CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1.Background of The Study

English is an international language that has been used in many countries

around the world. Some countries use English as their native language, some

others apply it as their second language, and the rest learn it only as a foreign

language. Moreover, English has been a compulsory lesson for students from all

over the world, including Indonesia. It has become a part of national education in

Indonesia. The current curriculum that applied English as a primary lesson for

Senior High School in Indonesia is Curriculum 2013 (In accordance with

Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia Nomor 69

Tahun 2013) about Kerangka Dasar dan Struktur Kurikulum Sekolah Menengah

Atas / Madrasah Aliyah.

Having the preliminary research in MAN 2 Lamongan, the researcher found

that this school is currently using the 2013 curriculum. Here English lesson is

considered very important because English plays important role to convey ideas

and to absorb ideas from other nation that can be used its benefits for the nation

and country. Thus the efficiency of secondary education graduates can be

achieved as they are able to be the reflection of the nation that actively contributes

to the society and the world civilization. According to the 2013 curriculum, the

competency of English language learning is formed through continuous learning,

starting with increasing knowledge competencies from the type, rules and text

context (social functions, generic structure, and language features), followed by

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skill competencies presenting written and oral texts both planned and spontaneous

with proper pronunciation and intonation, and leads to the formation of politeness

and appreciation of the beauty of language. So, based on the 2013 curriculum

English language skills competence are writing, reading, speaking and listening,

and in teaching those skills needs to be taught to the students continuously in

order to achieve the goals of the English lesson as it is stated in 2013 curriculum.

After learning about the curriculum currently used in MAN 2 Lamongan,

the researcher read and learned the tenth grade syllabus used by teachers in

teaching English. After reading thoroughly the syllabus, it was found that the

latest syllabus, including the media, materials and techniques in teaching English

skills, especially in teaching writing, are considered good and sufficient to form

students' writing skills. But, when the researcher was doing practice teaching

program in MAN 2 Lamongan she found that the students are relatively weak in

writing.

As it is known that writing is one of English skills taught from primary

school to university level, this language skill can be used to communicate from

one to another by writing. But many people thought one of the language skills

which is very difficult to be learnt is writing. Writing is not as easy as people

think, because writing is an activity which people need to express their feelings

and thinking, share opinions or ideas and state willingness in their writing. Heaton

(1990:135) says that writing skills are complex process and sometimes difficult

to teach, requiring mastery not only grammatical and rhetorical devices but also

of conceptual and judgmental elements. However, writing English is not easy

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because writing is not where the students only start writing words and then

arrange them into sentences, but they should use correct dictions, chronologies,

and spelling of word so that students often find difficulties while they are writing.

In writing, there are so many components that should be mastered by the

students in order they are able to write well. The difficulty in writing starts when

the students have to establish the subject, verb (either transitive or intrasitive),

object, tense, active and passive voice, also logical thinking. Chakravarty

(2004:1) explains “once writers learn the part of sentences and how they work

together to determine the meaning and effect of a sentence, they can begin to

understand what goof writing is all about”.

In addition to the process of writing that the students should follow, also

they are required to learn spelling and grammar because they are related to the

correct use of words in a sentence. They cannot put the words together in any way

they want and expect they will automatically produce an English sentence. Putting

the words into the right order is very important in making sentences so that, those

sentences are meaningful. However, different kinds of writing require different

kinds of organization, for example, descriptive and narrative. Descriptive tells

description about something, while narrative tells stories. Therefore, they require

the different kinds of organization. People also should learn the genre construction

of writing as the generic structures and the language features of the writing.

In the process of learning, students surely make errors, especially for

Indonesian students, because English is not their mother tongue. It is

understandable since the rule of Indonesian and English is different. English is

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different from Indonesian in its structure, phonology, and lexical meaning. That is

why the students who study English may make many errors in their writing. Some

students may confuse of the grammatical rule in their writing, for example in

using tenses, “I visit my grandmother last night“, but it should be “I visited my

grandmother last night”. Another example in word formation is “It comfortable

me”, instead of “It comforts me”. Another example from the lexical rule is “She

felt from the tree yesterday”, but it should be “She fell from the tree yesterday”.

In fact, they made some errors because they do not understand the rules

well. Although some students have learned the rule, they still find the difficulty to

distinguish the rule in writing. And the students’ writing is also generally speech-

like. As a result, it will lead them to produce many errors. But many teachers may

not aware about this problem and prevent students from making the same errors

by analyzing the learners’ error itself. Therefore, error analysis has an important

role in this case for revealing the kind of type errors that students made, knowing

the cause of the errors and how students can learn from their mistakes in writing.

Thus, the students will not make the same error repeatedly. Those are the reason

why the researcher is really interesting to analyze the errors of students’ writing.

Based on the reasons above, the researcher is interested in analyzing the

error in writing Recount Text that is made by the students. This skripsi title is An

Analysis of Students’ Error in Writing Recount Text at Tenth Grade of MAN 2

Lamongan.

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1.2.Problem of The Study

Based on the background above, in order to avoid misunderstanding to the

problem, the researcher limits to focus in analyzing the students’ errors about the

generic structures and the language features in writing Recount Text. So, the

researcher formulates the following research questions:

1. What types of error in writing sentences are made by the tenth grade students’

of MAN 2 Lamongan?

2. What are the factors of errors typically made by tenth grade students’ of MAN

2 Lamongan?

1.3.Purpose of The Study

Based on the background above, the purpose of this study are;

1. To analyze the types of error made by the students in writing sentences.

2. To know the factors that cause the errors made by the students.

1.4.Significance of The Study

This final project is expected to give some benefits, both theoretical and

practical.

a. Theoretically, the researcher expects that the result of this study is useful as

one way to enrich the reference in giving description of how generic structure,

language features and social function of Recount Text written by the tenth

grade students of MAN 2 Lamongan in the academic year of 2018/2019 are.

b. Practically, the researcher expects that the result of this study will be useful for

the students to improve their writing skill. Especially, in writing Recount Text,

since they have learned the requirements to write a good text from the errors.

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1.5.Key-Terms of The Study

Here are some of the key-terms of the study;

a. Writing Recount Text is retelling someone’s experiences that happened in the

past by writing in order to entertain or share the moments to the readers.

b. Error Analysis; Brown (2000:1) states that researchers and teacher of second

languages come to realize that the mistakes a person made in this process of

constructing a new system of language needed to be analyzed carefully, for the

possibly held in some of the keys to the understanding of the process of second

language acquisition.

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 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1. Writing

2.1.1. Definition of Writing

Communication can be done in two ways: in oral and written form. When

someone cannot share the ideas by speaking, he or she can use a written form to

communicate with others. There are some definitions about writing based on the

some experts.

Writing is not as easy as people think. According to White and Arndt (1991)

in Hammad (2013: 1), writing is a thinking process which demands intellectual

effort, and it involves generating ideas, planning, goal setting, monitoring,

evaluating what is going to be written as well as what has been written, and using

language for expressing exact meanings. It means that writing consists of some

stages that should be done by the researcher in conveying the message of writing

and writing is not easy because it requires some effort in writing.

Writing is considered as an active creation of text involves on the one hand

lower-order transcription skills such as handwriting, punctuation and spelling, and

on the other hand, higher-order self-regulated thinking processes such as planning,

sequencing and expressing the content (Berninger at al, 2002). It requires the

researcher to express the content of writing into a good composition by

considering the aspects of writing to be understood by the readers.

Considering definitions above, the researcher concludes that writing is a

complicated activity which needs some effort and full of concentration and

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knowledge about what we are going to write. However, writing can be learnt by

everyone by much practicing and reading a lot of books to get inspiration to write.

2.1.2. The Importance of Writing

Writing is the complex process it means that in writing students have to

consider many things to build a good writing. According to Harmer (2004: 31-33)

states that there are many advantages of learning writing. They are as follows:

a. Writing is often not time- bound in the way conversation is. It means that

students have longer time to think than in speaking activity. They can check

their grammar patterns.

b. Writing encourages students to focus on accurate language use because they

think as they write; it may provoke development well as they resolve problems

which writing puts in their mind.

c. Writing is often used as a means of reinforcing language that has been thought.

They use writing skill to make a note about what they have learnt while

learning process happens.

d. Writing is frequently useful as preparation for some other activity.

e. Writing can also, of course, be used as an integral part of larger activity where

the focus is on something else such as language practice, acting out, or

speaking. As the example, the teacher asks the students to make a short

dialogue which they will then act out. Writing is also use in questionnaire type

activity

f. Writing is important to face questionnaire test. In the examination, students are

asked their answer in the form of written.

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 From the explanation above the writer can conclude that writing skill is very

important to be learnt. Writing helps us in solving and improving other skills in

learning language.

2.1.3. Purpose of Writing

Troyka (1987:3-4) states that writing is a way of communicating a message

to a reader for a purpose. The purposes of writing are to express one self, to

provide information for one’s reader, to persuade one’s reader, and to create a

literary work.

Tarigan (1994:24) summarize the purpose of writing as follows:

a. Assigment Purpose

The researcher writes since he is asked by someone. The idea to write does not

come from the researcher himself.

b. Altruistic Purpose

The researcher writes to entertain the readers, to reduce the reader’s sadness

and make their lives much easier by using his writing.

c. Persuasive Purpose

It has purpose to ensure the readers about the truth of the idea given by teacher.

d. Informational Purpose

The purpose of this writing is to give information to the readers.

e. Self-expressive Purpose

The purpose is to introduce the researcher to the reader.

f. Creative Purpose

It tends to get the artistic values.

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g. Problem Solving Purpose

This writing is used to solve problem faced by the researcher.

2.2. Recount Text

2.2.1. The Definition of Recount Text

According to Purwanti (2013: 59) Recount Text is a type of text that has the

main function or communicative purpose to tell the reader or listeners or viewers

about past event or past experience. While according to Derewianka (1990: 14)

states that recount is the unfolding of sequence of events over time. When we

write in recount, we reconstruct past experiences.

From the definitions above, the researcher conclude that Recount Text is a

text that tells about the writer experiences itself or tells other people experiences

in the past.

Before we write Recount Text we must first read the requirements or

procedures in making good Recount Text so that the text will be understandable.

To avoid making mistakes we have to pay attention on several rules, they are:

generic structure, language features and social function of the Recount Text itself.

2.2.2. The Component of Recount Text

The components of Recount Text according to Gerot and Wignell (1994:

194) are following:

a. Generic Structure of Recount Text

In mastering Recount Text, the students have to know the generic structure of

Recount Text. The steps or generic structure in constructing Recount Text:

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1) Orientation: It is the introduction paragraph and it provides the setting and

introduces participants.

2) Events: A sequence of events telling the readers what happened.

3) Re-orientation: This is optional and it is a closure of events.

b. Language Feature of Recount Text

Recount Text has some language features. The language features of Recount Text

that should be fulfilled:

1) Focus on specific participants

2) Use of material process

3) Circumstances of time and place

4) Use of past tense

5) Focus on temporal sequence

c. The Social Function of Recount Text

According to Anderson (1997: 48), the social function or the social purpose of

Recount Text is to give the audience a description of what occurred and when it

occurred. Whereas according to Gerot et. al. (1994: 194) the purpose of Recount

Text is to retell events for the purpose of informing or entertaining.

Here, the researcher concludes that the social function of Recount Text is to

entertain or inform people by retelling events that happen in the past.

2.2.3. Recount Text in Curriculum 2013

As been explained in The Background of Study at Chapter I that in the 2013

Curriculum Permendikbud Nomor 69 Tahun 2013 concerning the Basic

Framework and Curriculum Structure, that English is a compulsory lesson for

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Senior High School / Madrasah Aliyah. In the curriculum it has also been

explained that Recount Text material with KD 3.9 and 4.13, 4.14 is found in the

tenth class in the second semester.

2.3. Error Analysis

2.3.1. The Definition of Error Analysis

Errors for the learner are something common in learning, but for the teacher

errors are something that should be corrected. Leraning a target language and

making errors are inseparable. In the process of learning language, errors are

inevitable. However, it is not something horrible for commiting error in learning a

language, any language, is something normal, the errors can be important to both

students and teachers. Here are some definitions of Error Analysis by experts;

According to Brown (1980:166) “Error Analysis is the process to observe,

analyze, and classify the deviations of the rules of the second language and then to

reveal the systems operated by learner”.

According to Richards et.al (1985:96) “Error Analysis is the study of errors

made the second and foreign language learners”.

According to Crystal (1987:112) “Error Analysis is a technique for

identifying, classifying and systematically interpreting the unacceptable forms

produced by someone learning a foreign language, using any of the principles and

procedures provided by linguistics”.

From the definitions above, the researcher concludes that Error Analysis is an

activity to identify and classify the errors made by second and foreign language

learner by using the principles and procedures provided by linguistics.

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2.3.2. Distinction between Error and Mistake

Most people think that error and mistake are same, whereas they are not.

Error is different from mistake. According to Hubbard (1983:134) distinguished

between an error and a mistake in his book, “error caused by lack of knowledge

about the target language (English) or by incorrect hypotheses about it; and

unfortunate mistakes caused by temporary lapses of memory, confusion, slips of

the tongue and so on”. So, lack of knowledge about the target language can

caused error, whereas mistake caused by the students cannot memorize well, slip

of the tongue, slip of fingers, or confusion between the language learner and the

target language.

2.4. The Grammatical Error

Grammar is the study of rules for the combination of word into sentences

(syntax) and the form of words (morphology), is central not only speech, but also

in writing. Improper use of grammar is influential to the flow of thoughts. In

writing the influence is even greater because when written communication takes

place the message sender is absent. The intelligibility is dependent solely upon the

language used. (Suwartono & Priyantini, 2006:22).

Grammar is regarded as a whole system and structure of a language. It

consists of syntax, morphology, and sometimes also phonology and semantics

(Oxford Dictionaries, N/A). Larsen-Freeman (1997) indicates that grammar

encompasses the three dimensions of morphology (form), syntax (meaning) and

pragmatics (use). Grammatical errors thus mean inaccurate forms, semantics

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meanings, and use. Second language (L2) learners will use L2 accurately,

meaningfully, and appropriately after mastering these three dimensions.

2.4.1. Types of Grammatical Error

The classification is given by Surface Strategy Taxonomy. Students may

omit necessary items (Omission) or add unnecessary ones (Addition) they may

misinformation items (selection) or miss order them (Misordering).

a. Omission

Omission error are characteristic by absence of an item that must appear in a well-

formed utterance, although any morpheme or word in a sentence is a potential

candidate for omission, some types or morpheme are omitted more than others.

For example : Ria read a novel. It should be “Ria reads a novel”.

b. Addition

Addition are opposite of omission. They are characterized by the presence of an

item which must not appear in a well-formed utterance. For example : He doesn’t

cares anymore. It should be “He doesn’t care anymore”.

c. Misinformation

Misformation errors are characterized by the use of the wrong form of the

morphemes or stucture. While in omission errors happen unconciously. On the

other hand, misformation errors happen conciously. The students supply

something, although it is incorrect.

d. Misordering

Misordering is wrong placement of morpheme or a group of morphemes in an

utterance. For example : I don’t know what that is ?.

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2.5. Previous Study

In this research, the researcher has found that there are some studies that

have the same topic with this research. The first research is the study conducted

by Herlinawati in 2011 entitled Error Analysis in The Students Writing Narrative

Paragraph At MTsN Pajajaran Pamulang. The study is aimed to find out the

types of errors and the most errors made by the students in writing sentences, why

many students made the errors in using those tenses and how to solve the

problem. Meanwhile, the purpose of this study is to analyze the types and the

source of errors did by the students in writing sentence using those tenses based

on the researcher experience. In Herlina’s study employed Quantitative Research.

The subject of the study were 160 students which is devided into four classes at

eighth grade of students of even semester of Cendrawasih 1 Junior High School

Cipete in the 2010/2011 academic year.

The second research is written by Nailur Rahmah in 2018, her research

entitled An Analysis of Students’ Error in Writing. Her research aimed at

analyzing the students’ error in writing recount text at the eighth grade students of

SMP IT Assalafiyyah. The researcher here is only focus in analyzing the errors

made by the students in writing sentences using present and past tense. These

errors are taken from students’ assignment writing sentence that students were

made. This research used Qualitative research, and at collecting the needed data,

the researcher used documents.

Although those researchs take the same topic about analyzing students’

error, but the subject is different. The first and the second previous studies analyze

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only the grammatical; the first previous research only focus on the grammatical

error, and the second previous research analyze the students’ writing sentences

using present tense and past tense . However, this research is not only focus on the

grammatical (language feature), but also the genre construction of the writing. The

difference between this research and the first previous research is also in the

method design. The first research used Quantitative, while this research uses

Qualitative.

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 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD

3.1. Research Design

The design of this research is qualitative. The design of this research is

document analysis in form of Qualitative Research. This design is a scientific

method which involves observing and describing the behavior of a subject without

influencing it in any way. Then, in the same source this study is called analysis

because it tries to analyse objectively about students’ errors in writing. It is called

qualitative because the researcher used description data which is analyzed

completely.

3.2.Research Time and Location

The research is held at MAN 2 Lamongan which is located on Bulaksari

street No. 269 Sogo, Babat - Lamongan. As one of real teaching program (PPL)

member in this school, the researcher wants to analyze her students’ error in

writing Recount Text. The researcher chooses the tenth grade students of MAN 2

Lamongan to obtain the data which is used as object of this study.

3.3.Subject of The Research

The subject of this researh is the tenth grade of MAN 2 Lamongan. There

are twelve classes of tenth grade in MAN 2 Lamongan. This research has specific

participant because the population of the students of tenth grade of MAN 2

Lamongan is about 450 students. So, the researcher only take one class X-Bahasa

as the subject of this research.

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3.4.Data Collection Techniques and Instrument

The technique of data collecting in this study is document and interview.

The document is the form of the students’ assigment from the English teacher, and

the interview in this study is for the students and the teacher. The instrument of

this study is the students’ writing assignment and the interview lists. And the data

is the students’ handwriting. The document is used to find out the students’ errors

in writing Recount Text as the object to find the errors that students made. And

the interview is used to find out the factors that cause students errors.

3.5.Data Analysis Technique

To find out the effectiveness of analysis on the students’ errors in writing

Recount Text. First, the researcher asked the students’ writing assignment to the

English teacher. Second, the researcher identified the error of the students’ writing

and classified them based on the types of error. Third, the researcher analyzed

what factors of error are made by the students in their writing by interviewing the

teacher and the students. After analyzing those data, the researcher made the

conclusion of the research.

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