Chapter 1: Introduction

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

                  The teaching of English as a foreign language (henceforth TEFL) in Indonesian junior and senior high schools has been focused on developing the four language skills with various degrees of proficiency. Techniques, methods, approaches in teaching; listening, speaking, reading, writing, also the proficiency and accuracy have been the most discussed issues in EFL discourse in Indonesia.

                   Reading is one of language skills in English. Reading is about how to read the text correctly and how to understand the text. Boyle and Peregoy (1991) state “proficient readers, however, know what they are looking for, engage their background knowledge while reading, and monitor achievement based on their purpose”. In other words, a good reader, student in this case, reads to gain information from what they read. Gaining information from texts students read is not difficult as long as they have the skills to comprehend the text.

Reading is taught in schools within 3 main activities, they are pre-reading, during reading, and post-reading activities. According to Peregoy (2005), pre-reading is the stage where the aim for reading is built, and background knowledge is developed to increase comprehension; Meanwhile in during reading, students observe their comprehension based on the aim by asking questions of the text; In the post-reading phase, the students write and organize information using their memory. These 3 activities will help students to comprehend the text easier, especially in pre-reading activities in which the students will be provided by getting motivation, building purpose, and activating their background knowledge.

Pre-reading activities are some kinds of activities that are done before the reading process. These activities usually consist of question which is related to the content of the text that will be read next. By pre-reading activities, students are expected to get an image of what they will read or learn from the text. According to Celce-Murcia (1991), the purposes of pre-reading activities are to activate the students’ knowledge of the subject, to give any language preparation that might be needed for coping with the passage, and finally to motivate the learners reading the text.

However, not all teachers use pre-reading activities in their reading class. Some of them enter the class bringing reading materials to be taught, and to be read by their students. They directly start the lesson by asking the students read the text. After the students read the text, they give some questions based on the text. This fact is found from the preliminary research that has been done at the grade of SMAN 2 Banjarmasin when the writer did her teaching practice or PPL (Praktek Pengalaman Lapangan). There were 32 students who were interviewed about their opinion on the strategies that the writer used when she was teaching them reading. At that moment, the writer used pre-reading activities in form of KWL chart, showing pictures, giving pre-questions and/ or mini interview. Most of the students said that they had been so excited and felt easier to comprehend the lesson. They also said that their teachers rarely used pictures or questions in pre-reading activities. The students were directly given the material or text without any pre-reading activities.

On the contrary to the fact found in the preliminary research, Alemi (2001) has done a research to investigate the effects of pre-reading activities on students’ reading comprehension of Razi University, Iran. In Iran English is taught as a foreign language just like in Indonesian. Based on Encyclopedia of Iran (2007), Farsi (Persian) is the official language in Iran while English is the foreign language that is taught in public schools.

                  The result of Alemi’s research indicated that giving prior information through pre-reading activities might become a useful tool for teacher to facilitate the students’ reading comprehension ability in Razi University, Iran. In other words, pre-reading activities give good effect to students’ reading comprehension there.

                  Referring to the fact that is found in preliminary research and the previous research conducted by Alemi, it is necessary to conduct a research on the effects of pre-reading activity on the students’ achievement of reading comprehension in SMAN 2 Banjarmasin.

1.2       Research Problem

The problem of this research is: “Is there any different achievement of reading comprehension between students of class which is taught by using pre-reading activities and students of class which is not taught by using pre-reading activities?”

  

1.3       Hypothesis of the Study

                        According to Hatch and Farhady (1982), hypothesis is a tentative statement about the outcome of research. It means a hypothesis should be formulated before starting a research.

1.      H₀ (null hypothesis) states that there is no relationship between two variables. The H₀ of this research is: There is no different achievement of reading comprehension between students of class which is taught by using pre-reading activities and students who are not taught by using pre-reading activities.

2.      H₁ states that there is relationship between two variables. The H₁ of this research is: There is different achievement of reading comprehension between students of class which is taught by using pre-reading activities and students who are not taught by using pre-reading activities.

1.4       Objective of the Study

The objective of this research is comparing the achievement of reading comprehension between students of class which is taught by using pre-reading activities and students of class which is not.

1.5       Scope of the Study

                  The scope of this research is limited to:

1. The subject of this research is students of tenth grade of SMAN 2 Banjarmasin.
2. The two variables in this research are pre-reading activity as the independent variable, and the reading  achievement of tenth grade students of SMAN 2 Banjarmasin as the dependent variable.
3. The research focuses only on how the use of pre-reading activity in teaching and learning reading  influences the achievement of students of tenth grade’s reading comprehension.

1.6       Significances of the Study

                  The significances of this research are, hopefully:

1. As an alternative teaching model that the teachers of SMAN 2 Banjarmasin can use in their teaching  practices.
2. As the reference for those who want to conduct a research about the effect of pre-reading activities on  students’ reading comprehension.

1.7       Definition of Key Terms

1. Comparative study is a study in which participant is randomly assigned to one of two or more different treatment groups for purposes of comparing the effect of the treatments.
2. Reading skill is an ability that involves understanding the reading material and interpret it in particular ways.
3. Teaching reading is teaching the students reading skill to understand what they had read and give the response as the purpose or as ordered.
4. Pre-reading activities are some kinds of activities that are done before reading; they provide a reader with necessary background to organize activity and to comprehend the material – these experiences involve understanding the purpose for reading and building knowledge base necessary for dealing with the content and the structure of the material.
5. Reading comprehension is the ability to understand information in a text and interpret it appropriately.