CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

I.1. Background

Literature is often regarded as the art form of language. According to

Wellek and Warren (1995: 109) literature portrays life, and life consists of social

facts. As an indivisible form of language, literature also serves the same

responsibility. Through literature, mankind have always tried to convey their

thoughts and dreams. By reading literature, one is expected to enrich his or her

understanding toward his or her surrounding. Alwasilah (2003) argues that

reading literary works can enhance understanding of life.

Literature may not be defined only as written or spoken material; this term

is often referred to creative works (Gale, 2004). Literature includes drama, fiction

and many kind of non fiction writing. Novel is one form of fiction that have

succeeded in captivating the hearts of people around the world. Besides novel,

there is another form of fiction that is short story. According to Wikipedia (2006),

short story is a form of short fictional narrative prose. Short stories tend to be

more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction, such as novellas (in the

modern sense of this term) and novels. Because of their brevity, successful short

stories rely on literary devices such as character, plot, theme, language, and

insight to a greater extent than long form fiction.

Based on the statements above, it is a fact that literature is an important

part of language and because of that, it should also be an essential part of

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language teaching. Although school asserts the value of learning to read and write,

they fail to attain literature as an important device to achieve quality education.

Over the past few years, English language teaching in Indonesia have emphasized

on the teaching of grammar and its use. This fact, along with the highlight on

teaching reading comprehension rather than on responses to literature, suggests a

general belief that literature is relatively insignificant or that no problems are

involved in its teaching.

I.2. Limitation of the Problem

To limit the extent of the study, the writer will conduct a descriptive

analysis based on Restrepo’s (1988) she developed a literature program for

seventh graders in a middle class neighborhood in Florida where reading scores

were below district and national norms. In addition to increasing test scores,

Restrepo's goals were to develop an integrated program using a variety of books

and to help the students develop an appreciation for literature and independence in

reading. Restrepo's belief was that students should study one genre of literature at

a time to widen their interests. Based on her research the research will be focused

on the use of literature especially short stories to enhance students reading skills.

I.3. Statement of the Problem

After examining the benefits of using literature works as means of

language teaching, it is interesting how English language teachers show little or

no attention at all to literature. The existing data on previous research conducted

on the attention of students toward literary work have fuelled the writer’s curiosity

to the issue of literature and language teaching.

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I.4. Research Questions

This research will be based on the following questions:

1. What influences does reading short stories have on junior high school

students reading skills?

2. What proper methods should be used when a teacher wants to apply

short story reading in junior high school class rooms?

I.5. The Aims of the Study

This research is aimed at:

1. Finding out the influences of reading short stories have on junior high

school students reading

2. Finding out the proper methods should be used when a teacher wants

to apply short story reading in junior high school class rooms

I.6. Significance of the Study

This study is expected to find out the relevance of using short stories as

means of boosting junior high school reading skills in an English reading class

[Link] this research will bring some benefits to:

1. English as second language teachers who want to develop their

classroom activities.

2. Those who are interested in English learning and the use of literary

works in education.

I.7. Assumption

Reading skill is a very important factor in English mastery. According to

Crandall (2002) academic and cognitive demands increase with every grade level,

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the need for continual improvement in students' reading ability becomes urgent

for. Teachers can use a variety of strategies to ensure that students are actively

engaged in reading. In accordance with Crandall’s theory, the writer assumes that

the use of short stories in ESL classrooms is a method worth trying.

I.8. Population and Sample

The population of this research is the eight grade junior high school

students who have learned English language for at least one year. It is a common

fact that most of the time all they learn is the grammatical aspects of English

language; it is time for them to realize that there are parts of English language that

they can enjoy.

I.9. Method, Procedure, and Technique of the Research

1. Method of Research

In accordance with the field of the investigation, this research will be

conducted based on the descriptive method, that is, a method used to explain,

analyze, and classify the data. Here as Gay L.R. (1987:139) states:

A descriptive method is a method of research that involves collecting

data in order to test hypothesis or to answer questions concerning

correct status of the subject of the study. The descriptive study

determines and reports the way things are.

2. The Procedure and Technique of the Research

This research is based on the following procedures:

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 a. Collecting the data

The data are taken from a sample of students that will be treated as

subjects that uses short story reading methods in their ESL class rooms to

boost their reading skills.

b. Analyzing the data

Based on the data collection taken from the process of teaching and

learning in the reading classroom, the writer will try to decipher the

information by using various theories, methods and research steps that

previous researchers have undergone.

c. Interpreting the data

To have a clear picture of the result of investigation, the writer will

elaborate the result based on the analysis supported by theories from some

reference books, articles, and journals on idioms taken from the internet.

I.10. Clarification of the Key Terms

To avoid misunderstanding of the problem investigated in this research,

the writer would like to clarify the terms used in this research, which are follows:

1. Analysis: is a study of something by examining its parts (Oxford

Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 1995).

2. Literature : According to Wellek and Warren (1995: 109) literature

portrays life, and life consists of social facts

3. Short story : According to Wikipedia (2006), short story is a form of

short fictional narrative prose. Short stories tend to be more concise

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 and to the point than longer works of fiction, such as novellas (in the

modern sense of this term) and novels.

4. Novel: is a long written story of fictitious tale in book form

(Dictionary and Thesaurus).

I.11. Organization of the Paper

The writer organizes the paper into five chapters as follows:

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 REFERENCES

Alwasilah. A.C.2003. Language, Culture and Education: A Portrait of

Contemporary Indonesia. Bandung: CV Andira.

Gale, Thomson.2000. Glossary of Literary Term. Available Online:

[Link]

Gay, L.R. 1987. Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and

Application. Columbus: Merril Publishing Company.

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary.2005. Merriam Webster Incorporated.

Available Online: [Link]

Restrepo, Jane Simi.1988. Jane Simi. Integrating Children's Literature in a

Middle School Language Arts Curriculum through a Planned Cognitive

and Affective Program of Instruction. Available Online:

[Link]

Squire, James R.1985. "The Current Crisis in Literary Education". Available

Online: [Link]

Thomason, Nevada.1983. Survey Reveals Truth About Young Adult Readers.

Available Online: [Link]