TEACHING WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT BY COMBINING BRAINSTORMING AND Y CHART STRATEGIES AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

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1 TEACHING WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT BY COMBINING BRAINSTORMING AND Y CHART STRATEGIES AT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL By: Rini Asrial *) **) Herfyna Asty, M.Pd Staff Pengajar Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat ABSTRAK Menulis adalah suatu kemampuan dan keahlian yang harus dikuasai siswa dalam belajar bahasa Inggris. Menulis juga merupakan suatu kegiatan dimana siswa bisa mengekspresikan, mengungkapkan perasaan, pendapat, dan ide- idenya dalam bentuk tulisan. Makalah ini ditulis bertujuan untuk membantu siswa dalam membuat sebuah teks sederhana khususnya teks deskriptif. Dalam makalah ini, penulis membahas tentang bagaimana pengajaran writing dengan menggabungkan dua strategi yaitu Brainstorming strategi dan Y Chart strategi. Tujuan penggabungan dua strategi ini adalah mempermudah guru untuk mengatasi salah satu dari sekian banyak permasalahan yang ada dalam pengajaran writing dengan meningkatkan minat dan kemampuan siswa dalam menulis. Sehingga siswa termotivasi dan tertarik untuk mengikuti pelajaran. Dalam penerapannya, strategi ini dapat membantu siswa dalam menghasilkan ide- ide dari sebuah topik yang diberikan oleh guru. Kemudian ide siswa dibentuk dalam sebuah grafik yang berbentuk Y, dimana siswa mengidentifikasi topik berdasarkan apa yang mereka lihat, dengar dan rasakan. Berdasarkan grafik tersebut siswa diminta untuk mengembangkan ide tersebut dengan kelompok masing- masing menjadi teks sederhana dalam sebuah paragraph. Hasil tulisan dari salah satu kelompok kemudian akan didiskusikan secara bersama. Hal ini dapat memacu siswa untuk lebih aktif dan antusias sehingga adanya interaksi antara guru dan siswa. Key word: Brainstorming, Deskriptif text, Teaching Writing, Y Chart INTRODUCTION Writing is one of the important skill in learning English among listening, speaking, and reading. By writing the students can communicate, give opinions, and transfer their ideas in written form. Besides that, in writing activity the students must make the reader understand and comprehend about what the students write and explain. Thus, the readers will not misunderstand when read they writing. Nunan (2003:88) also explain about writing is the mental work of inventing ideas, thinking about how to express them, and organizing them into statement and paragraphs that will be clear. In addition, the students should have ability in writing. The students must capable to write and also how to use appropriate language in writing. Besides that, the students should understand how to use grammar correctly. If the students can comprehend about the function of grammar in writing and they can use it well, of course the students will be success to do this subject in learning process. After that, the teacher s role is also very important in teaching writing. Thus, the teacher must be able to guide and help the students to write correctly. Next, the teacher also gives more practices to students in writing something. With the manner, the students will be mastered with this subject. In junior high school, many kinds of the texts that students learn such as: narrative, recount, report, and descriptive text. Here, the

2 writer focuses on descriptive text. In descriptive text, the students describe about topic clearly. Then, the students must develop a topic become a good paragraph. In this case, the students should make the sentences related with the topic. This is useful to avoid jumping idea between paragraph and the other paragraph. In fact, based on the writer experience in Junior High School, the writer found that the students still have many problems in writing. The problem have some factors. The first problem is the students got difficult to identify the topic. Thus, the teacher get problems to lead students ideas. Second, the students did not know how to explore their ideas, because the students lack of vocabulary. Third, the students were not able to develop their ideas, because they have difficult to combine between one sentence and another sentences in write paragraph. Based on the problems above, the teacher should find a good solution to solve the problems. Here, the teacher should be careful to choose the strategy in teaching activities. In learning process, the teacher also must find the suitable and interesting strategy to improve students ability in writing, because some of the teachers do not use the appropriate stategy in teaching. In this case, it can make the students became bored in learning process. Many strategies that teacher uses in teaching writing such as Quick Write, COPS, and RAFT strategies. Quick Write Strategy is a strategy that can help students to produce their ideas spontantly. COPS Strategy is revising or editing to help the students identify four basic error types such as: capitalization, overall appearance, punctuation, and spelling. RAFT strategy is a strategy that the teacher used to generate students ideas by guiding the students to think about four aspects before start to write such as: role, audience, format and topic. Beside these strategies, the teacher can also combine two strategies. The strategies are Brainstorming and Y Chart strategies to be the learning process running well. Brainstorming Strategy is a strategy that the teacher used to lead students ideas about a topic. Then, Y Chart Strategy is a strategy that used to generate students ideas based on three parts such as look like, sound like and feels like. These strategies can make easy for the teacher while the teacher teach. Then, the students can also produce ideas and they comprehend about the lesson quickly. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Writing is someone ability to write about something. It also an activity that share and express ideas based on our feeling and thinking. Therefore, in writing activity need high concentration for students to do it. There are some definition of writing by experts. According to Brown (1999:1) writing is produced and the stage a piece of writing passes through before it is completed. It means that writing is a result of what the writer write. After that, they make in a piece of paper based on some steps. The students can follow these steps, the first step is pre writing. In this part, the students collect their ideas. The second one is drafting. Here, the students make outlining

3 before they write. The last one is editing. The students can check their writing. After the students follow this stage, the students can make a paragraph well. Process of writing is very important in teaching writing. The teacher will know the process of students in writing based on some steps. There are some process of writing according to experts. According to Nunan (2003: 89) writing instruction began to include the entire process of writing- invention, feedback, and revision- and not just the product. It means that writing is a process that produces a written. The first process begins with finding ideas. Next, students response by making some sentences become a paragraph. Then, the paragraph in revise again by the writer. Thus, the writer get feedback from reader that involve their write. Finally, the process of writing will be achieved. Teaching writing is a process that the teacher do in classroom activity. Here, the teacher role is very important, because the teacher will guide the students to write about something correctly in learning process. According to Harmer (1998:79) Teaching writing to students of English as a foreign language include reinforcement, language development, learning style and most importantly, writing as a skill in its own right. The meaning is the teacher must capable to give reinforcement from their students. The students perception is English as foreign language by them. Thus, each teacher has basic skill in teaching writing. Besides that, the teacher chooses learning style to make the students interest in writing. Thus, the students are able to produce a good writing. Descriptive text is one of kinds the text that students learn in the school. The students also should be mastered how to make descriptive text well. Here, there are some definition of descriptive text by experts. According to Tompkins (1994) descriptive text as painting pictures with word. The meaning is the students describe about something, such as picture, person, thing, animal, and place. In descriptive text, the students must describe what is look like the object details. As the result, the readers get information about object or picture clearly. In descriptive text, the students also learn about generic structure. Beside the students know about definition of descriptive text, the students also know about generic structure of descriptive text. Without generic structure the students can not write about descriptive paragraph correctly. The following generic structure of descriptive text by some experts. According to Wardiman, et all (2008) the specify the generic structure of descriptive text into two parts, that is 1) introduction is the part of paragraph that introduces the character; and 2) description is the part of paragraph that introduces the character. This indicates that a descriptive text has two elements an element to identify phenomenon (identification) and another one (description) to portray parts, qualities, or characteristic. It means that the students make a descriptive text based on parts and rules of generic structure. The descriptive text consist of two parts. First, the students must find general information. Second, the

4 students must find specific information for example the characteristics of the students look. Based on two part of descriptive text, the students must ability to decide which one the general information and specific information. Strategy is one of the ways that used by the teacher in teaching writing. It is useful to help the student s interest about the lesson that will teacher explain. There are some strategies in teaching writing. One of them is Brainstorming Strategy. Some experts explain about definition of brainstorming strategy as follow: According to Caswell (2004:46) Brainstorming is a quick tool to gather insight into the students information base. State a topic and ask students to brainstorm anything that comes to mind. This allow you to determine what is already known. It means that brainstorming is a good way to know the students prior knowledge about the topic. The students will give their opinion as naturally based on the students mind. This can make students to be more critism about giving their ideas in learning process. The procedures are very important for the teacher in teaching writing. The teacher should be done step by step when teach in order to students understand about the material. According to Routledge (2013:133) the procedures of Brainstorming strategy are: a. Inform the students that they are going to be using a Brainstorming Strategy to generate ideas for writing. Let them know that the purpose of brainstorming is to come up with as many ideas as possible about a particular topic. b. Identify a topic on which students might want to write. List topic on the board, chart paper, or document. c. For this activity, ask students to withhold judgment as to whether they believe a certain ideas is silly or might not work. All ideas are accepted and valued. d. Encourage students to make free associations. Create a list as the students call out their ideas about the topic. These ideas should be recorder on the board, chart, paper, or document. e. Continue adding ideas until the students are not longer able to come up with any new ideas. f. Review the list and consider the usefulness of the various ideas. g. Display the list so that the students can refer to it while beginning to compose their first drafts. h. Allow students to add new ideas to the list as they begin composing process. Based on the explanation of the procedures of brainstorming strategy include the teacher asks the students to create their ideas by using brainstorming strategy. Then, the teacher asks the students to identify a topic that students will write in learning process. All ideas that coming from students received by the teacher. Next, the teacher asks the students to make free ideas that related with the topic. They make list the topic on the whiteboard.

5 After that, the teacher asks students do not judgment from the student s ideas. Then, the teacher guides the students to add their ideas until the students stuck to add new ideas about the topic. The teacher review again about the list students ideas. The teacher asks the students to make their first draft. The last one the teacher guide the students add new ideas and start to writing process. Y Chart Strategy is the strategy that can help students understand about subject quickly especially in writing. The following some definition of Y chart Strategy according to experts. Hill and Jane (1995:1) said that Y Chart Strategy is A graphic organiser that requires the brainstorming of ideas around three dimensions : what a particular topic or situation Look Like, Sound Like, and Feels Like. The meaning is Y Chart strategy is make a paragraph based on three parts. By three part of Y Chart strategy can help the students give their ideas organized. It will make the students get easy to develop into paragraph. In Y chart strategy. There are some procedures of Y Chart strategy by the experts. According to Hill and Jane (1995:1) the procedures of Y Chart Strategy are: a. Decide on the topic or social skill you wish to explore with your students. b. Devide students into small groups, allocating tasks to each group member such as recorder, reporter, timekeeper, organiser. c. Hand out Y Chart proforma, A3 size. d. Have students brainstorm as many possibilities as they can within a specific time limit. e. Each group report back. f. Discussion and clarification follows. g. Strengths and weaknesses are identified as the topic or social skill is utilised in the classroom over several days or lessons and follow- up action is suggested. Based on the explanation by expert above, there are some procedures of Y Chart strategy. First, the teacher found a topic to explore the student s ideas. Second, the teacher makes a small group to each student and divided their job. Third, the teacher asks students to make three graphic before they begins write. Fourth, the teacher have limited time to brainstorm their students. Fifth, the teacher asks the each group to give their report. Sixth, the teacher and students discuss about the topic together. The last one is the teacher to identify about strengths and weakness from the students write. Then, the students follow suggestion from the others groups. In teaching writing, the teacher will combine two strategies. The strategies are Brainstorming strategy and Y Chart strategy. The strategies have purpose. The purpose is to help the teacher when the teacher teaches in teaching writing. Besides that, it can help the students to get comprehension about the lesson. Here, the teacher using combine procedures Brainstorming strategy from Routledge (2013:133) and Y Chart strategy

6 from Hill and Jane (1995:1). As the result, the students can follow the procedures of these strategies are: 1. Identify a topic on which students might want to write. List this topic on the board, chart paper, or document. (Brainstorming) 2. Divide students into small groups, allocating tasks to each group member such as recorder, reporter, timekeeper, and organizer. (Y Chart) 3. For this activity, ask students to withhold judgment as to whether they believe a certain idea is silly or might not work. All ideas are accepted and valued. (Brainstorming) 4. Hand out Y Chart proforma, A3 size. (Y Chart) 5. Encourage students to make free associations. Create a list as the students call out their ideas about topic. These ideas should be recorder on the board, chart paper, or document. (Brainstorming) 6. Continue adding ideas until the students are no longer able to come up with any new ideas. (Brainstorming) 7. Review the list and consider the usefulness of the various ideas. (Brainstorming) 8. Each group report back. (Y Chart) 9. Discussion and clarification follows. (Y Chart) DISCUSSION In learning process, the teacher should be follow some steps in teaching writing. This purpose in order to the teacher can explain the material clearly to their students. As the result, the students can comprehend about the material well. Besides that, the teacher should be done three procedures in teaching activities. There are Pre teaching, Whilst teaching, and Post teaching. Then, the teacher can do this activities step by step based on the teacher planned before. 1. Pre-teaching Activities (15 minutes) Pre-teaching activities is an activity that should be done by the teacher before starting explain about the lesson. There are some activities here. The activities as follow: a. The teacher gretting to students. b. The teacher check the students attendance list. c. The teacher prepare the students in teaching and learning process physically and mentally. d. The teacher brainstorms and leads students ideas about the topic. 2. Whilst-teaching Activities (60 minutes) Whilst teaching activities is an activities that teacher do after Pre teaching activities. In whilst teaching activities, the teacher explains about the material to students. The teacher use steps Brainstorming strategy that combine with Y Chart strategy in teaching activities, especially descriptive text. Thus, the

7 students must follow step by step from combining these strategies. The activities are: A. Exploration 1. The teacher explains about descriptive text to students. B. Elaboration 1. Identify a topic on which students might want to write. List this topic on the board, chart paper, or document. (Brainstorming) 2. Divide students into small groups, allocating tasks to each group member such as recorder, reporter, timekeeper, and organizer. (Y Chart). 3. For this activity, ask students to withhold judgment as to whether they believe a certain idea is silly or might not work. All ideas are accepted and valued. (Brainstorming) 4. Hand out Y Chart proforma, A3 size. (Y Chart) 5. Encourage students to make free associations. Create a list as the students call out their ideas about topic. These ideas should be recorder on the board, chart paper, or document. (Brainstorming) 6. Continue adding ideas until the students are not longer able to come up with any new ideas. (Brainstorming) 7. Review the list and consider the uselfulness of the various ideas. 8. The teacher guide the students to make outlining before the students start to write. 9. Each group report back. (Y Chart). 10. The teacher asks the students to write paragraph in whiteboard. 11. Discussion and clarification follows. (Y Chart) A. Confirmation 1. The teacher gives a reward for the students. 2. The teacher gives the students homework to make descriptive text about animal. CONCLUSIONS Based on the discussion above, writing is an activity to express students ideas in written form. In writing, the students should be able to produce a good writing. So, it needed a process to do it. In learning process, the teacher role in the classroom is very important. The teacher must ability to guide the students to write about something clearly. Besides that, the teacher also need strategy in teaching process. The purpose is to make students interested with subject. Thus, learning process running well. Many strategies that teacher used in teaching, and the teacher can choose one of the suitable and appropriate strategy to be applied in the classroom. Otherwise, the teacher can also combine two strategies. The strategies are Brainstorming and Y chart strategies. Brainstorming strategy is a strategy that used to lead and generate students ideas based on a topic. Here, the students must have background knowledge about the topic before the teacher explain it. Then, Y Chart strategy

8 is a strategy that used to organize ideas based on three parts in chart. There are look like, sound like, and feels like. In this section, the students give their ideas based on what the students see, heard, and fells. By using combining these strategies, the teacher can make the students easily to understand about the lesson. So, in learning process teaching writing can be achievement. REFERENCES Tompkins, G.E Descriptive Text in Teaching English. Teaching English 4 all on June, From om/2010/06/28/descriptive-text/. Wardiman, et al Descriptive Text in Teaching English. Teaching English 4 all on June, From om/2010/06/28/descriptive-text/ Brown, Ann Teaching Writing The Stanley Thornes Teaching Primary English Series. London: Stanley Thornes. Caswel, Roger Strategies for Teaching Writing. United States of America: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Harmer, Jeremy How to Teach English. Kuala Lumpur: Longman. Hill, Susan and Jane O Laughlin Book Talk, Collaborative Responses to Literature. Eleanor: Curtain Publishing Active Learning. Nunan, David Practical English Language Teaching. Mc Graw Hill: International Edition. Routledge Teaching The Dimensions of Literacy. New York: Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data.