Improving the Eighth Grade Students’ Listening Comprehension Achievement Through Cartoon Video at SMPN 1 Sempu Banyuwangi in the 2009/2010 Academic Year

Abstract

In learning a new language especially English through listening skill, students of Junior high school often face many problems because there are so many differences between their own languages and the foreign language they learn, so it makes them stressed, bored and discouraged. In this case, the teacher should be able to create the atmosphere of relaxation, enjoyable, fun, and attractive. To support that condition, teacher may use media to make the students interested in learning English. One of media that can be used is video. Video can encourage students to be more actively involved in the teaching learning process and also it is able to entertain the students while they are learning the language. It can help students get the message easier by watching the visual information provided in the video. In this research the video used is cartoon animation entitled “Kung Fu Panda Animation”, it is chosen because a students love watching cartoon, so it can ease them learning the foreign language. This classroom action research was intended to improve the students’ listening comprehension achievement. There were two cycles in this classroom action research. In the first cycle, the action was teaching listening through Cartoon Video xiv scene 1-6. In the second cycle, the action was teaching listening through Cartoon Video scene 8-13. The Cartoon Video scene 7 and 14 are for the listening test. The research subjects were the grade VIII A students of SMPN 1 Sempu Banyuwangi in the 2009/2010 academic year. The data were collected from the results of observation, students listening test, interview and documentation. Observation and the students listening test, were analyzed quantitatively by using the percentage formula to find the percentage of the students, who were active in the listening activities, while interview and documentation were analyzed by describing them based on the real facts to know the students’ problem on listening. In the first cycle, the results of the action showed that the use of Cartoon Video in teaching listening could improve the students’ listening comprehension achievement for product achievement because there were 24 out of 31 students (77, 4%) in Cycle 1 achieved the standard score required by the school that is 65. From the results of observations, 23 out of 32 students (72%) in meeting 1 and 25 out of 32 students (78%) in meeting 2 were active in the teaching learning process. Both product and process evaluation have achieved the target. In spite of meet the target the researcher and the English teacher agreed to conduct Cycle 2 by revising some necessary aspects from Cycle 1, because there are weaknesses in Cycle 1. It was purpose to prove and to ensure the result of Cartoon Video in teaching listening could improve the students’ listening achievement