Improving the
Students’ Reading Comprehension Ability by Using Think-Ahead and Write (TAW)
Strategy
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
A. Background
English is a
global language that is used as a commonucation device between nation of
different language. English plays an important role in process of communication
between them and also English can accelerate science and technological
development of a nation. English has four skills namely speaking, writing, listening
and reading. One of them is reading has played an important role in
developing English skill. Reading is one ways to get information and it can
improve people knowledge. By reading, people are able to know many things
happen around them even they do not have to see it directly and through
reading people can speak and write. Reading can make people become wide minded.
Harvey (1990 : 2) argues that purpose of reading in language is to inform
ourselves about something we are interested in, or challenge on certain
matters. In other words, to extend experience of the world in which we
live.That is the reason why reading becomes a very important thing in learning.
Beside that, in formal education, reading is also one way that people should do
to fulfill their education.
The research
found many problems that is faced by the students especially in reading
comprehension. They are difficult to understand the passage otherwise if they
face serious topics such as politics, economics, etc . Here, teachers play an
important role to help them understand reading passage.
However,
comprehending reading or getting answers from the questions in people’s mind is
not as easy as people think especially if it is related with English. Some
people prefer reading novel, megazine, short story, etc to academic books for
pleasure. Whatever they read, it gives them some information about something or
certain things, get answers from the questions in their mind if they understand
or comprehend what they are reading.
In formal education,
students asked to read academic books. Besides hearing explanation from their
teachers, sometimes they have to understand their lessons by reading it
directly. However, reading academic books sometimes make students bored
especially in English lessons. Most of students in South Sulawesi find
difficulties in comprehending a paragraph for example to identify the main idea
of the paragraph that they have read (Asrawati)..
The main goal in
teaching and learning English reading process is to comprehend the reading
material, but the fact shows that the majority of the students are not competen
English well, as (Halim, 1988 : 2) states that most students encounter the
problem in comprehending an English text. They are at frustation level
althought they have been learning English for years.
One of the ways to help students understand English passages
is finding good strategies in reading. Teachers can give students strategies or
guidelines to understand different types of texts, such as newspapers, fiction books,
or academic books. Strategies can help them comprehend texts. Whatever that
strategies, the most successful strategies have to make students as
readers continually set expectations for what they are about to read, they give
them a way to keep checking themselves to see if they understand what they are
reading, and they have them reorganize information in a way that makes
sense to them.
Think-Ahead and Write (TAW) is a strategy to help
students comprehend texts. This strategy consist of some parts that help
students develop their thinking ability. They will be taught to ask questions,
create mental image and relate what they are reading. This strategy also make
them think critically in reading passages with combining some parts in this
strategy. Think-ahead and write (TAW) strategy is a way to make readers
understand or comprehend what they are reading. This strategy combine some ways
to comprehend text. Think-ahead and write (TAW) strategy consists of asking
question and creating mental images or writing down readers’ understanding.
This strategy have advantages to students, that is to make readers or students
easy comprehend in reading passages and think about what they are reading.
Because teaching students to think about what they are reading is an important
way for them to use their skills to comprehend science, history, social
studies, math, and many other subjects they will study throughout their
education.
Furthermore, Himes (2007) stated that students have to
comprehend what they are reading because comprehension is the reason for
reading. It is actually the main goal of learning to read. If readers can read
the words but do not understand what they are reading, they are not really
reading.
Relating to the case above, the researcher will conduct a
research in SMA Negeri 1 Noyan to the second grade students entitle “
Improving the Students’ Reading Comprehension Ability by Using Think-Ahead
and Write (TAW) Strategy ”
