DEVELOPING SUPPLEMENTARY WRITING MATERIALS FOR GRADE VIII STUDENTS OF SMP NEGERI 6 YOGYAKARTA

Abstract

The aims of this research were to: 1) identify the needs of Grade VIII students of SMP Negeri 6 Yogyakarta for improving writing skills, 2) identify the characteristics of appropriate materials to improve writing skills, and 3) develop the appropriate English writing materials using the Task-Based Language Teaching approach. This was a research and development (R&D) study. The research subjects were Grade VIII students of SMP Negeri 6 Yogyakarta. The research was conducted following a modified version of Jolly and Bolitho’s step (Tomlinson, 2011). The steps were conducting needs analysis, designing the course grid, developing the materials, getting expert judgment, and making revision. The research instruments were in the form of questionnaires. The two questionnaires were used for needs analysis and expert judgment. The data obtained from the needs analysis and expert judgment were analyzed quantitatively using percentages and descriptive statistics respectively. The product of this study was a textbook entitled “Easy Writing: A Supplementary Book for Writing Skills”. The book was developed using Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach and it consisted of three units with a total of 51 tasks, not including a total of 6 evaluation tasks at the end of the units. The tasks were developed using the TBLT framework which includes pre-task, task cycle, planning, report, and language focus. In each unit, “Learn More” sections were also presented to give the students the needed materials to understand the topic of the unit. The book also incorporated additional items such as fun booth and reflection to add interesting points of the book. The book focused on improving writing skills and provided many inputs in the form of authentic texts which were added in several tasks. Based on the result of expert judgment, the developed materials were good with an average score of 3.79, meaning that the developed materials are considered appropriate and suitable for the students.

Keywords: supplementary materials, Task-Based Language Teaching, materials development, writing