An Analysis of the Twelfth Grade Students’ Ability to Comprehend Narrative text at SMA Katolik Xaverius Padang.

Abstrak

Reading is one of four basic languages skills that should be mastered by someone who learns a language. According to McNamara (2007: 11)  comprehension refers to the ability to go beyond the words, to understand the ideas and the relationships between ideas conveyed in a text. The purpose of this research is to describe the twelfth grade students’ ability to answer comprehension question in Narrative text at SMA Katolik Xaverius Padang.

The population of this research was twelfth grade students at SMA Katolik Xaverius Padang. The total sample members were 24 students, and they were chosen by using total sampling technique. The method used in this study was descriptive method. Data were collected through reading test in form of essay, and it is reliability index was 0.61.

The results of data analysis showed that the twelfth grade students’ ability to answer comprehension questions in Narrative text was moderate. It was proved by the fact that 6 students (29.16%) had high ability, 14 students (58.3%) had moderate ability, and 3 students (12.5%) had low ability. Specifically, Orientation was proved by the fact 6 students (16.7%) had high ability, 16 students (66.6%) had moderate, and 4 students (16.7%) had low ability, Complication was proved by fact 2 students (8%) had high ability, 22 students (92%) has moderate, 0 student (0%) had low ability, Resolution was proved by fact 1 student (4%) had high ability, 22 students (92%) had moderate ability, 1 student (4%) had low ability. and the twelfth students’ ability to answer comprehension question in Narrative text which require them to indicate ideas was moderate see appendix 6.

In conclusion, the result of this study showed that students’ ability to answer comprehension questions in Narrative text was moderate. Therefore, the students are suggested to do more exercise on comprehending Narrative text  in order to get better ability.

Keywords : reading, Narrative text, comprehension