The Influence of Social Factors on Children’s Achievement of Acquiring Second Language

THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL FACTORS
ON CHILDREN’S ACHIEVEMENT
OF ACQUIRING SECOND LANGUAGE

A THESIS

By
ELITARIA BESTRI AGUSTINA SIREGAR
147052007/MBE

FACULTY OF CULTURAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
MEDAN
2016

Universitas Sumatera Utara

THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL FACTORS
ON CHILDREN’S ACHIEVEMENT
OF ACQUIRING SECOND LANGUAGE

A THESIS

Submitted as the Partial Fulfillment of Requirement for the Degree of
Master of Arts (M.A.) in English Postgraduate Study Program, Faculty of
Cultural Sciences, University of Sumatera Utara

By
ELITARIA BESTRI AGUSTINA SIREGAR
147052007/MBE

FACULTY OF CULTURAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
MEDAN
2016

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Title of Thesis

: THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL FACTORS

ON CHILDREN’S ACHIEVEMENT
OF ACQUIRING SECOND LANGUAGE

Name

: Elitaria Bestri Agustina Siregar

Reg. Number

: 147052007

Study Program

:English Postgraduate

Approved by
Adviser Commission

(Prof. Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A)
Adviser I

(Dr. Eddy Setia, M.Ed. TESP)
Adviser II

Head of
English Postgraduate Program

Dean of
Faculty of Cultural Sciences

(Dr. Ridwan Hanafiah, S.H., M.A.)

(Dr. Budi Agustono, M.S.)

Passing Date

: 24th August 2016

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Has been examined on
Date : 24thAugust 2016

Board of Examiners :
Chief

: Prof. Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A

Members : Dr. Eddy Setia, M.Ed. TESP

(…………………….)
(…………………….)

Dr. Ridwan Hanafiah, S.H., M.A.

(…………………….)

Dr. Umar Mono, Dipl. Trans., M.Hum.

(…………………….)

Prof. T.Silvana Sinar, M.A., Ph.D.

(…………………….)

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DECLARATION
THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL FACTORS
ON CHILDREN’S ACHIEVEMENT
OF ACQUIRING SECOND LANGUAGE
I certify that the thesis I wrote as one of the requirements to obtain the
degree of Master of Arts from English Postgraduate Study Program, Faculty of

Cultural Sciences, University of Sumatera Utara, is exactly my own work.
I certify that I clearly mentioned the reference of the citations I used in
some specific parts of this thesis based on norm, rule, and etiquette of the
technique of a scientific writing.
I certify, in the future, that I am willing to accept the sanction of the
renovation of my academic degree which I receive and other sanction in
accordance with the prevailing laws and regulations, provided some parts or all
parts of this thesis are invented not to be my own work or to commit plagiarism.

Medan,

August 2016

The Writer

Elitaria Bestri Agustina Siregar

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THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL FACTORS
ON CHILDREN’S ACHIEVEMENT
OF ACQUIRING SECOND LANGUAGE
ABSTRACT

A number of studies are carried out to investigate factors affecting children’s
achievement in learning second language. Social factors are believed to play a
crucial role in language learning and have a major impact on second/foreign
language proficiency (Ellis, 2003). The study was conducted to investigate
children’s English learning achievement and the impacts of social factors of
parents’ economic level, parents’ education level, learning environment, and
parents’ occupation on the children’s second language acquisition. Participants
were 36 students and their parents from a kindergarten in Medan, North Sumatera.
An eighteen item questionnaire designated to elicit the required information on
the social factors was used for data collection. The face and content validity of the
instrument was ensured. Reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained. All available
data were processed by SPSS 17.0 for descriptive, correlation, ANOVA, and
predictive analyses. Finding revealed that social factors have significant impact on
children’s English learning. Parents’ economic level is the most dominant factor

influencing the children’s achievement, followed by environment. It was also
revealed that parents’ education level and children’s’ achievement of English has
no strong relationship. In addition, parents’ occupation does not significantly
impact on the children’s achievement of second language acquisition.

Keywords: children’s achievement, second language acquisition, social factors.

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PENGARUH FAKTOR SOSIAL TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN
AKUSISI BAHASA KEDUA

ABSTRAK

Penelitian tentang faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi pembelajaran bahasa telah
banyak dilakukan. Faktor social memiliki peran penting dalam kefasihan bahasa
(Ellis, 2003). Peneitian ini dilakukan untuk menganalisa hubungan antara
prestasi belajar bahasa kedua dengan faktor social, termasuk tingkat ekonomi

orang tua, tingkat pendidikan orang tua, lingkuangan belajar dan pekerjaan
orang tua. Subjek penelitian adalah siswa TK Gethsemane yang berjumlah dari
36 siswa. Kuesioner yang terdiri dari 18 pertanyaan digunakan sebagai
instrumen penelitian. Data yang terkumpul kemudian dianalisa menggunakan
bantuan SPP 17.0, yang tediri dari analisa deskriptif, analisa korelasi, ANOVA
dan analisa prediktif. Tingkat validasi penelitian ini adalah 0.84. berdasarkan
hasil penelitian, ditemukan bahwa faktor sosial memiliki pengaruh yang
signifikan terhadap prestasi belajar siswa dalam bahasa Inggris. Tingkat ekonomi
merupakan faktor yang paling dominan yang memperngaruhi prestasi belajar
siswa, diikuti oleh faktor ingkungan belajar. Juga ditemukan bahwa tingkat
pendidikan dan jenis pekerjaan orang tua tidak memiliki pengaruh signifikan
terhadap kemampuan bahasa anak.

Kata kunci: prestasi, akuisisi bahasa kedua, faktor social.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My deep gratitude goes to Prof. Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A, and Dr. Eddy
Setia, M.Ed. TESP, my thesis consultants, who expertly guided me in writhing tis
thesis. Their valuable time, mental support, and worthwhile advice have helped
me so much that this thesis has become to its final format.
My appreciation also extends to all my lecturers and all my classmates
for encouragement that launched the greater part of this thesis.
Thanks to my parents who always pray for me and support me in any
situations. For my father who always watches me from heaven, thanks for being a
great father….
I also thank Melisa Siregar and Boni Fasius Siregar, my sister and
brother who helped me so much in doing this thesis.
Above ground, I am indebted to my family. I acknowledge my husband,
Rinto Maha, my sons, Gerald Ford Maha and Joshua Lazzaro Maha, who are my
champions and who blessed me with a life of joy in the hours when the lights
were off.
Medan,

August 2016

The Writer,

Elitaria Bestri Agustina Siregar

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CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal Data
Name

: Elitaria Bestri Agustina Siregar

Place, Date of Birth

: P. Sidimpuan, 26th August 1986

Sex

: Female

Religion

: Protestant

Nationality

: Indonesia

Address

: Jl. Tali Air Perum. Bella Vista Blok H No. 3 Kel.
Mangga, Medan.

Phone Number

: 081310259151

Email

: laazzaromaha26@gmail.com

Academic Background
1. 1993-1999

: SD Negeri 142798 Baringin, Sipirok

2. 1999 -2002

: SMP Negeri 6 Baringin, Sipirok

3. 2002 -2005

: SMA Negeri 1 Sipirok

4. 2005-2009

: Bachelor of Arts (S.S.) of English
in Methodist University of Indonesia

5. 2014-2016

: Master of Arts in English (M.A) Faculty of
Cultural Sciences University of Sumatera Utara

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................. iii
CURRICULUM VITAE ................................................................................... iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................... v
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................... viii
LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................... ix
LIST OF APPENDICES .................................................................................... x
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ........................................................................... 1
1.2 Problems Statement ............................................................... 4
1.3 Research Objectives .............................................................. 5
1.4 Significances ......................................................................... 5
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL CONCEPT .................................................... 6
2.1 Previous Related Research .................................................... 6
2.2 Language Acquisition Theory ............................................. 11
2.2.1 Behaviorism .............................................................. 12
2.2.2 Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory ................... 14
2.2.3 Socio-cultural Perspective ......................................... 17
2.3 Social Approaches to Second Language Acquisition ........... 18
2.3.1 Sociocultural Theory ................................................. 20
2.3.2 The Identity Approach ............................................... 20
2.3.3 Language Socialization Approach ............................. 21
2.4 Conceptual Framework ....................................................... 22

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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................... 23
3.1 Subjects of The Study ......................................................... 23
3.2 Research Variables .............................................................. 24
3.3 Research Method ................................................................ 25
3.4 Instrument and Data Collection Procedure........................... 26
3.5 Data Analysis Procedures .................................................... 27
3.5.1 Descriptive Statistics ................................................. 27
3.5.2 Spearman Bivariate Correlation ................................. 29
3.5.3 Simple regression Analysis ........................................ 29
3.6 Validity and Reliability Test................................................ 30
3.7 Hypothesis .......................................................................... 32
CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................. 33
4.1 Description of the Variables ................................................ 33
4.1.1 Description of Students ............................................. 33
4.1.2 Description of Parents ............................................... 35
4.1.2.1 Parents’ Economic Level ............................... 37
4.1.2.2 Parents’ Education Level ............................... 39
4.1.2.3 Environment .................................................. 40
4.1.2.4 Parents’ Occupation ...................................... 41
4.2 The Correlation/Relationship between Social Factors
and Children’s Achievement of Acquiring Second Language .......43

4.2.1 Parents’ Economic Level and Children’s Achievement ...... 48
4.2.2 Parents’ Education Level and Children’s Achievement ....... 50
4.2.3 Environment and Children’s Achievement ..................... 51

4.2.4 Parents’ Occupation and Children’s Achievement ..... 52
4.3 The Most Dominant Factor Influencing
The Children’s acquisition .................................................. 53

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4.4 Parents’ Economic Level
as The Most Dominant Factor Influencing The Achievement
of Children’s Second Language Acquisition ....................... 56
4.5 Findings and Discussion...................................................... 57
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ..................................... 61
5.1 Conclusions ........................................................................ 61
5.2 Suggestions ......................................................................... 62
REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 64

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Piaget’s Development Stages .............................................................. 17
Table 3.1 Subjects of Study................................................................................ 23
Table 3.2 Questionnaire Scores .......................................................................... 29
Table 3.3 Questionnaire Design ......................................................................... 30
Table 3.4 Questionnaire Intervals ....................................................................... 31
Table 3.5 Reliability Statistics ............................................................................ 32
Table 4.1 Description of Students ...................................................................... 34
Table 4.2 Students’ Criteria................................................................................ 34
Table 4.3 Social Factor Questionnaire Result ..................................................... 36
Table 4.4 Economic Level ................................................................................. 38
Table 4.5 Parents’ Education Level .................................................................... 39
Table 4.6 Environment ....................................................................................... 40
Table 4.7 Parents’ Occupation ........................................................................... 41
Table 4.8 Descriptive Statistics .......................................................................... 42
Table 4.9 Variable Entered/Removed ................................................................. 43
Table 4.10 Anova............................................................................................... 46
Table 4.11Strength of Relationship Between Variables ...................................... 47
Table 4.12 Model Summary ............................................................................... 47
Table 4.13 Correlations ...................................................................................... 49
Table 4.14 Interpretation of Spearman ............................................................... 49
Table 4.15 Correlations ...................................................................................... 50
Table 4.16 Correlations ...................................................................................... 52
Table 4.17 Correlations ...................................................................................... 52

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................... 22

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LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Questionnaire on Social Factors
Appendix 2: Assessment for Students
Appendix 3: Social Factors Questionnaire Results
Appendix 4: Students’ Scores
Appendix 5: Parents’ Economic Level and Children’s Achievement
Appendix 6: Parents’ Education Level and Children’s Achievement
Appendix 7: Environment and Children’s Achievement
Appendix 8: Samples of Questionnaires and Test

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