An Analysis of the Tenth Grade Students’ Ability to Write Procedure Text Using Picture Series at SMAN 1 Pagai Utara Selatan.

Abstrak

In learning English, there are four language skills that students should master, namely; listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Among the four language skills taught at Senior High School, writing is the most difficult skill to be mastered by students. This ideas is also supported by Richards and Renadya (2005), who state that writing is the most difficult skill for foreign language learners. In writing,thereare some important aspects of writing that students should master in order to produce a good writing like vocabulary, generic structure, mechanics, and language feature.

The population of this research was the tenth grade students of Senior High School 1 Pagai Utara Selatan. To select the sample, the researcher used stratified cluster random sampling technique and the total number of sample was fifty-eight (58) students. They consisted by 31 students from X.IS.4 and 27 students from X.IA.3. The data were collected using writing test. The researcher used inter-rater technique to know the reliability of test. The reliability coefficient of the test was 0.89. It means that the test was reliable.

The result of this research showed that in general the tenth grade students’ ability at Senior High School 1 Pagai Utara Selatan in writing procedure text using picture series was low. It could be seen that 52% students had low ability. In detail, the students’ ability to organize the generic structure was high. It was proved that 55% students had high ability. The students’ ability to apply language features was low. It was proved that 95% students had low ability. The students’ ability to use appropriate vocabulary was low. It was proved that 71% students had low ability. The students’ ability to apply mechanics was low. It was proved that 60% students had low ability.

The researcher concluded that the tenth grade students’ ability to write procedure text using picture series at Senior High School Negeri 1 Pagai Utara Selatan was low. It is supported by the result of the data analysis that there were 30 students (52%) who got low ability. The students’ writing ability in organizing the generic structure of procedure text using picture series was high. The researcher proposed some suggestions as follows: 1) The teacher should give more explanation and exercises to write procedure text to the students in order to increase their understanding about procedure text, 2) the teacher should use more picture series as media to improve their ability in writing, 3) the students should learn the components of procedure text, and do more practices in writing procedure text.

Key words : Writing. Ability, Write Procedure Text, Picture Series.