An Analysis of the Fourth Year Students’ Ability to Understand Figurative Language found in short stories at English Department

Abstrak

The purpose of this research was to know the fourth year students’ ability to understand figurative language found in short stories. The design of this research was descriptive in nature. The population of the research was the fourth year students of English Department of FKIP Bung Hatta University. The writer used cluster random sampling technique to select the sample. The number of population members was 210 students distributed in 6 classes, and the number of the sample members was 42 students in class B. The instrument used to collect the data was non-standard reading test in the form of multiple choice. The writer limited her research the students’ ability to understand; hyperbole, personification and simile as found in short stories. The test was tried out to students out of sample. To know the reliability of the test, the writer used split half method with person product moment formula and Spearman Brown. The reliability of the test was 0.66; and it was categorized high. As the result, the students’ ability to understand figurative language in general was 27 students (77.14 %), it was categorized moderate 14.25-22.59. In specific, their ability to understand hyperbole was 25 students (71.44 %), it was categorized moderate 3.73-7.29, their ability to understand personification was 19 students (54.29 %), it was moderate 4.78-7.96, their ability to understand simile was 26 students (74.29 %), it was moderate 4.54-8.48.

Key Words: Learning English, Grammar, Students’ Achievement