IMPROVING THE STUDENTS’ WRITING ABILITY OF RECOUNT TEXTS USING PICTURE SERIES FOR THE EIGHT GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP NEGERI 3 SEWON IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2015/2016

Abstract

The objective of this study is to improve the English writing ability to the eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 3 Sewon in the academic year of 2015/2016 by the use of picture series .The type of the research was action research. This research consisted of two cycles. Each cycle had two and three meetings. The subjects of the research were the students of VIII B class, the English teacher and the researcher. The data collected were qualitative and quantitative. The main data of this research were qualitative data that were supported by quantitative data. The qualitative data were collected through observation and interviews. The data were in the form of field notes, interview transcripts, and photos. The quantitative data were the student writing scores. The quantitative data were gained from the students’ scores in writing tests. The result of the first cycle showed that the implementation of picture series improved the students’ writing ability. However, errors of vocabulary, language use, and mechanics in the students’ writings were still found in the result of cycle 1 of the research. The second cycle result indicated that errors of vocabulary, language use, and mechanics found in the students’ writings reduced.