An Investigation of Indonesian Student’s English Language Problems in The International School: A Case Study in Shafiyyatul Amaliyyah International School Chapter III V

28
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Time and Location of Research
This research took place in Shafiyatul Amaliyah International School which
located on Jl. Setia Budi, Kecamatan Tanjung Rejo,Medan. This research was conducted
on Saturday, May 13rd 2017 and 18th 2017. Furthemore, it was administrated for 2
hours, started from 10.00 wib up to 12.00 wib.
3.2 Research Design
This research uses descriptive qualitative method. Qualitative research is descriptive in what
the research is interested in process, meaning and understanding gained through words or
pictures, qualitative employs conversation, document analysis, interview and recording.
Moleong (2008:6) states that descriptive research methodology is a research which is drawing
and describe research object sitution according the fact happened. This research is an effort to
reveal a problem or situation or phenomenon. Result of this phenomenon according the real
from the object. The description structured with “what” “why” “how” words that will be used
in sentence of description in the result of qualitative descroptive research.
Bodgan and Biklen (1992: 30) states that qualitative research is descriptive which means
the data collected are in form of words or pictures rather than numbers. The object of
qualitative method are content analysis can be all sort of recorded communication materials

28
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analyzed can be textbooks, newspaper, web pages, transcript of interviews, speeches,
television programs, advertisement, musical compositions or other type documents.
3.3 The Data and Data Source
The data of the study are answer of questions in questionnaire and interview‟s
recording from Senior High School students in Shafiyyatul Amaliyah International School.
The source of data of this study are students of Senior High School in Shafiyyatul
Amaliyah International School in 10 (ten) and 11 (eleven) grade. In this research, the subjects
of study was all the students of Shafiyyatul Amaliyah International School consists of 4(four)
classes in academic year of 2016/2017. There were 50 students in the classes.
Table 3.3 Description of The Students
Age
14-15

Sex
Male

6

Class
Female
9

16-17

20

15

Total

26

24

X-US Bilinggual
Class

XI-US Billingual
Class
and
Reguler Class
4 Classes

Number of
Students
15
35

50

The participants who as ELLs, they were from an International School in Medan
named Shafiyyatul Amaliyah. The research used random sampling in order to minimize
the effect of bias on the selection of speakers.

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3.4 Instrument of Collecting Data
In order to collect the qualitative data, the researcher assigned the students to
answer a questions of questionnaires that was administrated in 35 questions. The
questionnaire was given to 50 senior high school students (see appendix 1). The students
was assigned to answer a question based on each of problem of language skill that was
experienced by them. After collect all qustionnaire from students which was answered,
then researcher interview 5 students who was choosen randomly, 5 students that was
interviewed with 12 questions by researcher does not choosen based on their problem.
Interview 5 students only make sure the findings of the questionnaires‟s answer.
3.4.1 Questionnaires
Sugiyono (2012:199) states that questionnaire is the technique for collecting data that
had been done with given questions or answer sheet to respondents to be answered. A
questionnaire is simply a „tool‟ for collecting and recording information about a
particular issue of interest. It is mainly made up of a list of questions. But should be also
include clear instructions and space for answer or administrative details. Questionnaires
should be always have a definite purpose that has related to the objectives of the research,
and it needs to be clear from the outset how the findings would be used. Respondents also
need to be made aware of the purpose of the research wherever possible, and should be
told how and when they would receive feedback on the findings.

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3.4.2 Interview
An Interview was used to get data that could not be obtained from questionnaire
response. The interview involved a face-to-face meeting with students where the
interviewee(s) responded to questions posed by the interview(s) based on Gay, L.R and
Airasian (1996: 219) interview could explore and probe participants‟ response to gather
more in depth data about their experiences and feeling. This study used partially
structured interview because based on Gay, L.R and Airasian (1996: 221) in partially
structured interview, area was choosen and questions are formulated but order was up to
interview, interview added questions or modified them as deemed appropriate.
3.5 Techniques of Data Analysis
After collecting the data and studying the information that are taken from the steps of
collecting data above and from some books which related to the discussion of this study,
the writer analyzes them. As stated by Bogdan and Biklen (1982: 145), “Data analysis is
the process of systematically searching and arranging the interview transcript, field notes,
and other materials that was accumulated to increase understanding and to enable of
present what we have discovered to others”. Wiersma (1995: 218), also states that “Data
analysis in qualitative research is a process of categorization, description, and synthesis”.

According to Moleong (2006: 104), ”Data analysis is a process of categorizing,
systemizing data into pattern, category, and basic essay unit to find out the theme and to
formulate the hypothesis as suggested by the data”.
Data analysis is the data that used in classification, arrangement hierarchically the
data, so it makes the researcher easily to write the report. The purpose of data analysis is to

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summarize, simplify the data in order to be interpreted, then the problem could be solved
exactly.
Seeing the definition above, the writer studies carefully the data was gained from
some of sources. After reading, studying and analyzing, the researcher reduces an irrelevant
data, because she believes that there are some data that was gained do not relate with the
problems.
The following step is categorizing data. The writer categorises or classifies the data
based on the problem of research. Guba (in Moleong, 2006: 94) states that “The main
principles of categorizing are classifying cards into relevant contents, formulating a rule,
explaining a category which could be used to determine the inclusion of card categorization
and to check the fidelity of data, and lastly, keeping a formulated category as in principles or

bases stated”. The next following step is intepret the data after classifying/ categorizing data
based on the theory, and the last step is draw conclusion. The conclusion could be drawn
appropriate findings for research problems
3.6 Data Validation
Validity is extent to which a concept, conclusion or measurement is well-founded
and corresponds accurately to the real world. According to Creswell & Clarck (2007 :146)
validity refers to the ability of theresearcher to draw meaningful and accurate conclusions
from all the data in the study.
The validity of measurement tool is considered to be the degree to which the tool
measures that it claims to measure ; in this case, the validity is an eqivalent to accuracy.
According to Situmorang and Muslich (2014 : 86), for a descriptive study that requires

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data or fact and ususally simply uses questionnaires, validity which is often used is a
surface validity. If the respondents can understand all the questions in the questionnaire
without ambiguity, it is already said to be a valid questionnaires.
3.6 The Description of Kinds of Data and Questions Item
Kinds Of Data

Question Item

Listening Problem

1,2,3,4,5,6

Speaking Problem

8,9,10,11

Reading Problem

13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22

Writing Problem

25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34

Listening Strategy

7

Speaking Strategy

12

Reading Strategy

23

Writing Strategy

35

The researcher was used a questionnaire which comprised in 35 items of
questions, consists of 6 items for listening problems, 4 items for speaking problems, 10
items for reading problems, 10 items for writing problems, 1 item for listening strategy, 1
item for speaking strategies, 1 item for reading strategy, 1 item for writing strategy. The
items of questionnaire had been arranged based on the theory of each problems so that

students in Shafiyatul Amaliyah easy to answer the questions according their experienced
language problems.

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An Investigation of Indonesian Students‟ English
Language Problems in the International School: A
Case Study in Shafiyyatul Amaliyah International
School

1. What are dominant English
Language Problems Experienced
by Indonesian Students at
Shafiyyatul Amaliyah

2. How do the students apply
the learning strategies to
overcome the problem

Research Methodology
1.Research design : Descriptive Qualitative
2. Collecting Data : a. Questionnaire
b. Interview

3. Data Analysis

Findings

Conclusion

Figure 3.1 : Diagram of Research Process

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CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Language Problem
4.1.1 Listening Problem
After gave the questions in questionnaire to 50 students as participants for this research,
there are 10 (ten) students that have problem in listening skill based on the result of
questionnaire that was administrated by students. While 40 (fourty) other students did not
have problem in listening. The questions of problem in listening there are in questions
number 1,2,3,4,5,6. Based on the result, only 10 (ten) students that answered yes in the
question‟s option if the problem that they encountered in listening.
Table 4.1.1 Description of Listening Problem in English Language Learning
No
.

1

Initial’s
Stu
den
ts
Na
me

IFR

Listening Problem
Canno
t
co
ntr
ol
th
e
sp
ee
d
of
N
ati
ve
sp
ea
ke
r
√

Cannot
repe
at
the
reco
rdin
g

Limited
vocabu
laries

Fail to
reco
gniz
e the
sign
als
whic
h
indi
cate
(bod
y
lang
uage
)

Lack
conte
xtual
know
ledge

Cannot
conce
ntrate

√

√

√

√

√

35
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2

MP

√

√

-

√

√

√

3

FNS

√

√

√

√

√

√

4

AS

√

√

√

√

√

√

5

MAR

√

-

√

√

√

√

6

HNH

-

-

√

-

-

√

7

NS

√

√

√

√

√

√

8

MNA

√

√

-

√

√

√

9

SN

√

√

√

-

-

-

10

AH

√

-

√

-

√

√

9

7

8

7

9

9

Total

Table 4.1.1 shows that there are 4 students whom experienced all problems in
listening skill, it indicates that between one problem and another problems in listening
skill has relation each other. From the table which contains 6 problems in listening, the
most dominants cannot control the speed of native speaker, then lack contextual
knowledge, and cannot concentrate. 3 problems above had been choosen 9 times by the
students. From 3 most dominant problem in listening skill, the first one is listener cannot
control the speed of delivery of native speaker speaks, Underwood (1989 : 1) said that
many English language learners believe that the greatest difficulty with listening
comprehension is that the listener cannot control how quickly a speaker speaks.
The problem approriate with based on the result of the observation and the real
happened that experienced by the students especially Indonesian students because in
Indonesia, English as

a foreign

language and almost of them were not English

background in their familiy or education. From the table above, we could see that only
one students that felt did not have problem in speed of delivery speech by speaker, the
question that representation in this problem can see in number 1 (see in appendix 1)

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The second one, is lack of knowledge. Lack of knowledge became one of problem
in listening skill because students rarely heard the topic of the listening material or
students actually know about the topic of listening materials if the speaker using many
gestures to help the listeners understand about the topic that they talk each other but
native speaker did not use nonverbal clues such as facial expression, nods , gestures or
tone of voice can also be easily misinterpreted by listenenrs from different cultures. Lack
of contextual knowledge itself means that many of listeners could not understand what
the speaker talk because they lack of vocabularies so that they could not interpret the
purpose of native speaker and further without any gestures that could be helpful the
listeners to understand what native speaker said due to different cultures also be one of
important point in listening activities. In this problem, only two students who did not
experienced in lack of contextual knowledge, they could feel understand the material of
listening section without disturbing in lack contextual knowledge.
Then the third one was cannot concentrate, what is the main means of cannot
concentrate in listening problem, it

has correlation with difficulties listeners

concentration while they are in listening section, so what cause that occured in this
problem, Underwood (1989) states that in listening comprehension, even the shortest
break in attention could be seriously impair comprehension. He argues also that
conversations is easier when students find the topic of the listening passage interesting;
however, students sometimes felt listening is very tiring.
But if they interested in some topics in listening section, they could effort more
to understand and got the point of meaning. From the statements above, so many factors
that effect of concentration in listening section, it could be from noises around that makes

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cannot concentrate, or it could be from the topic which is not interested so that listeners
less attention in listening section. Most of students who have problem in listening skill
felt cannot concentrate when listening section take place. Students in Shafiyyatul itself
cannot concentrate when listening section because many noises around them, listening
section itself always held in a room with 20 students who inludes in the room also, so
pertaining of noises make one of the factors cause them to cannot concentrate in listening
section.
In the other

hand of problems experienced by the students is limited of

vocabularies, the problems had been choosen by the students 8 times, it indicates that
besides the speed of native speaker said, most of them have problems in limited
vocabularies. When listeners listen to the recording, sometimes they encounter an
unknown word, and it is become a reason of the listener to stop listen and think about the
meaning of that word and thus cause them to miss next part of speech. Limited
vocabularies even not as the most problem in listening skill, but it has the main
component in listening skill, if the listeners have limited in vocabularies, certainly they
could not understand the whole of meaning of the topic in listening section. Because
limited vocabularies has correlation with other problem in listening skill, it means that
limited vocabularies also pay attention more for students, especially students in Indonesia
as ELLs.
Next problem is cannot repeat the recording, for Shafiyyatul students there were
seven students who have this problem, they thought that if the recording could be repeat,
they could understand more about the material in listening section. But in the fact that,
cannot repeat the recording was not as we think as the English language learners, because

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if the recording repeated, it would be new problem occured in learning process of
listening skill. So, this is a serious problem in learning situations. In the classroom, the
decision to repeat the recording is in the teacher/lecturer hand; however, it is hard for the
teacher to judge whether or not the students understood any particular section of what
they have heard, but students still could repeat what they want. Seven students agree with
this problem, the statement above was described the real fact happened in classroom or
language laboratory when listening section take place.
And the last problems which is experienced by the students were: cannot repeat
the recording and failure to recognize the signals (body language) from the native
speaker, the problems had choosen 7 times by the students. Underwood in his listening
problem (1989) states that listeners may fail to recognize the signals which indicate that
the speaker was moving from one point to another, giving and example, or repeating a
point. Discourse markers used in formal situations or lectures such as “secondly” or
“then” are compatively evident to listeners. In informal situations or spontaneous
conversations, signals are more vogues as in pauses, gestrures, increased loudness, a clear
change of pitch, different intonation patterns. These signals could be missed especially by
less proficient listeners.
4.1.2 Speaking Problem
Based on the result of questionnaire that was given to 50 students as participants, there
were 12 (twelve) students that experienced in speaking problem, whereas 38 (thirty-eight)
other students did not have problem in speaking. There are 4 questions (8,9,10,11) that
included in questionnaire to represent speaking problem. 12 students that have problem in

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speaking due to rarely practice spoke in English each other, and always has problem in
lack of vocabularies. Based on the students answer, they could be categorized being have
problem in speaking.
Table 4.1.2 The Description of Speaking Problem in English Language Learning
No.

Initial’s
stude

Speaking Problem
Worried

Nothing

Low or even

Mother

nts

about

to

participa

tong

name

mistakes

say

tion

ue

1

NM

√

-

-

-

2

MAH

-

√

-

-

3

FM

-

√

-

-

4

FA

√

-

-

-

5

MDP

-

√

-

-

6

RNL

√

-

-

-

7

OAA

√

-

-

-

8

MAJ

-

√

-

-

9

SA

√

-

-

-

10

NyS

-

√

-

-

11

RM

√

-

-

-

12

DH

√

-

-

-

Total

7

5

-

-

In table 4.1.2 shows that there are 12 students choose speaking skills as their
dominant problem in English language learning. According to Ur ( 1996) states that there
are four problems which was always experienced by EFL students in Shafiyyatul
Amaliyah International School. 7 students from 12 students choose worried about

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mistakes as the most problem in speaking skills. Worried about mistakes or inhibition
make the most dominant in this study, because students felt not comfortable when they
spoke in English language and they make mistake, they felt not confident about that,
unlike reading, writing or listening activities, speaking requires some degree of real-time
exposure to an audience. Learners are often inhibited about trying to say thing in foreign
language in the classroom; worried about mistakes or simply shy of the attention that
their speech attract. Senior high school students who have speaking problem in worried
about mistakes did not want to try to practice with their friend in practice English, their
school environment also did not forced them to be able to speak in English in their daily
conversation. The question of listening problem could be seen question number 8 (see
appendix)
And another problem that had been choosen by the students as their problem in
speaking skill is nothing to say, there are 5 from 12 students had been choosen nothing to
say as the other problems in listening skills which is experienced by the students. Ur
(1996) states that, nothing to say, even they are not inhibited, you often hear learners
complain that they could not think of anything to say: they have no motive to express
themselves beyond the guilty feeling that they should be speaking. Nothing to say and
worried about mistakes actually have the correlation between, because if the students
have no motive to speak in English certainly felt worried about mistakes also. Nothing to
say could be related to another problem is limited vocabularies, if the students know
many words in English, they surely have motivation to speak each other with English
because they thought they could express what they want to said in English and they
would not felt unconfident or uncomfortable when they practice each other.

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So, based on the observation, one problem added to involve in speaking problem
in English language problem because limited vocabularies have many correlation of other
problems in speaking problem itself.
Another problem in speaking skill based on Ur (1996) are low or even
participation, if the situation only one participant could talk at time he/she is to be heard;
the situation could cause the conversation to be short. According the result of researcher‟s
observation, nobody students choose low or even participation as their problem in
English language learning because they always using Indonesian language, so they have
no pressure to be able speak in English, they thought any or not participation it did not
matter for them.
Next problem in speaking skill is mother tongue use, mother tongue use, it was
easier for the student to use their mother tongue in their class because it looks naturally.
Therefore, most of the students were not disciplined in using the target language in the
learning process. In accordance with the statement above, as ELLs should be practiced
more in English because our mother tongue is not English. Even mother tongue use did
not choosen by the students it did not mean mother tongue was not appropriate in this
study, in some previous studies that was held in some countries that using English
language as their second language, they code-mixing their conversation when spoke each
other, in the previous studies found mother tongue use as the most problem, because
mother tongue use really have effect in language learning for them. But different situation
and result in this study, in Indonesia, English still as foreign language not second
language and most of students in Indonesia did not use English language as their
language in their daily conversation.

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4.1.3 Reading Problem
For reading problem, the result of questionnaire shows that there were 17 (seventeen)
students that have problem in reading. The other 34 (thirty-four) of the students did not
have the problem in reading because they could be answer correctly in reading
comprehension‟s questions on questionnaire about academic vocabulary, the lack of basic
decoding, etc. The result was taken from questionnaire that was given to 50 students. The
questions which was represented the problem in reading on number 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
19, 20,21,22.

4.1.3 The Table of Description of Reading Problem in English Language Learning
No

Initial’s
Studn

Reading Problem
The lack of

The lack of

Limited

Failure to

ets

basic

academic

backgrou

read

Name

decoding

vocabulary

nd of the

for

text

meani
ng

1

NP

√

√

√

√

2

AR

√

√

√

√

3

YA

√

-

√

√

4

IS

-

√

√

√

5

FAP

√

√

√

√

6

ARA

-

√

√

√

7

MFT

√

-

√

√

8

TM

√

√

-

√

9

FAI

√

√

√

√

10

AFL

√

√

√

-

11

FH

√

√

√

√

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12

HF

√

√

-

√

13

ZS

-

√

√

-

14

BB

√

√

√

15

OHR

√

√

√

√

16

SR

√

√

-

√

17

SM

-

√

√

√

12

15

14

15

Total

Table 4.1.3 shows that description of reading problem in English Language
Learning in reading skill, there are 4 problems in reading problem according to Gunning
(2002), from the table explain that there were 17 students from 50 respondents who have
a problem in reading skill, and the most problem experienced by the students in reading
problem were the lack of academic vocabulary and failure to read for meaning. The lack
of academic vocabulary and sentence structure was regarded as the main problem for
students reading in

texts (Gunning, 2002). If the students lack of vocabulary and

knowledge of sentence structure, they have problems in reading English texts.
The lack of knowledge of vocabulary and sentence structures interferes with the
reading success of students. Therefore, for students in the international school as ELLs,
students need both vocabulary and knowledge of sentence structure because it was very
useful for reading comprehension because it was used to determine word meaning in
reading a text. And also, knowledge of sentence structure is necessary for comprehension.
Technical vocabulary makes of words used for specific purposes, and it creates reading
problems because it was difficult to understand. For example the word “building” could
be mean a house, a school, a factory, a cinema or a hotel.
The problem was that reader may conclude that these words have the same
meaning because could not classify what diffrences the word “building” offers. In the

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other hand, difficult words could be named as academic vocabulary like the word,
“discover” “Isolated” “organized” or “obtains” that always appears in the reading
comprehension. 15 (fifteen) students who have problem in the lack of academic
vocabulary could not answer some academic vocabularies like example above. The
question contains academic vocabulary could be seen in questions number 17,18,21,22
(see in appendixes 1)
Then another problem experienced by the students is failure to read for meaning
has the same amount, it had been choosen 15 times by the students. it indicates that they
have a problem in limited vocabularies, especially academic vocabulary which displayed
in question of reading comprehension. Failure to read for meaning was readers fail to
recognize the meaning in the text especially a word or a phrase formed as adverbial
clause. Furthemore, the ability in academic vocabularies helpful this problem actually, so,
from 2 problems which had been choosen by the students haves relation each other. The
failure to read for meaning includes the lack of ability to decode.
A reader who has problems with pronouncing words accurately also faces failure
to read for meaning. The students who have difficulty with decoding skill normally has
problems with word recognition, because decoding helps readers retain word recognition
and guess word meaning. If a students as a reader lacks the ability to recognize words, his
comprehension will be unclear. Trouble with decoding new words soon begins to affect
reading comprehension. The students have poor reading comprehension in spite of good
sight vocabulary. Decoding is not automatic for Shafiyyatul Amaliyah‟s students, and
without the clues in their text or textbooks, they felt lost in reading comprehension.

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The other problems are limited background of the text. Limited background of the
text had choosen by the students in 14 times, limited background of the text normally has
reading comprehension problems, because the students did not know what the text about.
Readers should practice reading books of their level of language. Based on the result of
this study, students did not know what the similarities word decoding in the text. From 17
(seventeen) students, 14 (fourteen) students have problems in limited background, the
could not answer the question in questionnaire that was arranged to representation in
limited background in questions number 15 and 16 (see in appendixes).
From the result also, only two students who could answer the limited
background‟s question in questionniare. As for example: The lecture was so obscure that
the students labeled it unitelligible. There were audacious comments and attacks on
prominent leaders of the opposition. In the first sentence, the word “obscure” in the
second sentence, the word “ attacks” helps the readers to understand “audacious
comments” the poor reader may fail to understand these words. From the example above,
students using synonyms words was used to provide explanations with a simple and
common word in the sentence.
Then the lack of basic decoding had been choosen by the students in 12 times.
Limited background of could be seen in the questionnaire number 15, 16 (see in
appendices) then, the problem of the lack of basic decoding could be seen in
questionnaire number 13, 14 (see in Appendices). The third problem in reading skill was
the limited of background of the text, the problem had been choosen 14 times by the
students. it means that, most of them who have difficulties to found the whole of the
purpose of the text because of the lack of limited background of the text.

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The least amount of reading problem was the lack of basic decoding, it indicates
that most of the students who have problem in reading skill able to decoding the word
which refers to somtehing that discussed in the text.
4.1.4. Writing Problem
Based on the result below, table showed that there were 11 (eleven) students that have
problems in writing skill. Whereas 39 (thirty-nine) students of 50 students as participants
did not have the problem in writing, the result was taken by written expression‟s
questions on questionnaire which was answered by students. The questions was arranged
based on the writing problem‟s theory, it involved subjcet-verb agreement, sentences
forming, incorect noun plurals, etc. The questions on questionnaire could be seen from
number 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34. Students who could not answer almost of the
questions of written expression, it means that they have problems in writing skill.
Table 4.1.4 The Description of Writing Problem in English Language Learning.
N

Initial’s
Student
s Name

Writing Problem
Genre
Text

of

Lack

of

Incorrect

Incorrec

Formi

Subject-

noun

t

ng

verb

plurals

plur

co

al

mp

and

ou

poss

nd

esive

sen

noun

ten

agreement

ce
1

SSM

Descriptive

√

√

-

√

text

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2

ARH

Descriptive

√

√

√

√

text
3

MRS

Narrative text

-

√

-

√

4

DH

Narrative text

√

√

√

√

5

TD

Narrative text

√

-

-

√

6

MSR

Narrative text

-

√

√

√

7

AWT

Narrative text

-

√

√

√

8

RAA

Descriptive

√

√

-

-

√

√

-

√

√

√

√

-

√

√

√

√

8

10

6

9

text
9

SNV

Descriptive
text

1

RS

Descriptive
text

1

NA

Descriptive
text

Total

Table 4.1.4 shows that there are 11 students from 50 respondents who has a
problem in writing skill, and the most problem had been choosen by the students is
incorrect noun plurals, the problem had been choosen by the students in 10 times, it
indicates that they could not recognize the noun plurals in regularly form of some noun
plurals. For example of noun countable and uncountable singular and plural can be seen
below:
Singular Noun

Plural Noun

Box

Boxes

Stuff

Stuff

Ox

Oxen

From the example above, could be seen there are some noun that countable and uncountable
which has regularly form in singular and plural noun forming. Based on the result of this

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observation, there were 15 students who have problem in incorrect noun plurals, they
could not answer the questions that was administrated in question number 27 and 28 in
the questionnaire, for example: from the table, respondent number 1 & 2 have problem in
incorrect noun plurals. For respondent number 1 she was answered in number 27 : Most
farmers in Indonesia, especially in the rural area, have some oxs to help their works, the
answer should oxen not oxs, because oxen is form of noun plural in grammatical pattern
in writing skill. For number 28 in the questionnaire, respondent 1 answered: Polar bear’s
foot are covered with hair on their soles to help them walk on ice and snow, it means that
from the sentence, the polar bear has more than one foot, so it should be answered with
“feet” word because feet is form of foot in noun plurals pattern. Besides respondent
number 1, respondent number 2 also make a mistake in number 27 about incorrect noun
plurals, she answered : Most farmers in Indonesia, especially in the rural area, have some
oxs to help their works. Respondent number 2 also answer the question about incorrect
noun plural with wrong form, it should be answer oxen not oxs. For number 28,
respondent 2 also have the same answer with respondent 1.
The noun plurals form itself was not found in grammatical lesson in senior high
school level, so that is why they could not determine and answer the form of noun
plurals. It seem like strange for them in writing experssion.
Another most dominant writing problem in English language learning is forming
compound sentence. Because students that was interviewed, they answered that good
grammar as which one important thing in writing skill, and the statements argued that this
problem, forming compound sentence is forming of sentence word by word to make a

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good sentence in writing a text. Example of forming compound sentence can be seen
below

The formula : Determiner + Opinion + Size + Age +
Shape + Color + Material + Participle + Noun. For Example :
The beautiful red house

The problem was choosen by students in 9 times, the problem‟s question could be
seen in questionnaire number 34 (see in appendices). For students at 10 and 11 grade,
they never learn about this anymore. For example, respondent 4 & 5 have the problem in
forming compound sentence, they answered the question with wrong forming pattern
besides the pattern above. Respondent 4 answered : “ The first coking American
pamphlet dedicated to soup recipes was written in 1882 by Emma Ewing” based on the
form of forming compound sentence above, it should be answered “The first American
cooking pamphlet dedicated to soup recipes was written in 1882 by Emma Ewing”.
Another answer from respondent 5 to the question 34 (see appendices), he
answered : “The cooking first American pamphlet” it should answer with the right pattern
based on the rule of grammatical of forming compound sentence that after “The” as the
article or demonstrative pronoun, should be complete with noun or noun phrase when
arrange the sentence in writing. The students in senior high school still learn about the
material the genre of text without more learn about language features or grammatical
erros that was used when writing a text. So, it was the reason why students in Shafiyatul
Amaliyah Intenational School has the problem in forming compund sentence when write
a text.

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Lack of subject-verb agreement also has another problem in writing skill. Subject
–verb agreement itself was the forming of verb forming that used based on subject
agreement used in a sentence. If the subject is singular subject, the verb agreement is
using to be “is” and use a verb plus s/es in the end of the verb forming. For example of
the subject-verb agreement are : The sun rises and Leo rarely eats white breads. From the
example, verb add s/es in verb forming because the subject agreement of the sentence is
singular subject, so verb forming must add s/es. From the result, still there are students
have the problems in subject-verb agreement, 8 students have the problem in lack of
subject-verb agreement when they want to write. As the result, from the table respondents
8 & 11 answer the question number 29 & 30, respondents make mistake in, respondent 8
answer : “The best diamonds are transparant and colorless, but they actually ranged in
color from the clear to black” and respondent 11 also have the same answer the question
number 29 with participle verb form (V-3).
It should be answer with a verb “range” because the subject of the sentence is
plural subject, the sentence use “they” as the sentence‟s subject. Because the sentence use
plural subject, the verb agreement should be in infinitive form without add s/es or without
changing pattern to participle or past verb. And from the result, only 3 students could
answer the question that representation of subject-verb agreement which was
administrated in questions number 29 and 30 in the questionniare (see in appendices 1)
And the the least problem had been choosen by the students is incorrect plural
and possesive noun, in this problem, students asked to choose correctly right pairs to each
possesive noun in possesisive adjective, e.g : my, your, her, his, their, etc. This problem
had been choosen in 6 times, it indicates that students had accustomed to determining the

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possesive adjective based on the subject agreement in writing. As the result from the
observation and table above, respondents 6 & 7 have the problem in incorrect plural and
possesive noun. The problem itself is problem where students could not answer the
question in written expression rule in the questionnaire when the question about incorrect
plural and possesive noun, students ould not determine what the appropriate possesive
noun to answer the question, because between the subject and possesive noun it must be
related each other. If the subject is “it” possesive noun must be “its”, if the subject is
“they” possesive pronoun must be “their”. From the result that could be seen in
questionnaire, respondent 6 answer : “Promoting its goods and services, the company
salesman also bid an opportunity to earn some profit”. Respondent 7 also answer with
the same choice for that question. It should be answered with possesive noun “their”
because the object that would be promoting are goods and services, it means plural, so the
asnwer must “their” not “its” to complete possesive noun plural in the sentence.
For ELLs in senior high school moreover students in International School, write a
text in some genre is not a problem, they had been learned many of genre of text along
with a generic structure and also language features of each genre of text itself. Based on
the question on the questionnaire and the question of interview, many of students choose
descriptive text as one of a text that they want to write, from the table also shows that,
from 11 students who have a problem in writing skill, 6 of 11 students was choosen
descriptive text as the genre that they want to write than narrative which only choosen by
5 students. Descriptive text itself is one of the genre of text which has simpel language
features such, simple present, and compound adjective.

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Table 4.1 Dominant English Language Problem Experienced by Students in
Shafiyyatul Amaliyah International School
No

Language Problem

Problem

Students

1

Listening

Cannot control

10

the speed of
native
speaker
Lack of
contextual
knowledge
Cannot
concentrate
2

Speaking

Worried about

12

mistakes
3

Reading

The lack of

17

academic
vocabulary
Failure to read
for meaning
4

Writing

Incorrect noun

11

plurals

Based on the whole result above of language problems of each skills, the most
problems is reading skill with had been choosen by 17 (seventeen) students of 50 students

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in Shafiyyatul Amaliyah, then the second problem that experienced by students is
speaking skill had been choosen by 12 (twelve) students, and the third is writing skill had
been choosen by 11 (eleven) students and the last is listening skill had been choosen by
10 (ten) students. The most language problems that was experienced by students in
reading skill are failur to read for meaning and the lack of academic vocabulary, they
could be the most language problems in reading skill because of from 17 students, 15
students could answere correctly in the questions include academic vocabulary and could
understand the meaning of the text so that they failure. Then for speaking skill, the most
language problems that was experienced by students is worried about mistakes, from 12
students who stated that they have problem in speaking, 7 students had been choosen
worried about mistakes as their language problems in speaking skill. Next language
problems that was experienced is writing skill, writing skill has 4 problems, and the most
language problem of them is incorrect noun plurals. 10 students from 11 students had
been choosen incorrect noun plurals as their most problems. The last found, the most
problems in listening that was experienced by students were 10 students. 9 students of 10
had been choosen cannot control the speed of native speaker, lack of contextual
knowledge and cannot concentrate as their most problems in listening. 9 students have a
trouble when the speaker said too speed and 9 students said they have a trouble in
listening section if many noises around them.
4.2 How Do The Students Apply The Learning Strategies to Overcome The Problem
In this part, the reseacher would be explain how do the students did to overcome the
problem based to the learning strategies theory, the solution has gathered by interview

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technique as one of technique for collecting data that adjusted to the previous learning
strategies.
4.2.1 Listening Problem
The listening material may deal with almost any area of life. It might include street
gossip, proverbs, everyday conversation, new products, and situations unfamiliar to the
student. Also, in a spontaneous conversation speakers frequently change topics. Based on
Underwood (1989) states seven causes of problems to efficient listening comprehension.
3 (three) of 7 (seven) problems as dominants problems in listening. Cannot Control The
Speed of Native Speaker. According to the students‟ responses, the number one problem
that the students viewed as obstructing to their comprehension was undoubtedly the speed
of speech. Faster speech rates, whether computer-manipulated or naturally produced, tend
to have a negative impact on the comprehension of L2 listeners. Many students point out
that when the speaker speaks at a rapid speed, it is difficult for them to comprehend what
was being said. In listening skill, students had been done some ways to overcome this
problem like watching and listening English song and movie without subtitle to
accustomed in listening section. Some students also make the recording could be repeat,
so, they could understand what the material about.
As a result, the students absolutely encounter certain difficulties in listening
comprehension since they lack control over the speed at which the speakers speak
(Underwood, 1989 :1).
Cannot Concentrate, Noise is another environmental barrier to comprehension. Interior as
well as exterior class noise is an obstacles to comprehension. Noise, including both

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background noises on the recording and environmental noises, can take the listener‟s
mind off the content of the listening passage. With the noise coming from corridors and
other classes some students experience difficulty in listening to the teacher‟s voices.
Because of the noise in classroom and the poorly preparation of lab, a great number of
students claim that they cannot be concentrated on listening to the recording material.
Another statement about what they had been done to overcome problem cannot
concentrate due to noises could be seen in some utterances for interviewee such they try
to close their eyes or their ears to be concentrate when pertaining of noises. Actually,
cannot concentrate in listening skill could be classified with other factors like interesting
materials, if the materials interesting to the students, they surely pay attention more to the
listening section, from different students says that he always listen all about manga or
anime in English subtitle, because manga and anime is one of interesting material he
thought.The Lack of Contextual Knowledge. In this problem, contextual knowledge
means that the listeners could not understand the material of speaker said because of lack
of contextual knowledge like gesture, nods that used by the speaker. Some students
doing something to overcome this problem with use the transcript of the material in
listening section because if pay attention in gestures only, listeners may lack of
contextual because of differences cultures between sepaker and listener.
Based on the most problem of listening are cannot control the native speaker
speed, cannot concentrate and lack of kontextual knowledge and how the students
overcome the problem in listening, here the learning strategies which states by Rubin and
Thompson (1983) in the previous theory to support students own ways to overcome the

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problem. The learning strategies below and students own ways to listening problem
actually have the similarities meaning even the actualization is different.
1. Listen regularly: make a regular effort to listen to English outside the
classroom. Learners have a chance to engage in conversations with native speakers as
well as listen to the radio, attend lectures, and watch TV and films in the English
language. From the result of observation which had through by interview, students also
used the learning strategies like watching Oprah‟s talkshow without subtitle to develop
their listening ability.
2. Choose enjoyable materials: people listen for information or entertainment;
therefore, choose materials that language learners think will be informative or
entertaining. For instance, if language learners are interested in sports, watch sports on
TV or listen to sport watch them in the foreign language. From the interview‟s transcript
of students in Shafiyyatul Amaliyah said that he always choose manga film as the
interesting materials to make his ability grow up.
4.2.2 Speaking Problem
For ELLs students in Shafiyyatul Amaliyah International School, 12 (twelve) students
choose speaking as their problem in English Language Learning, and the most problem
experienced by them is worried about mistakes. Appropriate statement by Ur (1996)
states that there are 4 (four) problems in English Language Learning that experienced by
ELLs students. And how they overcome their problem, the result from interview shows
that many students have problem in speaking is worried about mistakes, then they had
been dones some ways to overcome such as practice with someone who makes
comfortable for them as ELLs sudents. This explanation has the same statement from

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one of students as interviewee who states that they only practice with someone who
makes them comfortable.
Based on the speaking most problem in language skill is worried about mistakes,
so here the learning strategies suitable for speaking problem based on what students also
had been done to overcome this problem.
1. Use paraphrase: a learner may use paraphrasing – for example, circumlocution
or description – in order to express the meaning which he wants to communicate. For
example, a learner who did not recall the word for a „car seat-belt‟ avoided the need for it
by saying I’d better tie myself in. A learner who could not recall the word „kettle‟ spoke
of the thing that you boil water in. Students in Shafiyyatul Amaliyah International School
sometimes uses pharaphrase word when they want to express their meaning, the situation
could be happen when between the speaker and listener did not know the appropriate
word.
2. Create new words: a learner may create a new word or phrase, which will
express the desired meaning. For example, a German learner of English who did not
know the word for a „bedside table‟ created the word night-table. There is always a
chance, of course, that this strategy will result in a word which actually exists in the
second language, especially if (like German) the language has productive rules for wordformation.
3. Use non-linguistic resources: even in our native language, we often use nonlinguistic resources (e.g. mime, gesture or imitation) to make our meanings clearer. For
example, we point and say Put it there, please, or we make a gesture and say It was this
kind of shape. g) Seek help; learners may seek help from outside. This may simply mean

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using a bilingual dictionary. Alternatively, speakers may invoke the cooperation of
listeners by signaling that they are in difficulty, either directly or by indirect means such
as hesitation. Of course, the speaker may simultaneously use another strategy, such as
mime or description, in order to indicate the notion that he wishes to express.
4.2.3 Reading Problem
Reading ability, such reading comprehension as the most problem in language
problem. Based on the result of observation that was taken from International School, the
most problems were found: lack of academic vocabularies and failure to read a
meaning. And how to overcome the problem, some students using decoding strategy
which was in this way, a reader refers a bold word in a question then refers in a text
above question, then make correlation between to find the meaning of the academic
vocabularies.
In reading comprehension, academic vocabularies or difficult word which contains in a text
with bold form is one of problem for students non – English background especially Asian
students like Indonesian students. Reading ability itself is one of skills in language
learning which have learning strategies for each problem to overcome. According to the
result of interview through by 5 students, found that they also use a learning strategies by
Gunning‟s theory to overcome the problem.