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picture-cued activities can also improve students’ vocabulary mastery. Another advantage of the use of picture-cued activities is that it can help
students to learn the use of prepositions correctly. For example, they can write a descriptive sentence about the position of a thing in a picture. In short,
it can be said that picture-cued activities are appropriate for the students to improve the writing skill in general, and the micro skills of writing in
particular.
B. Conceptual Framework
Writing ability of the eighth grade students at SMP N 1 Dlingo in the academic year of 20132014 still needs to be developed. This situation is
caused by several reasons; one of them deals with the media used in writing class. The teaching media and strategy may not be appropriate for the
students’ wants and needs. This situation may lead them have less motivation to learn. They only learn writing to complete their duty as students who learn
English. They do not have more expectorations in their writing. They actually, need an appropriate strategy in order to make them motivate to
learn. For example, they should have enjoyable activities. If the strategy is appropriate, students will enjoy the lesson. If they enjoy the lesson, they will
explore their skills better. As a result, they will produce good writing. Brown 2003:226, picture-cued activities offer a nonverbal means to
stimulate written responses. It means that by giving them picture-cued activities, it easier for them to get the idea. After they understand the idea, it
will be much easier for them to generate the idea. Harmer 2004:67 explains
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that some situations can be presented by pictures. Furthermore, they can also be used to stimulate the students’ creative imagination.
The result of the previous studies claimed that pictures could improve the students’ writing skills. A study by Huang 2009 using wordless picture
books to teach English writing resulted several benefits. They are enhancement of enjoyment of the writing process, promotion of creative
writing and thinking skills, and the fostering of cooperative learning. Al-Jarf 2011 conducted a study on writing using mind-mapping software. The
report said that these mind mapping strategy could improve the students’ word and concept knowledge. Sriwiji 2011 carried a study through a series
of pictures in teaching writing. The result was that pictures could improve their writing ability, the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process,
and the cooperative learning among them. That is why, a solution related to the teaching strategy should be
found out. The solution should lead the students to enjoy writing class without any pressure and boredom. Therefore, the solution is taken based on
some consideration. It is teaching writing through picture-cued activities. Picture-cued activities offer a nonverbal means to stimulate written responses.
It means that by giving students pictures, it is easier for them to get the idea from picture. After they understand the idea, it will be much easier for them
to generate the idea.
