CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Communicative Approach

1. Definition of Communicative Approach

In language teaching, according to Jack C. Richards, John Platt,

and Heidi Platt communicative approach is “an approach to foreign

language as second language teaching which emphasizes that the goal of

language learning is communicative competence”.1

Meanwhile Diane larsen-Freeman said “… in the communicative

approach the notion of what it takes to be communicatively competent is

much expanded”.2

Thus Jack Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers asserted, “the

communicative approach in language teaching starts from a theory of

language as communication. The goal of language teaching is to develop

what Hymes (1972) referred to as “communicative competence”.3

Those quotations mean that the objective of communicative

approach is in other to the students able to be competent in

communication. And also Widdowson in Learner-Centered Curriculum,

written by David Nunan, “ …………………... a basic principle underlying

all communicative approaches it that lerners must learn not only to make

grammatically correct, prepositional statements about the experiential

worlds, but must also develop the ability to use language to get things

done”.4

1 Jack C. Richards, John Platt, and Heidi Platt, Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (London: Longman Group UK Limited, 1992), p.65

2 Diane Larsen-Freeman, Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986), p.131

3 Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986), p.69

4 David Nunan, The Learner-Centered Curriculum, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986), p.25

8

The term communicative approach has the same meaning as the

term notional and functional. “The distinction between them is clearly set

out by Johnson: “notion are rather abstract concepts-frequency, duration,

dimension, location, quality and so on. And functions refer to the practical

uses to which we put language, most usually in interaction with other

people”.5

2. Communicative Competence

It is useful to know the definition of communicative competence.

Robin C. Scarcella, Elaine S. Anderson, and Stephen D. Krashen said,

“Communicative Competence is a knowledge of the rules for

understanding and producing both the referential and the social meaning of

language”.6 Jack C. Richards, John Platt, and Heidi Platt said:

“communicative competence is the ability not only to apply the

grammatical rules of a language in order to form grammatically correct

sentences but also to know when and where to use these sentences and to

whom”.7 Michael Leguke and Howard Thoma suggest paying more

attention to communicative competence, as they said, “ … the many

aspects of communicative competence had to be investigated in amore

rigorous manner before a communicative approach could be fully

implemented in second language teaching”.8

Based on the statement above, it is clear that communicative

competence is one of the most important things in communicative

language. So that, there are many kinds of communicative competence as

Canale and Swain said in “Approach and Techniques in Language

teaching “written by Jack c. richards and Theodore S. rodgers, as follow:5 Jo. Mc. Donough and Christopher Shaw, Material and Methods in ELT, (Oxford: Black

Well, 1993), p. 276 Robin C. Scarcella, Elaine S. Andersen, and Stephen D. Krashen, Developing

Communicative Competence; A Second Language, (New York: New Bury House Publisher, 1990), p. 288

7 Jack C. Richards, John Platt, and Heidi Platt, Teaching and Applied Linguistics……, p. 65

8 Michael Legutke and Howard Thomas, Process and Experience in the Classroom, (London: Longman Group Limited, 1991), p. 2

9

In which four dimension of communicative competence are

identified: grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse

comptetence and strategic competence. Grammatical competence refers to

what Chomsky call linguistic competence and what Hymes intends by

what is “formally possible”. It is the domain of grammatical and lexical

capacity. Sociolinguistic competence refers to an understanding of the

social context in which communication takes place, including role

relationships, the shared in formation of the participants, and the

communicative purpose for their interaction. Discourse competence refers

to the interpretation of individual message elements in terms of their

interconnectedness and of how meaning is represented in relationship to

the entire discourse or text. Strategic competence refers to the coping

strategies that communicators employ to initiate, terminate, maintain,

repair, and redirect communication.9

3. Characteristics and Features of the Communicative Approach

As we know that communicative approach stress on

communicative competence; therefore one of the most characteristics

features of communicative language teaching is that it pays systematic

attention to functional as well as structural aspect of language, combining

this into more fully communicative view. And as stated by Christopher N.

Candlin, “the purpose and content of the teaching is communication.10

There are some features of communicative approach as stated by

Finocchiaro and Brumfit, as follow:

a. Meaning is paramount.

b. Dialogs, if used centered around communicative functions and are

not normally memorized.

c. Contextualization is a basic premise.

d. Language learning is learning to communicate.9 Jack Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language

Teaching, p. 7110 Christopher N. Candlin, The Communicative Teaching English Principle and Exercise

Typology, Longman 1985.

10

e. Effective communication is sought.

f. Drilling may occur, but peripherally.

g. Comprehensible pronunciation is sought

h. Any device, which helps the learners, is accepted varying

according to their age, interest, etc.

i. Attempts to communicate may be encourage from the very

beginning.

j. Judicious use for native language is accepted where feasible.

k. Translation maybe used where students need of benefit from it.

l. Reading and writing can start from the first day if desired.

m. The target linguistic system will be learned best through the

process of struggling to communicate.

n. Communicative competence is the desired goal (i.c. tha ability to

use the linguistic system effectively and appropriately).

o. Linguistic variation is central concept in materials and

methodology.

p. Sequencing is determined by any consideration of content,

function, or meaning, which maintains interest.

q. Teachers help learners in any way that motivates them to work

with the language.

r. The individual often through trial and error creates language.

s. Fluency and acceptable language is the primary goal: accuracy is

judge not in the abstarct but in context.

t. Students are expected to interact with other people, either in the

flesh, through pair and group work, or in their writings.

u. The teacher cannot know exactly what language the students will

use.

v. Intrinsic motivation will spring from an interest in what is being

communicated by the language.11

11 Jack C. Richards, and Theodore s. Rodgers, Approaches and Method in Language Teaching, p. 67

11

4. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Communicative

Approach

There are some advantages and disadvantages of communicative

approach in teaching-learning process, namely:

a. Advantages

Muljanto sumardi said, “communicative language teaching seems

more humanistic which learner-centered rather than teacher-centered, and

in this process the teacher’s role is a facilitator; the students were given

more freedom, autonomy, responsibility, and creativity in the learning

process.”12

Meanwhile, Jack richards and Theodore S. rodgers stated

“language is created by the individual often through trial and error.”13

Diane larsen Freeman says: “teachers give the students the opportunity to

express their individuality by having them share their ideas and opinions

on a regular basis”.14

Kaswanti Purwo asserted, “communicative approach more focused

on the fluency of communication, and the accuracy of pronunciation can

be corrected while the communication process goes on.”15

Based on the statements above, it can be concluded that

communicative approach has the advantages, as follow:

a) The students are more active than the teachers in the teaching-

laerning process.

b) The students have the opportunity to develop their language ability.

c) The students may learn from the experiences.

d) The students learn to communicate fluently.

e) The students may express their ideas and opinions.

b. Disadvantages

12 Muljanto Sumardi, Berbagai pendekatan dalam Pengajaran Bahasa dan Sastra, (Jakarta: Pustaka Sinar Harapan, 1996), p. 101-102

13 Jack C Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Method in Language Teaching p. 68

14 Diane Larsen-Freeman, Technique and Principles in Language ................p.12915 Bambang Kaswanti Purwo, Pragmatik dan Pengajaran Bahasa, Menyibak Kurikulum

1984, (Yogyakarta: Kanisius, 1990), p. 50

12

Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. rodgers say: “CLT procedures

often require teacher to acquire less teacher-centered classroom

management skill. It is the teacher’s responsibiity to organize the

classroom as setting for communicative activities.”16 They also state “the

focuses on fluency and comprehensibility in communicative language may

cause anxiety among teachers accustomed to seeing error suppression and

correction as the major instructional responsibility.”17

Dealing with that case, it can be concluded that communicative

approach have advantages, as follow:

a) The non-native teacher feels less comfortable about the procedures

without special training.

b) The teacher gets restless, for seeing their error in making the

communication fluent.

B. Grammar Translation Method

1. Background of Grammar Translation Method

Five hundreds years ago, Latin was dominant language of

education, commerce, religion, and government in western world. As a

result of political changes in Europe, it gradually became displaced as a

language of spoken and written communication. Latin diminished from

that of a living language to that of an “occasional” subject in the school

curriculum.

But, the study of classical Latin and an analysis of its grammar and

rhetoric became the model for foreign language study from the

seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Children entering “grammar

school” in England were initially given a rigorous introduction to Latin

grammar, which was taught through rote learning of grammar rules, study

of declenasions and conjugations, translation, and practice in writing

16 Jack C Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Method in Language Teaching …….p. 79

17 Ibid, p 1-2

13

sample sentences, sometimes with the use of parallel bilingual texts and

dialogue (Kelly 1969; Howatt 1983). Since learning must give experience

for children, there should be taught an alternative approaches to education.

The decline of Latin also brought with it a new justification for

teaching Latin.

Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers quoted V. Mallison in

Titone 1968:26 said:

When one the Latin tongue had ceased to be a normal vehicle for

communication, and was replaced as such by the vernacular languages, then it

must speedily became a ‘mental gymnastic, the supremerely ‘dead’ language,

adisciplined and systematic study of which was held to be indispensable as a

basis for all forms of higher education.18

As “modern” language began to enter the curriculum of European

schools in the eighteenth century, they were taught using the same basic

procedures in teaching Latin.

By the nineteenth century, the approach based on the study of latin

had become the standard way of studying foreign language in schools. A

typical textbook consisted around grammar points. This approach became

known as the Grammar Translation Method.19

2. Design of Grammar Translation Method

The important goal of GTM is the students to be able to translate

each language into the other because the fundamental purpose of learning

a foreign language is to be able to read its literature. The primary skills to

be developed are reading and writing.

The teacher has big role. He or she is the authority in the

classroom. Meanwhile the sudents do as he says so they can learn what he

knows.20

18 Jack C Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching……….., p. 2

19 Ibid, p 1-220 Diana Larsen and Freeman, Technique and Principles in Language,………. p. 11

14

In most GTM a syllabus was followed for the sequencing of

grammar points throughout texts, and there was an attempt to teach

grammmar in an organized and systematic way. “In a typical GTM text,

the grammar rules are presented and illustrated, a list of vocabulary items

are presented with their translation equivalents, and translation exercises

are prescribed”.21 Vocabulary and grammar are emhasized. Reading and

writing are the primary skills. There is much less attentionn given to

speaking and listening. Pronunciation receives little.22

3. Characteristic of Grammar Translation Method

The principal characteristics of Grammar Translation Method were

these:

a) The goal of foreign language study is to learn a language in order

to read its literature or in order to benefit from the mental

discipline and intellectual development that result from foreign

language study.

b) Reading and writing are the major focus; little or no systematic

attention is paid to speaking or listening.

c) Vocabulary selection is based on the reading texts used, and words

are taught throught bilingual word lists, dictionary study, and

memorization.

d) The sentence is the basic unit of teaching and language practice.

e) Accuracy is emphasized.

f) Grammar is taught deductively.

g) The student’s native language is the medium of instruction.

4. Procedures in Grammar Translation Method

The class begins by reading a passage in their textbook. The

passage is in excerpt entitled ‘The Boys Ambition’ from Mark twain’s

21 Jack C Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, p. 4

22 Diana Larsen and Freeman, Technique and Principles in Language, p. 12

15

Life on the Mississippi. Each student is called on to read a few lines from

the passage. After he has finished reading, he is asked to tranlate into his

native language the few lines he has just read. The teacher helps him with

new vocabulary items.

Then, the teacher asks them if they have any questions. The teacher

answers their question by giving clear explanation through their native

language. Since the students have no more questions, the teacher asks

them to write the answers to the comprehension questions which appear at

the end of the excerpt. The questions are in English, and they are

instructed to write the answers in english as well.

In addition to questions that ask for information contained within

the reading passage, the students answer two types of questions. For the

first type, they have to make inferences based on their understanding of

the passage. The other type of question requires the students to relate the

passage to their own experience.

After those activities, the teacher speaks in students’ language,

asks the student to stop and check their work. One by one student reads a

question and then read his respon. If he is correct, the teacher calls on

another student to read the next question. If the student is incorrect, the

teacher points the different students to give the right answer or make her

self to answer the question.

Announcing the next activity, the teacher lists several words

according to their text. The students are instructed to give the native

language for each it. It is done by whole students.

After they have finished this exercise, the teacher reminds them

that English words that look like their native language words are called

‘cognates.

The activities move to grammar section. The teacher reads a

description of two word or phrasal verbs. If there are some ne that have

not learned yet, the teacher will explain and the students are asked to

16

translate it, then they are given the rule of some grammar. Finally, they are

asked to do the exercise based on the grammar rule has been taught.

For the end of activities, the students are instructed to translate the

reading passage, state the rule of grammar point, do the remaining

exercises, memorize the words, write composition, and take the quize on

the grammar and vocabulary of this chapter.23

5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Teaching Descriptive Text

by Using Grammar Tanslation Method

The advantages:

a) The students are not forced to use target language while the

activity.

b) It can be applied in big class

c) Language learning provides good mental exercise

d) The students’ false is limited

e) Students may rich of vocabularies and it’s make students easier to

translate the text

The disadvantages:

a) Little or no systematic attention is paid to speaking or listening

b) Students have little chance to express their idea

c) Need more time in process teaching learning

d) Make students are bored in classroom activities

C. Descriptive Text

1. The Definition

23 Diana Larsen and Freeman, Technique and Principles in Language,……………. p. 4-8

17

A descriptive text is a text which lists the characteristics of

something.24 So, in descriptive paragraph, you must make very clear the

location of the objects being described.25

Features:

- The topic is usually about the attributes of a thing.

- Third forms are used

Examples (English)

- Requirements for employment

- The appearance of person

- The details of a location26

Descriptive text is part of factual genres. It has Social Function it

is to describe a particular person, place or thing, Schematic Structure it is

for identification, description, Language Feature focus on specific

participants, use of attributetive and identifying processes, frequent use of

epithets and classifier in nominal groups, and use of simple present.27

Description is a mental process, a way of perceiving objects in

space and time. As it pertains to composition, description is a way of

picturing images verbally in speech or writing and of arranging. Those

images in some kind of logical or associational pattern.

Embedded in the word description are two words: scribere,

meaning “to write” and de, meaning “down” or “about”. There is a hint in

the etymology of the word description that something is being traced or

drawn, that in describing you will follow the outline of an object visually

and then write it down or “draw” it in words. The word “draws” is not an

24 http://www.JSTOR.definition_descriptive text_com on January of 25th 2007 at 2. 45 p.m

25 Regina L. Smalley, Mary K. Ruetten, Refining Composition Skills/Rhetoric and Grammar Fourth Edition, (San Francisco: Heinle & Heinle Publishers an Internasional Thompson Publishing Company (ITP)), p.7326 ? http://www.JSTOR.definition_descriptive text_com on January of 25th 2007 at 2. 45 p.m

27 Rudi Hartono, Handout Genre of Text, English Departement Faculty of Language and Art Semarang State University, 2005, p. 5-9

18

accidental association. Many writers have likened the process of

describing to that of painting.28

Description is concerned mostly with people, places, and things.

The student papers reprinted below give you a variety of models to follow,

based on these topics.

You might wish to describe a rooomate, a close friend, a parent, a

child, a niece or nephew, a teacher, a landlord, a rockstar, or a celebrity.29

The purpose of description is to present the reader with a picture of

person, subject, or setting. Although description is sometimes used alone,

it more often appears in connection with one of the other types of writing –

exposition, narration, or persuassion.

Descriptive writing, then, should be read and understood for its

relationship to an author’s purpose and attitudes and for its levels of

generally or specificity. These levels can reveal an author’s purpose and

attitude. Therefore, as a reader of description, you should note carefully

the following elements of description (notice that some categories

overlap).

1. Concreate details. A concreate detail is a specific description that

supports, reflects, or expands a writer’s attitude or purpose.

2. Images. An image is a concreate, literal (real, actual) description of

a person, physical object, or sensory experience that can be known

through one of the five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, and

smell).

3. Similes. A simile is a comparison, using like or as, between two

objects. The comparison is between two things essentially different

yet similar in one aspect.

4. Metaphors. A metaphor is an implied (indirect) comparison

between two things without the use of like or as.

28 Frank J. D’Angelo, Process and Thought in Composition, (Cambridge: Massachusetts , Winthrop Publishers, inc, 1997), p.123

29 Frank J. D’Angelo, Process and Thought in Composition, (Cambridge: Massachusetts ……,p.135

19

5. Connotative language. Connotative words or phrases imply or

suggest meanings different from their dictionary definition; they

may carry a positive (favorable, good) or a negative

(unfavorable,bad) meaning.

Some words, standing alone, may seem neutral (neither good nor

bad), but in context with other words, or in a sentence, take on a

connotative meaning. For example, the word drugs to an eldery person

suffering the pains of agerelated disease is positive, but, to parents with a

son hooked on heoin, drugs is negative. Denotative language, on the other

hand, means words that don’t carry any emotional overtones or value

judgements.

Examples:

Thin lean slender scrawny slim skinny which of the a bove words do you

consider positive, negative, or neutral?

You may find that because of difference in values, your classmates differ

with you.30

Description is the pattern used to convey what you have sensed,

what you have seen, heard, smelled, felt, tasted. Description is more than a

visual account, and certainly it must not be limited to black and white.

Description must be in living color, like narative, description has a

predictable pattern. You may start on the left and work to the right, or

from the center outward, or from front to rear, but in any case you owe it

to your reader to keep his or her position clear. Description must follow

some kind of spatial pattern, usually its point of view and perspective are

clear.

When Ernest Hemingway, for instance described a bullring in

Barcelona, he was clearly spectator – first walking through the noisy

crowd, and smelling the air redolent with food smells, then entering the

30 Charlotte Miller. Gwen brewer, with Andrea White,Lila Fink, Phyllis Levy.Choices, A Text for Writing and Reading, (Northridge: Little, Brown and Company Boston Toronto, 1983 ), p. 41-42

20

stadium and panning the scene – the color sounds, smells, and even the

feel of excitement.31

There are general features in descriptive text, they are:

a. Communicative Purpose

To describe a particular person, place, or thing

b. Generic Structures

1) Identification, to identify the phenomenon will describe

2) Description; to describe the items, the qualities, subject features,

whole attitude, and adjectives.

c. Linguistic Features

Focus on specific participant, for example my house, my cat, the

museum, extc.

Linguistic Features use:

1) Simple present tense.

2) Detaild noun phrase to inform about subject, for example: it

was a large open row boat, a sweet young lady, etc.

3) Have some characteristics; describing, numbering,

classifying, for examples: two strong legs, sharp white

fangs, etc.

4) Relating verbs to inform subject, for example; my mum is

really cool, it has very thick, etc.

5) Thinking verbs and feeling verb to express the writer’s self

opinion about subject, for example Police believe the

suspect is armed, I think it is a clever animal, etc

6) Action Verbs, for examples; our new puppy bites our shoes,

etc.

7) Adverbials to give more information about that behaviour

or attitude, example: fast, at the tree house, etc.

31 Harry H. Crosby - Duncan A. Carter, The Commited Writer Mastering Nonfiction Genres, (Boston: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1986) p. 7

21

8) Figurative language, like; simile, metafor, for example;

John is white as chalk, sat tight etc.32

2. The Role of the Description

Some works are heavily descriptive through hout while others are

more action-oriented. Some works begin with descriptive passages and

then move to scenes with much movement and dialog.

To help the students become aware of the role of description have

them go through the story marking descriptive passages. Quantitative

results may be given:

Story A: 5 page description 10 page action and dialog

Story B: 2 page description 16 page action and dialog

Story C: 7 page description 3 page action and dialog

The students could then list their impressions of three stories and

compare these to the quantitative analysis. Students usually prefer stories

with a low proportion of descriptive passages. The teacher could have the

students look at one story again and ask them how it would read if all the

description were eliminated. Would it still make sense? What role does the

description play? Are some parts essential, while other parts could be cut?

Which could be cut? A similar study might be done with chapters of a

longer work.33

3. Example and Structure Text

MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY

Identification

32 http://sharingblogweb.blogspot.com/ on February 4th 2008 at 5.50 p.m. Monday33 Edward David Allen, Classroom Techniques: Foreign Languages and English as a

Second Language, (The Ohio State University: Rebecca M. Vallete Boston College. Carcourt Brace Jovano Vich, Inc New York. 1972), p.122

22

Macquarie University is one of the largest universities in

australia. This year, in 2004, it celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Description

The university is located at the North Ryde Greenbelt,

sydney, where the New South Wales government sets aside 135

hectares for the institution. In 1964, Macquarie area was a rural

retreat on the city fringe, but today the campus and its surroundings

have evolved beyond recognition. The North Ryde District has

grown into a district of intensive occupation achored by a vibrant

and growing university.

Blesses with a fortunate location and room to breathe,

Macquarie can be proud of that careful planning that retains and

enrich the university’s most attractive natural features. A pleasing

balance between buildings and plating is evident across the

campus. The emphasis on the importance of landscape has created

images of Macquarie as a place that members of the university are

most likely to pleasurably recollect.

One of the highlights of the landscape is the Mars Creek

zone. It comprises landscaped creek sides and valley floor, a grass

amphitheatre, and artificial lake… surrounded by rocks and

pebbles, native plants and eucalypts.

Today, a railway station is under construction. In three

years1 time, Macquarie will be the only university in Australia

with a railway station on site. Macquarie is poised to be the most

readily accessible in Sidney region by rail and motorway, yet

retaining its beautiful site.34

4. The Structure of Description

When you set out to describe a person, an object, or a scene, you

have got to decide at the outset how you are going to arrange the details. 34 http://sharingblogweb.blogspot.com/, downloaded on February 04th 2008 at 05.50 p.m

Monday

23

Sometimes the natural contours of the objects, themselves suggest a way

of proceeding.

But often you will have to impose some sort of order on your

materials. The following selections illustrate a variety of pattern that you

might want to follow:

- Spatial Order: Dept

- Radiating Order: Moving Observer

- Dominant Image: Repetition

- Order of Memory: fantasy

- Order of Observations: Impressions

The first selection, by John Ruskin, displays an artistic grouping of

details in space. The total effect is that of depth perception. In the concread

selection, the observer first faces the seas and then turns completely

around to face the shore. The effect is that of lines radiating from the

observer to different parts of the opicture. The Dickens selection uses a

dominant images, the fog, as a way of organizing the description.

The repetition of the word fog, unifies the description and

procedures a dominant tone of dreariness quite obviously, not all

descriptions are organized in space and time. The selection from Ulysses

by James Joyce uses the order of memory, which is free from the

confinements of space and time. It avoid logic. Memory, of course, is the

voluntary calling to mind of past events. But this selection further

comlicated by the fact that the mode of writing is a fantasy. The images

therefore are bizarre, fanciful, hallucinatory, grotesque, whimsical, and

unreal. In the absence of the objects of perception, the mind invents

illusory images. Finally, the selection by Willa Cather uses no special

order except that of reporting to the reader the random impression received

in the way in which they strike the observer.

The foregoing selections are specific examples of description, in all

their concreteness. The paradigmatic structure of description, however,

may be illustrated as follows:

24

Paradigm 1 : Vertical Order (bottom to top, top to bottom)

Paradigm 2 : Horizontal Order (left to right, right to left)

Paradigm 3 : Dept order (inside, outside)

Paradigm 4 : Circular Order (clocwise, counter clockwise)35

a. Description of Person

In college writing, you will occasionally need to describe an

animate subject, such as a person, animal, or insect. For example, in a

biology class, it might be necessary to describe the Cro-Magnon human or

perhaps even a certain species of butterfly. In sociology class, it might be

necessary to describe a typical middle-class person. How would you

describe a person? Depending on the subject or assignment, you could

describe the person’s physical appearance, behavior or both.

You can describe a person’s appearance in many ways. You can

tell about the person’s style of clothing, manner of walking, color and style

of many facial appearance , body shape, and expression. You can also

describe the person’s way of talking. Just what you select to describe

depends on your topic and purpose. For example, how would you begin to

describe your girlfriend to your cousin? Her hair? Her eyes? Her voice?

Remember, you are the painter with words, so you want your

description to be vivid and coherent-logically arranged. So that your

cousin can envision the face of your girlfriend.

b. Description of Place

In describing a place for example a room, what should you

describe first? The walls? The Floor? Unlike a chronologically developed

paragraph, there is no set pattern for arranging sentences in descriptive

paragraph. It is not necessary to begin with one area and then proceed to

another one. Nevertheless, the sentences should not be randomly arranged.

The description must be organized so that the reader can vividly 35 . Edward David Allen, Classroom Techniques: Foreign Languages and English as a

Second Language, ……. p. 125-129

25

imagine the scene being described. To make the paragraph more

interesting, you can add a controlling idea that states an attitude or

impression about the place being described. And the arrangement of the

details in your description depend on your subject and purpose36.

In addition, the purpose of descriptive texts in Junior High School

are to describe current activities or events (running commentaries) and to

describe activities in the pictures. And the structure it’s for identification

and description and the language features are specific participants, the use

of present continuous tense and action verb.37

c. Describing A Scene or Person

When you describe something or someone, you give your readers a

picture in words. To make this “word picture” as vivid and real as

possible, you must observe and record specific details that appeal to your

readers’ senses (sigh, hearing, taste, smell and touch). It is also said by

Alice Oshima:

“Descriptive writing appeals to the senses, so it tells how

something looks, feels, smells, tastes, and / or sounds. A good description

is like a “word picture”; the reader can imagine the object, place or person

in his or her mind. A writer of a good description is like an artist who

paints a picture that can be “seen” clearly in the mind of the reader.”38

More than any other type of writing, adescriptive paragraph needs

sharp, colorful details. Here is a description in which only the sense of

sight is used:

“A rug covers the living-room floor”.

In contrast, here is a description rich in sense impressions:

36 Regina L. Smalley, Mary K. Ruetten, Refining Composition Skills/Rhetoric and Grammar……p69

37 Mukarto, Sujatmiko dkk, English On Sky For Junior High School Student Year VIII, (Based On KTSP 2006, Bandung: Erlangga, PT. Gelora Aksara Pratama 2007), p.19

38 Alice Oshima, Ann Hogue, Introduction to Academic Writing, Second Edition,(Longman: Addison Wesley, 1997), p. 50

26

A thick, reddish-brown shag rug is laid wall to wall across the

living-room floor. The long, curledfibers of the shag seem to whisper as

you walk through them in your bare feet, and when you squeeze your toes

into the deep covering, the soft fibers push back at you with a spongy

resilience.

Sense impressions include sight (thick, reddish-brown shag rug;

laid wall to wall; walk through them in your bare feet; sueeze your toes

into the deep covering; push back), hearing (whisper), and touch (bare

feet, soft fibers, spongy resilience).

The sharp, vivid images provided by the sensory details give us a

clear picture of the rug and enable us to share the writer’s experience.

In this section, you will be asked to describe person, place or thing

for your readers by using words rich in sensory details. To prepare for the

assignment, first read the three paragraphs ahead and then answer the

questions that follow.39

5. Prewriting of Descriptive Texts

These are prewriting of description text:

a) After choosing a topic, spend a few minutes making sure it will

work. Prepare a list of all the details you can think of that support planned

to describe a soccer player’s room made this list:

- Soccer balls

- Shin guards

- Posters of professional soccer teams

- Soccer trophies

- Shirt printed with team name and number

- Autographed soccer ball

- Medals and ribbons

- Photos of player’s own team

- Sports clippings39 John Langan, English Skills with Readings, Fifth Edition, Atlantic Cape Community

College, (Boston Burr Ridge: Mc Graw Hill Companies Inc, 2002), p. 243

27

- Radio that looks like soccer ball

- Soccer socks

- Soccer shorts

If you don’t have enough details, then choose another type of

person. Check your new choice with yourself to the topic.

b) You may want to use other prewriting techniques, such as

freewriting or questioning, to develop more details for your topic. As you

continue prewriting, keep the following in mind:

1. Everything in the paragraph should support your point. For example, if

you are writing about a soccer player’s room, every details should

serve to show that the person who live in that room plays and loves

soccer.

2. Description depends on the use of specific rather than general

descriptive words.

For example:

GENERAL SPECIFIC

Mess on the floor

The obscale course of science-fiction paperback,

a wristwatch, assorted CD cases, and the radio

with a wire coat hanger for an antenna

Ugly turtle tubLarge plastic tub of dirty, stagnant-looking water

containing a few motionless turtles

Bad smell

Unpleasent mixture of strong chemical

deodorizers, urine-soaked newspapers, and musty

sawdust

Nice skin Soft, velvety brown skin

Remember that you want your readers to experience the room

vividly. Your words should be as detailed as a clear photograph, giving

28

readers a real feel for the room. Appeal to as many senses as possible.

Most of your description will involve the sense of sight, but you may be

able to include detals about touch, hearing, and smell as well.

Spatial order is a good way to organize a descriptive paragraph.

More as a visitor’s eye might move around the room, from right to left or

from lanrger items to smaller ones. Here are a few transition words of the

sort that show spatial relationships.

To the left across from on the opposite side

To the right above nearby

Next to below

Such transitions will help prevent you - and your reader - from getting lost

as the description proceeds.

c) Before you write, see if you can make a scratch outline based on

your list. Here one possible outline of the paragraph about the soccer

player’s room. Note that the details are organized according to spatial

order – from the edges of the room in toward the center.

Topic Sentence: I could tell by looking at the room that a soccer player

lived there

1. Walls

2. Bookcase

3. Desk

4. Chair

5. Floor

d) Then proceed to write a first draft of your paragraph.40

Meanwhile, in promoting interaction with the text teachers should:

1. Provide a meaningful context by discussing in the classroom related

topics to aid with inferencing from the text;

2. Encourage students to learn words for the things they want to know

about

40 John Langan, English Skills with Readings, Fifth Edition……p. 249-251

29

3. Use the message of the text as a point of departure for discussion

rather than the syntactic features;

4. Develop meaning for the text cooperatively by using a problem-

solving approach whereby students offer a variety of answers that

require a great deal of inferencing;

5. Create a learning climate where students feel comfortable about

making mistakes and are therefore willing to venture

interpretations.41

41 Wilga M. Rivers, Interactive Language Teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987, p.74

30