock, at 6.30 p.m., at noon; also, idiomatically for holiday seasons for exampleat Christmas, at Easter(referring to the season of Christmas/ Easter, not the day itself); and for the phrases at night, at the/ that time (Quirk et

al., 1972: 317). According to Murphy (2001: 240), preposition of time at is used to indicate the time of day, for example in sentencesWe will cook for the dinner at 5 o’clock, I always hear something in the wardrobe at midnight,andHe came and sat beside me at lunchtime. According to Sinclair (1991: 14), inCollins Cobuild English guide 1 PREPOSITIONS, “you say that something happensata particular time to indicate when it happens, for example My last train leaves Euston at 11.30.”

2) Preposition of Timein

Incan be used to indicate a period of time throughout the whole of which or within which something takes place, for example: some people have their main meal at midday, others in the evening(Close, 1975: 175). Preposition of timeinis used to indicate periods of time, as seen in the sentence: In the evening, the wind blows fast. According to Murphy (2001: 240), preposition of time in is used for longer periods (for example, months/ years/ seasons), as seen in We will come to your house in October.

3) Preposition of timeon

“On is used before morning, afternoon, evening, and night when these periods are identified by the day of which they are apart, such as on Monday evening,on the following evening, but in the evening” (Close, 1975: 176).On is used with phrases referring to days, for exampleon Monday, on the following day, on New Year’s Day. Quirk et al. (1972: 317) give a note that prepositional phrases like on Monday morning, on Saturday afternoon, on the following evening illustrate an exceptional use of onwith a complement referring to a part of a day,

rather than a whole day. This use also extends to other cases where the time segment is a part of a day, which is actually mentioned, for example on the morning of 1st June. According to Murphy (2001: 240), preposition of time onis used for days and dates, as seen in sentences:I have promised my grandmother to come to her house on Friday; On 12 March 1991, my father died in a car accident; I have many presents on Christmas Day.

c. Potential Problems in Mastering Prepositionsat, in, and on

Certain English prepositions potentially cause problems for Indonesian students in their process of mastering the target language. It is predicted that the prepositions which cause problems for Indonesian students, are at, in, on, between, and under(Leech & Svartvik, 1972: 84). Potential problems in learning prepositions mentioned above might be caused by several factors. One of them is multi meaning attached to some prepositions of the target language when translated into the learners’ first language. These factors will definitely cause difficulties for the learners in selecting certain prepositions for certain contexts and conditions. Inappropriate selection of prepositions will produce errors in utterances. Prepositions at, in, and on which cause problems for Indonesian students are discussed as follows.

1) at, in, andonas Prepositions of Place

According to Leech and Svartvik (1972: 84-85), preposition in has possibility to invite problem for Indonesian students due to the various meaning attached to it. As a preposition of place, for example, it has meaning di and di

dalam. Additionally, the problem might arise because of the overlap between At-typeand In-typeprepositions. It is explained that a large town or city is generally treated as an area, as seen in phrase in New York. Whereas at New York would only use in context of worldwide travel as in sentence We stopped to refuel at New York on our way to Tokyo.Inis also used for describing parts of city such as in Chelsea(part of London). If the learners are not familiar with the use ofinand at, they will obtain problems in applying those prepositions in communication. Preposition on might also cause difficulties because it could also be used for place, which is seen as a line or a surface. In addition, this preposition could be used for describing an object that is ‘attached to’ something.

2) at,in, andonas Prepositions of Time

Leech and Svartvik (1972: 76) state that some prepositions of time which may cause problem are at, on, and in. These prepositions are sometimes used incorrectly by students who are in the process of mastering the target language. The difficulties arise due to the lack of insight in using those prepositions. In general,onis used for days,atis used for points of time, andinis used for periods larger or shorter than day. However, there are some exceptions on the use of the three prepositions mentioned previously. Prepositionat could be used for periods identified vaguely, such as at that time, at breakfast time, at night and for other short holiday periods such asat Easterandat Christmas.

Preposition on is used before morning, afternoon, evening, and night when those periods are identified by the day of which they are a part as inon Monday evening, on the following evening, butin the evening. Inevitably, if the learners do

not really understand the use of these prepositions of time, they would certainly make many errors in using such prepositions.

2. Indonesian Prepositionsdi, pada, dalam,anddi atas

In this section, the writer wants to give some explanations about Indonesian prepositionsdi, pada, dalam, anddi atas,which indicates place and time. Further explanations of Indonesian prepositionsdi, pada, dalam,anddi atas are explained as follows.

a. Indonesian Prepositiondi

According to Ramlan (1980: 65), preposition di as preposition of place is used to indicate position of a certain thing. It usually precedes a noun which contains an idea of place (adverb of place), as seen in examples Ledakan bom atom pertama diperingati di Hiroshima andSekitar 25.000 pasukannya berada di medan perang.

According to Chaer (1988: 27), prepositiondi is also used to show where a certain article is written (in newspapers, magazines, and books). In this category, preposition di could be replaced by prepositions dalam, for examples Berita itu dimuat di majalah TEMPO (could be replaced by Berita itu dimuat dalam majalah TEMPO)and Makna kata itu dapat kamu cari di kamus (could be replaced byMakna kata itu dapat kamu cari dalam kamus).

Ramlan (1980: 66) also states that preposition di is also used to indicate a certain time. The use of preposition di in this category is similar to preposition

pada, for example Seorang gadis berkuda di pagi hari (could be replaced by Seorang gadis berkuda pada pagi hari).

b. Indonesian Prepositionpada

According to Ramlan (1980: 91), this preposition is used to signify a location, which does not show the exact place. In this category, the use of preposition pada could be replaced by preposition di, as seen in examples Suaminya bekerja pada Departemen Luar Negeri (could be replaced bySuaminya bekerja di Departemen Luar Negeri) and Perasaan gembira masih terbayang pada wajahnya (could be replaced by Perasaan gembira masih terbayang di wajahnya).

The use of preposition pada here is to indicate position on a surface (Ramlan, 1980: 92), as seen in examples Ia mencatat sesuatu pada kartu yang diambilnya dari sebuah lemari and Perkiraan ini diperkuat dengan adanya sobekan tusukan pisau pada beberapa bagian tubuh korban.

Preposition pada is also used in front of a pronoun, for example in the sentence Pada orang itu terdapat sifat-sifat yang patut dijadikan contoh teladan. Although the use of prepositionpadahas the similarity with prepositiondi,in this category, preposition di is never preceded by a pronoun. Followed by a word or phrase indicating time, preposition pada is used to indicate the time of an event (Ramlan, 1980: 93), as seen in examples Dia dilahirkan pada tahun 1914 di SemarangandSerangan ini terjadi pada pukul 11.15 waktu setempat.

c. Indonesian Prepositiondalam

According to Ramlan (1980: 43), preposition dalam is used to indicate a certain place which has space or volume. Chaer (1988: 30-31) agrees with this statement by saying that preposition dalam is used in front of a noun having space, for examples Ibu menyimpan uang itu (di) dalam lemari and Para murid sedang belajar (di) dalam kelas. Preposition dalam in these examples could be replaced by preposition di dalambecause, in this case, prepositionsdalam and di dalam are interchangeable. Preposition dalam could also be used to indicate period of time (Ramlan, 1980: 44), as seen in example Dalam tahun 1977, menurut statistik, keberangkatan keluarga ke negara bagian kami mencapai angka setinggi lima puluh persen.

d. Indonesian Prepositiondi atas

In order to state the location completely and with attention to detail, preposition di could be used with other prepositions, like atas and dalam. Indonesian preposition di atas could be used to indicate a higher position (Ramlan, 1980: 67-68), as seen in examples Sebagai manusia, kita tidak boleh tinggi hati karena di atas langit masih ada langit andSaya ingin menyayi di atas panggung yang mewah dan ditonton oleh banyak orang.

From the theories of Indonesian prepositions above, it is obviously observed that preposition of place at has the similar meaning with Indonesian prepositions di and pada, the preposition of place in has similar meaning with Indonesian prepositionsdi anddi dalam, and the preposition of place onhas similar meaning with Indonesian prepositions di, di atas, and pada. Meanwhile, preposition of

time at has similar meaning with Indonesian preposition pada, the preposition of timeinhas similar meaning with Indonesian prepositionsdianddi dalam, and the preposition of place on has similar meaning with Indonesian prepositions di and pada.

3. Affective Filter Hypotheses

In acquiring a second language, Krashen (1983: 25) presents a set of theoretical model that makes up current second language acquisition theory. The theoretical model is usually called five hypotheses, namely the Acquisition-Learning Hypotheses, the Natural Order Hypotheses, the Monitor Hypotheses, the Input Hypotheses, and the Affective Filter Hypotheses. In this study, the writer would only discuss the theory of Affective Filter Hypotheses as the complementary theory being discussed in this study.

Krashen (1983: 31) states that Affective Filter Hypotheses deals with how affective factors such as emotions or attitude influence the second language acquisition process. There are three kinds of affective variables, which are identified in second language acquisition study, namely:

a.) Motivation.Learners who have high motivation can learn better.

b.) Self-confidence.Learners who have good-self image and self-confidence end to be more successful in the learning the second language.

c.) Anxiety.Learners who have less anxiety and the classroom where the anxiety is low appear to be more conducive to second language acquisition.

Then, it could be concluded that learners with high motivation, good self-confidence, and less anxiety tend to receive more input so that they could be more successful in acquiring the second language. Dulay and Burt (1973) in Krashen and Terrell (1983: 38) have suggested that attitudinal factors may relate to second language acquisition in the following way: performers with optimal attitudes have a lower affective filter. A low filter means that the performer is more “opened” to the input, and that the input strikes “deeper.” Thus, having the right attitudes may do two things for second language acquirers: it will encourage them to try to obtain more input, to interact with the speaker of the target language confidently, and to be more receptive to the input they obtain.

4. Feedback

The students are very logical in making mistakes. It means that the students may apply some rules in their performance, but their performance may be wrong and may need to be corrected. The students may often need help in figuring out whether their answers or performances are correct or incorrect. Therefore, feedback is very important for them. Without such feedback they will do the same mistake again.

According to Kauchack (1989: 85), feedback is any information about current behavior that can be used to improve the future performance of the students. In language acquisition research, feedback generally refers to the listeners’ or readers’ response given to the learners’ speech or writing (Dulay et al., 1982: 34). Brown (1987: 192) stated that one of the keys to the successful

learning of a second language lies in the feedback that a learner receives from others. However, the learner may also obtain benefit from the feedback after his utterances has been completed. Feedback of this kind occurs when the explicit corrections are offered by the hearer to the speaker who makes error. Then, it could be said that correction by others are felt to be important thing for the learners of a second language (Klein, 1986: 144).

Feedback plays a significant role in the learning process. Lewis (2002: 3) states the list of significance of feedback as follows.

a) Feedback is the way teacher specify the learners language. Feedback in the learning process is considered as a continuous form of evaluation which is more beneficial than marks.

b) Feedback consists of the hints that the students could use to improve their language skills. Feedback will give beneficial commentary rather than any simple explanation which is explained by the teacher in the classroom.

c) Feedback could inform students about their language skills. Teacher could provide several suggestions and tips to the students orally or in written form. Students could learn new vocabulary, correct pronunciation, and correct grammar or sentence structure from the model which is delivered through the feedback. d) Feedback could be a beneficial stimulus to the students because it can arise the students’ motivation better than giving marks or grades. Therefore, by using feedback, the teacher could encourage the students to study and to use the language well.

e) Feedback could guide the students to their learning independency which aims at guiding the students to find their mistakes. Since the feedback is provided in the correct form, it is hoped that the students will not do the same mistakes again in the future. Thus, teachers’ feedback could be the medium to the students’ self correction in the future.

5. Errors in Language Learning

This part deals with errors, which are usually committed by the learners in language learning process. There are three main points to be discussed in this part, namely the definition of the term error, the causes of errors and the importance of studying errors.

a. Definition

Norish (1983: 7) gives an opinion that “an error is a systematic deviation from the accepted code, namely the systems of language: grammar, meaning, and sound, that is when a learner has not learnt something and consistently ‘gets it wrong’.” According to Dulay, Burt and Krashen (1982: 139), the term error means “the flawed side of learner speech or writing. It is part of conversation or composition that deviates from some selected norm of mature language performance.” Corder (1967) in Dulay et al. (1982: 139) states that error means

systematic deviations due to learners’ still-developing knowledge of the second language rule system…. The term of errors will refer to any deviation from a selected norm of language performance, no matter what the characteristics or causes of the deviation might be.

In other words, it could be concluded that errors are resulting from the lack of knowledge of the rules of the target language. Errors in this study refer to the

students’ incorrect answers in the test which deviate from the rule of using prepositionsat,in, andon.

b. The Causes of Errors

Corder (1973: 228) states that basically there are three causes of errors. Those causes of errors are native of the mother tongue, the basis analysis and the nature of teaching and learning materials. Another linguist, Brown (1987: 177-180), states that there are three sources of errors, namely interlingual transfer, intralingual transfer, and context of learning.

1. Interlingual Transfer

Brown (1987: 177) says that the beginning stages of learning a second language are characterized by a good deal of interlingual transfer from the native language, or interference. In this case, the errors happen because the learners’ first language interferes with the learners’ process of learning the second language. Since the rule or grammar of the target language is not familiar for the learners, they employ the linguistic system of the language that they know well, which is their first language. Many of such errors are detectable in the learners’ speech, especially in their beginning stages of learning a second language.

2. Intralingual Transfer

In intralingual transfer, the errors happen within the target language itself, not from other languages. Intralingual transfer is a major factor in second language learning. According to Brown (1987: 178), the early stages of a language learning are characterized by a predominance of interference (interlingual transfer), but when the learners have begun to acquire parts of the

target language system, more intralingual transfer is manifested. The example of negative intralingual transfer, or overgeneralization, is illustrated in such utterances as *Do you can come to the party?

3. Context of Learning

In this case, the word context refers to the factors outside the learners. Therefore, it could be said that the teacher, the classroom situation, and the learning materials could become the sources of error. The teacher could be the sources of error when he or she leads the learners to make faulty hypotheses about the target language. This is what Richard (1971) in Brown (1987: 179) called “false concept.” “Students often make errors because of a misleading explanation from the teacher, faulty presentation of a structure or word in a textbook, or even because of a pattern that was memorized but not properly contextualized” (Brown, 1987: 179).

c. The Importance of Studying Errors

According to Dulay et al. (1982: 138), studying learners’ errors serves two major purposes, namely: (1) it provides data from which inferences about the nature of the language learning process can be made; and (2) it indicates to teachers which part of the target language students have most difficulty to produce correctly. Studying learners’ errors is essential for the teachers since the errors can be used as feedback to improve the teaching and learning process.

6. The Mastery of Language

Since this study deals with the students’ mastery of prepositions, it is important to discuss further about the definition of the term mastery and the criteria of mastery. The definition of the term mastery and the criteria of mastery are discussed because they serve as a basis for conducting the research.

a. Definition

Hagboldt (1935: 2) states, “We have a mastery of a certain language when our comprehension by ear is spontaneous; our reading is effortless and fluent; our use of words, idioms and sentences in speech and writing habitual are skilful.” In this study, the writer focuses on the use of words, particularly prepositions at, in, andonindicating time and place. Dealing with the study, someone is said to have mastered prepositions at, in, and on indicating time and place if he or she understands the rules of using those prepositions and is able to use them correctly in sentences.

b. The Criteria of Mastery

Based on Peraturan Akademik Mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta (2002: 14), it is written that the minimum standard of the mastery is 56% of the maximum achievement. It means that the students who achieve 56% of the highest score are classified into the category of sufficient, while the overall grading system is determined by the lecturers. The list of score category which is used to classify the students’ score is presented as follows.

Score Category

80 – 100 Very Good (A) 70 – 79 Good (B) 56 – 69 Sufficient (C) 50 – 55 Insufficient (D) ≤49 Fail (E)

Based on the list of score category above, it could be assumed that if the students’ scores are below the minimum standard of mastery, they still have not mastered prepositions at, in,and on,which indicate time and place, and they still have difficulties in using those three prepositions well.

B. Theoretical Framework

This section discusses the linked theories which are combined from the Theoretical Description. The use of those theories is intended to facilitate the researcher to find out the answer of the research questions of this study, which are stated in Chapter I.

Grammar has played an important role in learning a second language. In order to acquire a certain language, a learner is required to learn the grammar of the target language. English grammar consists of many elements. One of English grammar elements which is considered troublesome for most of the learners of English is preposition. This statement is supported by Pittman (1974: 24) who said, “among those who teach or learn the English language, prepositions have

obtained a reputation for difficulty if not a downright unpredictability.” In this study, the researcher focuses on the students’ mastery of prepositions at, in, and onsince the use of these prepositions were complicated for most of the learners of English.

The discussion of prepositions at, in, and on in this study is divided into two, namely prepositions at, in, and on indicating place and prepositions at, in, andon indicating time. To indicate place, prepositionatis used to show an exact point, prepositionin is used to show a certain location within a geographical area or three dimensional space, and preposition on is used to indicate a certain location on a surface. To indicate time, prepositionatis used to indicate points of time of a day, preposition in is used to indicate period within which something takes place, and prepositiononis used to indicate days and dates.

When English learners use English as a second or foreign language, transfer usually occurred. Therefore, they tend to translate what they would like to say from their mother tongue into the target language word by word. This could happen because the learners’ mother tongue is the first language that is acquired by them. As a result, when they learn another language, there will be the influence of the mother tongue to their use of the target language. The influence could be negative or positive influence, but in this study, the researcher would only focus on the negative influence of the mother tongue to their use of prepositions at, in, and on. In using English prepositions at, in, and on, Indonesian learners are usually influenced by Indonesian prepositions di, pada, di dalam, and di atas. Preposition of place at has the similar meaning with Indonesian prepositions di

and pada, the preposition of place in has similar meaning with Indonesian prepositionsdi anddi dalam, and the preposition of place onhas similar meaning with Indonesian prepositions di, di atas, and pada. Meanwhile, preposition of time at has similar meaning with Indonesian preposition pada, the preposition of timeinhas similar meaning with Indonesian prepositionsdianddi dalam, and the preposition of place on has similar meaning with Indonesian prepositions di and pada. Since each of prepositions at, in, and on has double similar meaning with Indonesian prepositionsdi, pada, di dalam, anddi atas,many English learners are confused in using these prepositions. As a result, they assume that these prepositions are complicated.

Since there were many students of the English Language Education Study Program who assumed that prepositions at, in, and on were difficult and complicated, the researcher was interested to find out their mastery on these prepositions and the possible factors that caused them to make errors in using these prepositions. In this chapter, there are five major parts of theories, namely theories about prepositions at, in, and on, Indonesian prepositions di, pada, di dalam, and di atas, Affective Filter Hypotheses, theory of feedback, errors in language learning, and the mastery of a language. Those theories are employed to provide a basis for finding out the students’ mastery of prepositionsat, in, andon and the possible factors which caused their errors in using those three prepositions.

In this study, the researcher used theory of Affective Filter because she would like to reveal some attitudes which influence the students’ mastery of

respond me in Indonesian Language, I would speak in Indonesian language. My lecturer in Short Essay writing class gave me correction when I made error in using preposition on in the sentence: *I looked myself on the mirror.”

9. Do you think the courses that you have taken in this study program have accommodated your understanding about English prepositions? Why/ Why not?

Respondent A: “No, I do not think so. I haven’t studied about English prepositions specifically in a number of courses in the English Language Education Study Program.”

Respondent B: “I have ever learned about prepositions at, in, and on from several lecturers, but they only explained these prepositions as an interlude when they were teaching us.”

Respondent C: “English prepositions had ever been taught in Structure II class, but it was not specifically discussed since the learning material was focused on prepositional verbs.”

Respondent D: “Prepositions at, in, and on had ever been taught to us by some lecturers, but they do not explained these prepositions specifically. It is just as additional information for us.”

10. As far as you take structure classes, is there an explicit learning material which specifically discussed about English Prepositions? If yes, what is the implication of the learning material to your understanding about English prepositions? If no, what is your opinion about the absence of the explicit learning about English prepositions in English Language Education Study Program?

Respondent A: “No. I think there should be a learning material which specifically discuss about English prepositions in Structure Class.” Respondent B: “No. It is important to have learning material about English

prepositions in Structure Class.”

Respondent C: “No. I hope there will be a learning material which focuses on discussing about English prepositions in Structure Class.”

Respondent D: “No. I think the lecturers should include English prepositions in the learning materials of Structure Class.”

APPENDIX 11. Raw Data from the Interview

1. What do you know about prepositionsat,in, andon?

Student A: “As far as I know,atispada,inisdi dalam, andonisdi atas.” Student B: “At is used to refer to a place, the meaning is di in Indonesian

language. Inmeansdi dalamin Indonesian language. Meanwhile, on refers to something in higher position or in Indonesian language meansdi atas.”

Student C: “Athas the same function asdi in Indonesian language.Inhas the same function as di dalam in Indonesian language. On means padain Indonesian language.”

Student D: “I thinkatis used for pointing a place.Inis similar withdalam in Indonesian language, whereas on is similar with di or pada in Indonesian language.”

2. Where did you get the information about prepositionsat,in, andon that you have just stated?

Student A: “From my teacher in the school.” Student B: “I learned it in my high school.”

Student C: “I studied these prepositions when I was in elementary school.” Student D: “I got it in the school.”

3. How complicated are the uses of these prepositions to you?

Student A: “They are very complicated. I am confused about the uses of these prepositions since their meanings (in Indonesian language) are almost similar. I also do not really know the rules to use them in sentences.”

Student B: “Sometimes these prepositions are complicated to be used.” Student C: “It is very difficult to differentiate these prepositions.”

Student D: “It is so difficult and complicated. I am sometimes confused to use these prepositions in making sentence. I think there are the rules to differentiate these prepositions, but I do not know about the rules.”

4. Are you interested to learn more about these prepositions? Why/ why not?

Student A: “Yes, I am. Because they are important to learn in learning English.”

Student B: “Yes. Because I think it will be useful for teaching my students later.”

Student D: “Yes. Because I would like to know the difference among these prepositions so that I will not be confused when my students ask me.”

5. What is your consideration when you choose a certain preposition among at, in, andonto make a sentence?

Student A: “I just guess and use my feeling. I have learned it in school, but it is only the basic one. So, I am still confused.”

Student B: “I try to remember my English teachers’ explanations about English prepositions. I also try to remember little information from the songs I listen to and the reading passage I read which consists prepositionsat,in, andon.”

Student C: “I use my feeling. Although I have learned it, I am still confused since the meanings of these prepositions are almost similar.”

Student D: “I just use my feeling.”

6. What do you do when you are confused in choosing the appropriate preposition amongat, in, andon?

Student A: “Nothing. I just guess and use my feeling.”

Student B: “I usually use my feeling. But, I think it depends on the sense of urgency. If it is not urgent, I do not do anything when I am confused in using prepositions at, in, and on. If it is urgent, for example, related to my final paper or essay assignments, I would consult grammar book or ask my friends who are smart.”

Student C: “I will ask my friends and consult dictionary. I will not ask my lecturers because I am afraid of them.”

Student D: “I will ask my smarter friends and consult grammar books. I think it is better than asking my lecturers. I do not want to be considered as a stupid student in front of them.”

7. Based on your understanding, how can you elaborate the uses of English prepositions at, in, and on indicating place and time related to Indonesian prepositionsdi, pada, dalam,anddi atas?

Student A: “I think their uses are similar.Atis used fordiandpada,inis used fordi dalam, andonis used fordi atas.”

Student B: “I think each of these prepositions has its own rule, but I do not really know the rule.”

Student C: “The uses of prepositionsat, in, andonwere similar to Indonesian preposition pada, whereas to indicate place, the uses of

prepositionsat, in,andonwere similar todi(at), di dalam(in), and di atas/ pada(on).”

Student D: “I think prepositionsat, in, andonhave different rules or concepts. Therefore, to indicate place, preposition at was not always translated todiorpada, prepositioninwas not always translated to di dalamand prepositiononwas not always translated todi atas.”

8. Do you usually speak English with your friends/ lecturers outside the class? If no, why? If yes, how often do you obtain evaluation or correction on your language error from your friends/lecturers?

Student A: “I sometimes speak English with my friends and I always tried to speak English with my lecturers outside the class. As far as I remember, I never obtain feedback from my friends related to the use of prepositions at, in,andon, but I often obtain grammar error corrections from the lecturers. Once, a lecturer corrected my error in using preposition on when I said, *”I will submit it on five o’clock, Sir”.

Student B: “It is rarely for me to communicate in English with my friends outside the class. I never obtain feedback from my friends related to my choice of using prepositions at, in, and on. I think it is necessary to speak English with the lecturers no matter inside or outside the class. As far as I remember, there is no lecturer correcting my error in using prepositionsat,in, andon.”

Student C: “I never communicate in English with my friends outside the class because I do not want my friends to have a consideration that I am a boastful person if I speak English with them. I never obtain feedback or correction through my language performance from my friends, especially to my choice of using prepositionsat,in, andon. I think it has been an unwritten rule in the English Language Education Study Program that in communicating with the lecturers, the students of this study program have to use English. I have obtained many corrections and feedback from my lecturers related to the grammar errors that I made. So, I forget whether I also obtained feedback related to English prepositionsat,in, andon.” Student D: “I do not want to be considered as boasting person to my friends.

So, I never communicate in English with my friends outside the class. I never obtained feedback or correction through my language performance from friends. I speak English with the lecturers, but it depends on the situation. If I speak English with the lecturers and they respond me in Indonesian Language, I would speak in

Indonesian language. My lecturer in Short Essay writing class gave me correction when I made error in using preposition on in the sentence: *I looked myself on the mirror.”

9. Do you think the courses that you have taken in this study program have accommodated your understanding about English prepositions? Why/ Why not?

Student A: “No, I do not think so. I haven’t studied about English prepositions specifically in a number of courses in the English Language Education Study Program.”

Student B: “I have ever learned about prepositions at, in, andonfrom several lecturers, but they only explained these prepositions as an interlude when they were teaching us.”

Student C: “English prepositions had ever been taught in Structure II class, but it was not specifically discussed since the learning material was focused on prepositional verbs.”

Student D: “Prepositions at, in, and on had ever been taught to us by some lecturers, but they do not explained these prepositions specifically. It is just as additional information for us.”

10. As far as you take structure classes, is there an explicit learning material which specifically discussed about English Prepositions? If yes, what is the implication of the learning material to your understanding about English prepositions? If no, what is your opinion about the absence of the explicit learning about English prepositions in English Language Education Study Program?

Student A: “No. I think there should be a learning material which specifically discuss about English prepositions in Structure Class.”

Student B: “No. It is important to have learning material about English prepositions in Structure Class.”

Student C: “No. I hope there will be a learning material which focuses on discussing about English prepositions in Structure Class.”

Student D: “No. I think the lecturers should include English prepositions in the learning materials of Structure Class.”

APPENDIX 10. The Sample of the Students’ Questionnaire Sheet

Questionnaire

Please circle the number, which is suitable with your degree of agreement with the statement in each number. Please do it honestly based on your real opinion or condition. Note: 0 = No (N)

1 = Yes (Y)

No. Statements N Y

1. English prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” indicating time and place are important to learn.

0 1

2. English prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” indicating time and place are complicated to learn.

0 1

3. You are interested to learn more about the uses of prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on.” 0 1 4. You try to find other sources that discuss English prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on”

to increase your understanding on those prepositions, for example: using internet.

0 1

5. You consult dictionary/ grammar book when you find difficulty in using prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on.”

0 1

6. You ask your lecturers when you find difficulty in using prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on.”

0 1

7. You ask your friends when you find difficulty in using prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on.”

0 1

8. You depend on your intuition in choosing or determining the appropriate preposition among prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” to make a sentence.

0 1

9. You depend on your grammar knowledge that you obtained from your teachers’ (or lecturers’) explanations in choosing or determining the appropriate preposition among prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” to make a sentence.

0 1

10. You depend on your grammar knowledge that you obtained from grammar books in choosing or determining the appropriate preposition among prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” to make a sentence.

0 1

11. When you use a certain English preposition, you usually find the appropriate meaning of the preposition in Indonesian language first.

0 1

12. Since the meanings of prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” indicating time are similar in Indonesian language, it does not matter to choose those prepositions randomly in making a sentence.

0 1

13. Prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” indicating place could only be translated into pada/ di(at), di dalam (in), anddi atas(on) in Indonesian language.

0 1

14. Your friends usually correct your error when using prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” indicating time and place.

0 1

15. Your lecturers usually correct your error when using prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” indicating time and place.

0 1

16. As far as you take Structure classes, there was an explicit learning material, which specifically discussed about English prepositions.

0 1

17. Learning materials about English prepositions, especially prepositions “at”, “in”, and “on” have been accommodated enough in a number of courses in English Language Education Study Program.

0 1