THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THINK TALK WRITE (TTW) STRATEGY TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILLS IN DESCRIPTIVE TEXT (A Classroom Action Research for the Tenth Grade Students of SMA Muhammadiyah (Plus) Salatiga in the Academic Year of 20172018) AGRADUATING P

  

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THINK TALK WRITE (TTW)

STRATEGY TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS’ WRITING

  

SKILLS IN DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

(A Classroom Action Research for the Tenth Grade Students of

SMA Muhammadiyah (Plus) Salatiga in the Academic Year of

2017/2018)

  

AGRADUATING PAPER

Submittedto the Board of Examiners as a partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of SarjanaPendidikan (S.Pd.) in

English Department of Teacher Training and Education Faculty

  

State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga

By:

FIRDA HASNA HIKMAWATI

  

113 13 144

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY

STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES (IAIN)

  

SALATIGA

2017

  

MOTTO

“Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know”

• –PemaChordon–

  “What is destined will reach you, even if it be underneath two mountains.

  

What is not destined, will not reach you, even if it be between your two lips”

• –An Arabic Proverb–

  “If you can’t fly, then run.

  

If you can’t run, then walk.

If you can’t walk, then crawl.

  Bu t whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”

• –Martin Luther King Jr-

  

DEDICATION

  This graduating paper is especially dedicated for: 1. My beloved parents, father and mother. Your endless care, love, and support are very precious to me.

  2. My beloved two older brothers.

  3. My beloved friendsthat can’t be mentioned one by one, especially students of TBI 2013. All of you encouragement and help are really helpful for me.

  Thank you.

  

ACKNOWLEDMENT

  Bismillahirrahmanirrahim All praises due to Allah The Lord Univers, Who does always gives His creation His Mercy. Thanks to Allah because the researcher could complete this research as one of requirements for getting degree of Sarjana Pendidikan (S.Pd) in the English Education Department of State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga in 2017.

  Prayers and peace be upon The Prophet Muhammad SAW, the master of all messenger, and upon alla his family and companions, who brings the human being to Islam, the path of the prophets. However, this success would not be achieved without support from individual, people, and institution. For all guidance, the researcher would like to thank to:

  1. Dr. Rahmat Hariyadi, M.Pd., as the Rector of State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga

  2. Suwardi, M.Pd., as the Dean of Teacher Training and Education Faculty

  3. Noor Malihah, Ph.D., as the Head of English Education Department

  4. Sri Guno Najib Chaqoqo, S.PdI., M.A. as my academic counselor

  5. Setia Rini, M.Pd. as the counselor who has educated, supported, directed, and given the researcher advices, suggestions, and recommendations for this graduating paper from beginning until the end

  6. Farrah Zakiyah Anwar, S.PdI. as the English teacher of SMA Muhammadiyah (Plus) Salatiga who has worked together with me to do the research in her class

  7. All of the lecturers in English Department

  8. All of staffs who helped the researcher process the graduating paper administration

  9. My beloved family who always support and advise me 10.

  My best friend who always supports me.

  11. My BFF (NIP) who always encourage me to be a better person than before.

  12. Aris Nazilah who always accompany and help me anywhere and anytime 13.

  All of Jeneng Group member, who always strong and motivate me

14. All of Satyaku Dealfinny group member 15.

  All my battle friends SKRIPSI (Mrs. Setia Rini) 16. All of X MIA students of SMA Muhammadiyah (Plus) Salatiga who are patiently become the subject of the research

  Finally, this graduating paper is expected to be able to provide useful knowledge and information for the readers. Furthermore, the researcher is pleased to accept more suggestion and contribution from the reader for the improvement of the graduating paper.

  th

  Salatiga, August 28 , 2017 The Researcher

  Firda Hasna Hikmawati

  113 13 144

  

ABSTRACT

  Hikmawati, Firda Hasna. 2017

  “The Implementation of Think Talk Write Strategy

(TTW) to Improve Students’ Writing Skill in Descriptive Text for the Tenth Grade

Students of SMA Muhammadiyah (Plus) Salatiga in the Academic Year of

2017/2018” Final Graduating Paper of English Education Department of Teacher

  Training and Education Faculty of State Institute for Islamic studies (IAIN) Salatiga. Counselor: Setia Rini, M.Pd.

  The Aim of this researc h is to find out the students’ writing skill in descriptive text before and after using Think Talk Write strategy and to find out the significance of students’ writing skill in descriptive text using Think Talk Write strategy of the tenth grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah (Plus) Salatiga. The Methodology of the study is classroom action research, where the teacher as a teacher in teaching learning process, and the researcher as an observer in learning activities. The objectives of the study are to know the improvement before and after using Think Talk Write strategy and to find out the significance of the result using think talk write strategy in improving students’ writing skill in descriptive text for the tenth grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah (Plus) Salatiga. The researcher applied test namely pre-test and post-test. She implemented two cycles. Each consists of planning, implementation of the action, observation, and reflection. The finding shows that Think Talk Write strategy can improve students’ writing skill in descriptive text. It is can be seen by the result of pre-test and post-test in cycle I is 74,71, and cycle II is 78,00. From the result is greater than t-table with n=21 is 2,085. It means that the use of Think Talk Write strategy can improve the students writing skill in descriptive text.

  Key Words: Think Talk Write, Writing, Descriptive Text.

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  TITLE ..................................................................................................................i DECLARATION ................................................................................................ii ATTENTIVE COUSELOR NOTE .....................................................................iii CERTIFICATION PAGE ...................................................................................iv MOTTO ..............................................................................................................v DEDICATION ....................................................................................................vi ACKNOWLEDMENT ........................................................................................viii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................xiii LIST OF TABLES ..............................................................................................xiv

  CHAPTER IINTRODUCTION ..........................................................................1

  1.1 Background of the Study ..................................................................1

  1.2 Statement of The Problems ..............................................................3

  1.3 Objectives of The Study ...................................................................4

  1.4 Significance of the Study .................................................................4

  1.5 Limitation of The Problem ...............................................................5

  1.6 Definition of Key Term ...................................................................5

  1.7 Review of the Related Literatures ....................................................6

  1.8 Graduating Paper Outline .................................................................7

  CHAPTER IITHEORITICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................9

  2.1 Writing .............................................................................................9

  2.2.5 Example of Descriptive Text ..................................................23

  3.1.2 Vision and Mision of SMA Muhammadiyah Salatiga............30

  3.1.1 General Description of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga .29

  3.1 Research Setting ...............................................................................29

  CHAPTER IIIRESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................29

  2.3.4 The Excesses and the Weaknesses of Think talk write ..........28

  2.3.3 Design Teaching Learning Process by using TTW ................25

  2.3.2 Steps of Think Talk Write ......................................................24

  2.3.1 Definition of Think Talk Write ...............................................24

  2.3 Think talk write ................................................................................24

  2.2.4 Significant Lexico grammatical features of descriptive text .21

  2.1.1 General Concept of Writing ...................................................9

  2.2.3 Generic Structure of Descriptive Text ...................................20

  2.2.2 Social Function ......................................................................19

  2.2.1 Definition of Descriptive Text ...............................................18

  2.2 Descriptive Text ...............................................................................18

  2.1.6 Writing purposes ....................................................................17

  2.1.5 Teaching Writing ...................................................................16

  2.1.4 The Skill Needed to Write .....................................................14

  2.1.3 Genre in Writing ....................................................................13

  2.1.2 Writing Process .......................................................................10

  3.1.3 Subject of the Research ..........................................................30

  3.1.4 Time Schedule of the Research .............................................32

  3.2 Research Method ..............................................................................33

  3.3 Research Design ...............................................................................34

  3.4 Procedure of Study ...........................................................................38

  3.5 Technique of Collecting Data ..........................................................43

  3.6 Technique of Data Analysis .............................................................44

  CHAPTER IVREASEARCH FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS ...............45

  4.1 Research Finding ..............................................................................45

  4.2 Discussion ........................................................................................62

  CHAPTER V CLOSURE ...................................................................................63

  5.1 Conclusion ........................................................................................63

  5.2 Suggestion ........................................................................................65 REFERENCES APPENDICES

  

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Stages of the Writing Process ............................................................10Figure 2.2 Design of Think Talk Write ...............................................................27Figure 3.1 CAR model (adapted from Kemmis and Taggart, 1988) ..................35Figure 3.2 Cyclical Process of Action Research .................................................38

  

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1 List of X MIA .....................................................................................31Table 3.2 Time Schedule.....................................................................................32Table 4.1 Observation Sheet Cycle I...................................................................50Table 4.2 The Score of Pre-Test and Post-Test in Cycle I ..................................51Table 4.3 Descriptive Statistics Cycle I ..............................................................52Table 4.4 Paired Samples Test Cycle I ...............................................................53Table 4.5 Observation Sheet Cycle II .................................................................57Table 4.6 Score Pre Test Post Test Cycle II........................................................58Table 4.7 Descriptive Statistics Cycle II .............................................................60Table 4.8 Paired Samples Test Cycle II ..............................................................61Table 4.9 The analyze of students improvement ................................................62

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In this chapter the researcher presents background of study, statement of the

  problem, objectives of the study, significance of the study, limitation of the problem, definition of key terms, review of related literature and graduating paper outline.

1.1 Background of the Study

  English is very important language in this world because it becomes an international language. Many people learn English in order to be able to communicate and socialize with the world community. Minister of education and culture decree no.372/2003 stated that English become the first foreign language and the compulsory subject that should be thought in Indonesian school up to university level. English is very important because it help students’ need to get information and knowledge in every aspect such as education, science, religion, social, and technology. Regarding the importance of English, the students have to master it, thusthey can useitnot only to get information and knowledge but also English is used for communication with other people in the world.

  Based on Harmer (2004: 31), writing as one of the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing has always formed part of the syllabus in the teaching of English. It meansthat writing as a part of the teaching English and important in teaching and learning English. Writing involves some language component (spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation).

  When the researcher observed the problem of the students in one of senior high school in Salatiga , the researcher found students’ problem in writing texts. The researcher asked their teacher to tell what problem they have. The teacher said that they are confused in using tenses in writing. The teacher told that they sometimes still use the old teaching technique to motivate the students in learning English. The teacher still asked the students to note several important materials.

  Many students get some difficulties towrite a sentence and explore it to be a paragraph. The first difficulty is there is no interest in writing as offered by Fauziaty (2002: 149). The second one Enyet al(2011:2) said that the students are hard to find ideas in written form. The others problems are there are no appropriate medium, lack of grammar and vocabulary.

  To solve the problems the teacher needs to use an appropriate strategies which make the students interest andenthusiastic. One of strategies which is suitable in teaching writing is Think-Talk-Write (TTW).

  Suyatno (2009:66) states “ Think-Talk-Write (TTW) starting with thinking through reading, the result of reading is communicate through presentation, discussion, and then making note about the result of discussion.” There are some activities students do in Think-Talk-Write

  (TTW).

  First, “think” the teacher can see from the process reading a text that related with the material. Next, students make notes about what they have read. The notes will be read, explained, and discussed in their group.the teacher can mention this step as students “talk” activity. After finishing discussing in their own group, the students will express the result of discussion in form of written text. This step is students’ activity in “write”. The last activity in Think-Talk-Write (TTW) is writing. So, the researcher concludes that this strategy suitable in teaching writing, especially in writing descriptive text.

  Based on the explanation above, the researcher wants to conduct a

  Implementation of Think Talk

  research entitled “The

  Write(TTW) Strategy to Improve Students’ Writing Skill in Descriptive Text (A Classroom Action Research of the Tenth Grade Student of SMA Muhammadiyah(Plus)Salatiga in the Academic Year of 2017/2018)”

1.2 Statement of the Problems

  As stated in the background, the researcher finds the problems to be solved as follows;

  1. How improvement is the students’ writing skill in descriptive text before and after using Think Talk Write (TTW) strategy for the tenth grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah (Plus) Salatiga in the academic year of 2017/2018?

  2. How significance is Think Talk Write (TTW) strategyin improving writing skill in descriptive text for the tenth grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah(Plus) Salatiga in the academic year of 2017/2018?

  1.3 Objectives of the Study

  The objectives of the study are to answer the questions above. In this research, the researcher has some purposes according to the statement of the problems.

  1. To find out the students’ writing skillin descriptive text before and after using Think Talk Write (TTW) strategy of the tenth grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus salatiga in the academic year of 2017/2018.

  2. To find out the signific ance of students’ writing skill in descriptive text usingThink Talk Write (TTW) strategy of the tenth grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus salatiga in the academic year of 2017/2018.

  1.4 Significance of the Study

  This study will give advantages for the students, the teachers, the readers, and also the writer.

  First for the students, they have a new way to learn English, especially in writing descriptive texts. They can apply the strategy to write text well. They also are going to have the good writing when they are usually trained to write. They are going to have better motivation to learn English.

  Second for the teachers, it gives insight how to teach writing through another strategy. Teachers use Think, Talk, Write as the teaching strategy to give attractive learning. It could make their learning in the classroom is more enjoyable and interesting.

  Third, the advantage for the readers is that they could get knowledge after reading this study.

  Fourth, the advantages for the researcher are that she could get the special experience when she is supposed to teach the students in Senior High School. The researcher can apply a better teaching skill for the students.

1.5 Limitation of the Problem

  This study concerns to

  “The Implementation of Think Talk Write

Strategy (TTW) to Improve Students Writing Skill in Descriptive Text

”. In

  order to focus on this research, so the result is valid; there must be limitation of the problem. The topic must be limited in order to investigate the problems more accurately, precisely, and correctly. Therefore, the researcher would like to limit this study as follows: The research is limited in using Think Talk Write (TTW) Strategy to improve writing skill especially in descriptive text. And this research is carried out to the Tenth Grade Students of SMAMuhammadiyah(Plus) Salatiga in the Academic Year of 2017/2018.

1.6 Definition of the Key Terms

  To make easier in understanding this thesis, the researcher defines the key terms as follow:

  1. Writing McCrimmon (1988:56) states that writing is the most difficult skill in learning process that allows the writer to explore thoughts and ideas. Some of the students still got score below the standard so they have to do a remedial test to get the standard score.

  2. Descriptive text Hawa (2009) states descriptive text is a text which says what a person or a thing is like. Description is used in all form of writing to create a vivid impression of a person, place, object or event. It can be inferred that descriptive text is way of writing to create particular mood, atmosphere, or describe a place so that the reader can create vivid pictures of characters, places, objects, etc.

  3. Think Talk Write According to Huinker and Laughin (1996:82) “the think, talk,

  write strategy builds in time for thought and reflection and for the

  organization of ideas and the testing of those ideas before students are expected to write. The flow of communication progresses from students engaging in thought or reflective dialogue with themselves, to talking and sharing ideas with one another, to writing”.

1.7 Review of the Related Literatures

  In this study, the writer takes 3 previous researches. The first previous research is conducted byDewiWulandari(2013). The study is entitled “Improving the Tenth Grade Students’ Writing Skill by Using Think Talk

  Write (TTW) Strategy at SMA Muhammadiyah 2 Wuluhan in the 2013/2014 Academic Year ”. The result showed that there was any improvement in

  students’ ability in writing skill after the students got Think-Talk-Write strategy. She also said that Think-Talk-Write was the effective way to improve students’ ability.

  The second study was conducted by Sri Waryanti (2016). This study is entitled “The Implementation of Think Talk Write Strategy to Improve the

  students’ achievement in writing Recount Texts Among the Eight grade

students of SMP Negeri 1 Wates in the Academic year of 2016/2017

”. The

  purpose of this research was to know the improvement of the students taught by Think Talk Write Technique and to know the implementation of Think Talk Write Technique in teaching writing. The result of this study was the students’ ability in writing recount text could be improved by using Think Talk Write Strategy.

  The third study was conducted by RatnaPrasastiSuminar (2015). This study entitled

  “The Effectiveness of TTW (Think Talk Write) Strategy In Teaching Writing Descriptive Text”. In her research, she used Quasi- Experimental research as the design. The students were given pre-test before treatment was held then she gave post-test after the students got treatment (Think-Talk-Write). According to researcher’s opinion, this strategy is good strategy for the students and the teachers. It showed the significant improvement of students’ ability in writing descriptive texts.

1.8 Graduating Paper Outline

  In this section, the writer would like to discuss some terms in chapter one into last chapters as follows: Chapter I Introduction. It consists of background of the study, statement of the problems, objective of the study, limitation of the study, significance of the study, definition of key terms, and graduating paper outline.

  Chapter II Theoretical Framework. This chapter consists of three materials they are writing, descriptive text and Think Talk Write (TTW) strategy.

  Chapter III Research Methodology.This chapter consists of research setting, research method, research design, procedure of the study, technique of the data collection, and technique of the data analysis.

  Chapter IV Research Process and Data Analysis. This chapter consist of the findings of the implementation of think Talk write strategy to improve students’ writing skills.

  Chapter VClosure. This chapter consist of the conclusion and several suggestions of the research based on the analysis in chapter four. The conclusion states the answer to the research questions about the implementation of Think Talk Write (TTW) strategy to improve students’ writing skill in descriptive text. There are also several suggestions for further research related to the Think Talk Write (TTW) strategy.

CHAPTER II THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK In this chapter, the researcher presents about many theoretical frameworks of this study. It is aimed to give relevant knowledge underlined the study. Therefore, this chapter describes some information involving: general concept of general concept of writing skill, descriptive text, Think Talk Write (TTW) strategy.

2.1 Writing

2.1.1 General Concept of Writing

  When the word writing is mentioned, may be some people think that writing as the act of picking up a pencil and forming letters either by printing or writing them in cursive. And they could think about the act of composing piece of text or they could think of writing as an act completed by someone else, as in the writing of William Shakespeare.

  Writing is one of the four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Marry Spratt (2005:26) stated that writing and speaking are productive skill. That means they involve producing language rather than receiving it. According to Sokokik, Writing is a combination of process and product. The process refers to the act of gathering ideas and working with them until they are presented in a manner that is polished and comprehensible to readers. Olson said that the concept that writing is a process is very useful to young writers.

  According to Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue (2006:265) writing is a process of creating, organizing, writing and polishing. In the first step of the process, you create ideas. In the second step, you organize the ideas, in the third step, you write a rough draft, in the final step; you polish your rough draft by editing it and making revisions.

  Writing itself is considered as a means of communication. Communication in writing tends to involve a thinking process. Writing, particularly academic writing is not easy. It takes study and practice to develop this skill. For both native speaker and new learners of English, it is important to note that writing is a process, not a product.

2.1.2 Genre in Writing In this case, genre is used to differ the kind of context and text.

  Writing is not only express idea, information, or massage in grammatical correct sentences. Ideas, information or massage need to order in a text which is conventionally agreed by the language user.

  Pardiyono (2007:2) defines genre as a text type that has function as frame of reference so a written text can be write effectively; effective from the right purpose, choosing and writing the text element, and in using grammatical pattern. It means that students who are writing within a certain genre need to consider a number of different factors. They need to have knowledge of the topic, the conventions and style of the genre and the context in which their writing will be read and by whom.

  Based on the communicative purpose, texts are divided into several types, they are:

  1. Narrative: To amuse/entertain the readers and to tell a story.

  2. Recount: To retell something that happened in the past and to tell a series of past event.

  3. Descriptive: To describe a particular person, place or thing in detail.

  4. Report: To describe the way things are, with reference to a range of natural and social phenomena in the environment.

  5. Explanation: To explain the processes involved in the formation or working of natural or sociocultural phenomena.

  6. Analytical exposition: To reveal the readers that something is the important case.

  7. Hortatory exposition: To persuade the readers that something should or should not be the case or be done.

  8. Procedure: To describe how something is accomplished through a sequence of actions or steps.

  9. Discussion: To present information and opinions about issues in more one side of an issue.

10. Review: To critique or evaluate an art work or event for a public audience.

  11. Anecdote: To share with others an account of an unusual or amusing incident.

  12. Spoof: To tell an event with a humorous twist and entertain the readers.

  13. News items: To inform readers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

2.1.3 The Skill Needed to Write

  The writing skills are complex and sometimes difficult to teach, requiring mastery not only of grammatical and rhetorical devices but also of conceptual and judgemental elements. According to J. B. Heaton (1988: 135) the following analysis attempts to group the many and varied skills necessary for writing into five general components or main ideas. They are:

  a) Language Use: The ability to write correct and appropriate sentences.

  b) Mechanical Skill: The ability to use correctly those conventions peculiar to the written language

• – e.g. punctuation, spelling.

  c) Treatment of Content: The ability to think creatively and develop thoughts, excluding all irrelevant information.

  d) Stylistic Skill: The ability to manipulate sentences and paragraphs, and use language effectively. e) Judgment Skills: The ability to write in an appropriate manner for a particular purpose with a particular audience in mind, together with an ability to select, organize and order relevant information.

  The actual writing conventions which it is necessary for the students to master relate chiefly (at the elementary stages) to punctuation and spelling. The greater importance in the teaching and testing of writing are those skills involving the use of judgement. The ability to write for a particular audience using the most appropriate kind of language is essential for both native-speaking and foreign students alike.

2.1.4 Teaching Writing

  Teaching is that which goes on between teachers and learners in classroom, but it is also an activity which can take place in a variety of setting and with markedly different group of learners. Graham Hitchcocks and David Hughes (1995:4) stated that teaching involves the application of technical and professional skills and knowledge to particular situation. It must necessarily involve teachers making judgements in the light of these skill and knowledge.

  Writing (as one of the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing) has always formed part of the syllabus in the teaching of English.

  According to Jeremy Harmer (2004:31) the important given to writing differs from teaching situation to teaching situation. In some cases it shares equal billing with the other skill; in other curricula it is only used, if at all in its writing

• –for- learning role where students write predominantly to augment their learning of the grammar and vocabulary of the language.

  Partly because of the nature of the writing process and also because of the need for accuracy in writing, the mental processes that a student goes through when writing differs significantly from the way they approach discussion or other kinds of spoken communication.

  This is just as true for single-sentence writing as it with single paragraph or extended text.

  Writing is often not time -bound in the way conversation is. When writing, students frequently have more time to think than they do in oral activities. They can go through what they know in their minds, and even consult dictionaries, grammar books, or other reference material to help them.

  Writing encourages students to focus on accurate language use and, because they think as they write, it may well provoke language development as they resolve problems which the writing puts into their minds. However, this quite separates from the issues of writing process and genre. Since here students are not writing to become better writers, they are writing to help them learn better.

2.1.5 Writing purposes

  Writing is one of the foundational skills of educated persons. It is very important ability to be conducted in the teaching learning process. Students can use their language to express their ideas, thoughts and teaching by writing sentence when they have difficulty to say orally, it means that a writer is not able to know the responds of his reader directly. According to O’malley and Pierce (1996:137), there are three purposes of writing that describe the kinds of students writing. They are: 1)

  Informative Writing Informative writing helps writers integrate new ideas and examine existing knowledge. So, the writer can share knowledge and give information, directions or ideas. Examples of informative writing include describing events or experiences, analyzing concept, speculating on causes and effects, and developing new ideas or relationship.

  2) Expressive or Narrative Writing

  Expressive or narrative writing is a personal or imaginative expressions in which the writer produces story or essay. This type of writing often used for entertainment, pleasure, discovery, poems, or short play.

  3) Persuasive Writing

  In persuasive writing, writers attempt to influence others and initiating action or change. This type of writing includes evaluation of a book, movie, consumer product, or Controversial issues. Writing is one way of communication, if we look for a new job employers, public officials or even member of the family to protest unfai r treatment or to say “thanks” for help. By improving the writing skill, the purpose of communication in written will be easier.

2.2 Descriptive Text

2.2.1 Definition of Descriptive Text

  A descriptive text is a text which lists the characteristics of something. Descriptive text is usually also used to help the writer develop an aspect of their work, e.g. to create a particular mood, atmosphere or to describe a place so that the reader can create vivid pictures of characters, place, object etc. In description, a writer uses words to paint a picture of something-a person, a scene, or even a feeling. In describing, the writer tells the most significant features or attributes, of the “thing” he or she is talking about. Descriptions range from very precise to very creative. In science, descriptions tend to be exact, as when an author describes an apparatus or a particular organism. Descriptions in poetry are more imaginative. In general, descriptions do not occur alone: They blend with definitions and explanations as stated byDorothy Grant Hennings (1999:2).

  From those, it can be said that descriptive text is a text which say what a person or a thing is like. Its purpose is to describe and reveal a particular person, place, or thing.

  2.2.2 Social Function

  Rudi Hartono (2005:6) stated that descriptive text aims to describe a particular person, place or thing. It means that descriptive text aims at giving vivid details of how something or someone looks. A descriptive text tells the readers what the thing is, or what the thing does. A description should be so unique that a description of one thing should be different from a description from another thing. In other words, descriptive text is notused to generalize. All different readers should be able to show the same thing being described in the text.

  2.2.3 Generic Structure of Descriptive Text

  According to Mark Anderson (1997:103) one way in understanding descriptive text is by identifying the generic structure of that text. The simple generic structure that is taught in junior high school is divided into the following two elements namely identification and description.

  1) Identification / a general opening statement in the first paragraph: Identifies phenomenon to be described.

  This statement tells the audience what the text is going to  be about.

  This includes a short description of the subject.  This can include a definition of subject.

   2)

  Description / A series of paragraphs about the subject: Describes parts, qualities, characteristics.

  Each paragraph usually begins with a topic sentence. 

  The topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph  previews the information contained in the rest of the paragraph.

  The sentences after the preview give more details. 

  Each paragraph should give information about one feature  of the subject.

  These paragraphs build a description of the subject of the  report.

  They may include technical language that is related to the  subject.

  By identifying the generic structure of the text, it is easier to understand the text. It specifies the text that given the reader in order to it is more interesting to read.

2.2.4 Significant Lexico grammatical features of descriptive text

  According to Linda gerrot (1994:208) descriptive text has significant lexicogrammatical features that support the form of a descriptive text. The followings are significant lexicogrammatical features of descriptive text are focus on specific participants, use of attributive and identifying processes, frequent use of epithets and classifiers in nominal groups, and use of simple present tense.

  a. Focus on specific participants As stated before, the descriptive text purpose to describe particular person, thing or place. The subject who is described is not general, but more specific. Those, we cannot describe people in general. But, we can describe particular person. For example: my idol, my mother, my cat, Mr. Leo, etc.

  b. Use of attributive and identifying processes.

  Relational processes involve states of being (including having). They can be classified according to whether they are being used to identify something (Barry Tuckwell may be the finest living horn player) or to assign a quality to something (Barry Tuckwell is a fine horn player). Processes which establish as identify are called identifying processes and processes which assign a quality are called attributive processes. Each has its own characteristic participant roles.

  c. Frequent use of epithets and classifies in nominal groups.

  A nominal group is a group of words which has a noun (words which names a person, place or thing) as its head word and includes all additional information related to the noun. As a means of representing experience, the nominal group has a number offunctional components. Some of the components which frequently used in writing descriptive text are epithet and classifier.

  d. Use of simple present.

  The tense that used in descriptive text is simple present tense. The lexicogrammar of descriptive text is dominated with simple present tense. This is due to the factual nature of a descriptive text. When we speak or write we always do so in particular social situations. This means that language we use is fashioned by those situations, not only in what we say, but also in how we say things.

2.2.5 Example of Descriptive Text My friend Tim Identification : His name is Tim.

  Description : He lives in Nottingham, which is a city in the UK.

  He lives in a small detached house with his wife Jenny, and their two children, Lisa and James.He works at Debenhams in Nottingham, and he really enjoys his job. He is a sales manager for the sports clothingdepartment. Debenhams is the largest department store in Nottingham and there are branches all over the UK.When He is not at work, he likes to play tennis with his friend Joe. Joe is much better than him, but he still enjoys it.At the weekends, he sometimes takes his family to Manchester to visit Jenny’s mum. She lives at Pine View Nursing Home in a nice suburb of the city and has been there for about five years. She loves to see her grandchildren. James always tells her about what he is doing at school James and Lisa both go to the same school,Mount Street Junior School.

2.3 Think Talk write

2.3.1 Definition of Think Talk Write

  Think Talk Writeis a group work for discussion in the classroom. Based on Zulkarnaeni (2011: 149) Think Talk Writeis one of teaching strategies consist of some members in one group. The members are responsible for the mastery of learning material and can teach to another members in a g roup. Huinker and Laughlin (2015:

  82) state that the think talk write strategy develops the organization of ideas and for the testing those ideas before the students are expected to write. Think Talk Write is the teaching strategy to develop, organize and create ideas by thinking, talking, and writing.

2.3.2 Steps of Think Talk Write

  Think Talk Write is an innovative strategy that should be applied in teaching and learning process. Based on Gazden in Huinker and Laughlin (2015: 82): The Think Talk Writestrategy builds in time for thought and reflection and for the organization of ideas and the testing of those ideas before students are expected to write. When assigned a writing task, students are often expected to begin writing immediately.

  The talk phase of the Think Talk Write strategy allows for exploratory talk- “the process of learning without the answers fully intact”. The flow of communication progresses from students engaging in thought or reflective dialogue with themselves, to talking, and sharing ideas with one another, to writing. This strategy seems to be particularly effective when students, working in heterogeneous groups of two to six students, are asked to explain, summarize, or reflect. From the definition above, there are three steps of Think Talk

  Write as follows: 1) Think

  The first step of this strategy is Think. In Think, students are given the topics related with the basic competence in the lesson plan. Students are asked to think their ideas about the topics given.

  2) Talk