THE APPLICATION OF APPRAISAL SYSTEM IN IMPROVING THE ABILITY

OF WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT IN SMP N 1 SALATIGA

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements

for the Final-term examination of English

for Discourse Studies

PUTHUT PANDU WIJAYA

0203519027

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

GRADUATE PROGRAM UNIVERSITAS
NEGERI SEMARANG

2020

Abstract

This study aims to broaden the horizons of learning English to improve students' writing
skills, through the Appraisal System method in the learning process. This effort to
improve writing skills through the Appraisal System is expected to be an important part
of English language educators in building Language Awareness, especially how to build
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critical language studies, critical linguistics, or critical analysis (Fairclough, 1992: 2). By
conducting an Assessment System, hopefully there will be improving the writing skills
from students, and then it will lead to Language Literacy (LL) from students and the
community.

Keywords: appraisal system, writing skills, descriptive text.

Introduction

The development of English learning includes improving written and oral abilities which
include 4 language skills namely reading, writing, listening or listening, and speaking.
From some of the above language skills, it is necessary to develop and improve writing
skills for each student. Writing ability now is one of the most important parts in language
learning. Because writing will foster a spirit of critical thinking, especially in everyday
life.

Appraisal System as one of the ways that can be used to understand the contents of the
text in depth and comprehensively, how to reveal the hidden meanings or hidden
meanings of a text. (Martin and Rose, 2003: 22) stated ‘Appraisal is concerned with
evaluation - the kinds of attitudes that are negotiated in a text, the strength of the feelings
involved and the ways in which values are sourced and readers aligned.’

One way to understand text is to use appraisal system, namely assessment. Where
writing a text is not only written explicitly in the text but reveals an implied or hidden
meaning that is the meaning that does not appear on the surface, especially from the
aspect of the writer. The students often cannot write sentences in English properly. The
factors of that, there are the students don’t have enough vocabulary

In improving the process of learning English, one of them is by applying the

Appraisal System method in teaching writing to English subjects. In addition, it is also
necessary to examine more deeply about writing learning, teaching and learning activities
in English subjects, the role of the teacher, the role of students, and evaluation which are
considered more important parts of the teaching and learning process. Hopefully, the
Appraisal System Method can improve the ability in writing skills in descriptive text
specifically. Students can understand the context of the descriptive text correctly, can
choose the diction of descriptive text well and analyze the context of the text instead of
only write the text.
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Literature Review

Definition of Writing Description Text

Description is a type of writing that is related to an author to provide a detailed

object described. According to Keraf (1981: 93) The word description comes from the
Latin word describe which means to write about or expose a thing. Instead the word
description can be translated into description, which comes from the word
“perimemerikan” which means 'describe something'. Based on this description, Keraf
(1981: 93) argues that the description is a form of writing that is related to the efforts of
the writers to reveal the details of the object being discussed. Corresponding to that,
Kurniasari (2014: 141) explains that: Description contains experiences that are clearly
depicted. The experience can be in the form of an object. When reading and listening, it's
as if the reader or listener feels themselves like seeing, hearing, or touching. The
statement above shows the description text is the text that describes the objects associated
with sensing. This was confirmed by Parera (1987: 5), that description is a living and
influential form of writing. This essay relates to sensory experiences such as vision,
hearing, touch, smell, and feeling.

How to write a description text proposed by Semi (2007: 114). Describe

something in such a way that the reader is made able (as if feeling it, seeing, hearing or
experiencing) as perceived by the senses. Because it is based on the five senses, and the
details or description depends heavily on concrete imagery and details or specifications.
Based on the opinion above, it can be concluded that writing description text is the
process of describing objects, especially distant objects and cannot be presented to the
class. Because the object of the description text is in the form of a reality object, students
cannot just create themselves in mind.

Structure Framework Description Shinigami (2013), in Wikipedia explains that: The

structure of the description essay includes the identification, classification, and
description of parts. Identification contains the features, objects, signs, and so on in the
observed text. The classification contains groupings by type and group. Section
description contains an overview of the part in the text. Mahsun (2014: 45), the structure
of the description text is as follows.

a) Title

In the title, write a few words that represent the contents of the description text and the
object described.
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b) General description

In the chart general description is explained about the definition / identity of the object
described

c) Section description

In the section description, the classification of the object described is explained. The
classification is explained in more detail by giving clear pictures.

Based on the opinion of these experts, it can be concluded that description text structure
consists of title, general description, and section description.

d) Technical Description

The description technique according to Keraf (1981: 104-131), is as following.

(1) Realistic Approach

A realistic approach seeks to make the description he makes of the object being observed
it can be described as objectively as objectively in accordance with the real conditions
and can be seen.

(2) Impressionistic approach

Impressionistic approach is an approach that tries to describe something subjectively, but

even though it is subjective it does not mean that the author makes according to himself
without following the applicable rules.

(3) Approach according to the author's attitude

This approach that can be used is how the author's attitude towards the object described,
the writer can take one of the attitudes such as indifference, earnest, and careful, take an
ironic attitude and so forth.

Appraisal analysis

Appraisal analysis is used to interpret text critically, i.e. reveal or unmask the hidden
meaning or hidden meaning of a text. Assessment and how to read while understanding
the contents of the text appraisal system emphasizes the assessment or assessment of the
text from the point of the author of the text. The assessment includes assessments attitude,
amplifying attitude, and source of attitude.
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Attitude assessment

The assessment of attitude is divided into three main aspects, namely affect which
focuses the assessment on the expression of one's feelings or expressing feeling,
especially on the feelings of the text writer. The second is the assessment of judgment
aspects or the determination of one's character, while the third is on the aspect of
appreciation that is an assessment of something. As stated by Martin & Rose, they stated
that; Attitudes or evaluations can be divided into three types, depending on what is being
evaluated: we may evaluate people's feelings, people's character, or the value of things.
The resources for expressing feelings are referred to as affect, those for judging people 's
character as judgment, and those for valuing the worth of things as appreciation (Martin
& Rose, 2003: 24) so the attitude assessment focuses on how to read critically on the text
not only in terms of the sentence and text structure only, but how to read, understand, and
interpret the text from the standpoint of the author's text.
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1) Judgment

Assessment of one's character or people’s character judgment explicitly or implicitly can

be either positive or negative judgment (Martin & Rose, 2003: 28). Judgment in question
can be in the form of personal assessment or personal judgement (positive judgment or
negative judgment) and moral judgment or moral judgment (positive judgment or
negative judgment). Assessment positive personal or positive personal judgment is also
called admiration or admiration, while personal assessment negative or negative personal
judgment is also called criticism. Assessment the second is positive moral judgment or
positive moral judgment called praise or praise, while negative moral judgment or
negative moral judgment is called condemnation or punishment.

2) Appreciation

Appreciation of an object includes our attitude towards an object that we find around us,
such as TV shows, films, books, paintings, rums, public buildings, shows, games;
whatever we see or happens around us. As with affect and judgment, objects can be
appreciated positively or negatively.

3) Amplifying

When we think someone or something, sometimes we have a rating scale in our mind.
According to Martin and Rose (2003: 37), is that they are gradable, which means that we
can say how strongly we feel about someone or something. For example, when we want
to say someone is beautiful, we may place her beautifulness on a specific scale and rank it
from low to high depending how high is our rate on him. amplification facilitates the
students in describing the goods or people using

The writer believes that choosing judgment, application, and amplification is the
best for application that will be planned by the writer. Judgment is to facilitate the
students in describing the character of goods and people. Appreciation is to describe the
activity or event that will be described by the students. Amplification facilitates students
in describing something or people using affix and add students’ vocabulary.
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Application

Indonesia adopts the Curriculum system using Kurikulum 2013. The writer will use the
Kurikulum 2013 for the benchmark in teaching the students in SMP Negeri 1 Salatiga.
First of all, following Mahsun (2014: 45), the structure of the description text is as title,
general description, section description. The writer will provide descriptive text “Best
Friend” at the board or LCD. The writer will use of realistic approach on Keraf (1981:
104-131). Realistic approach seeks to make the description he makes of the object being
observed it can be described as objectively as objectively in accordance with the real
conditions and can be seen. Best friend means somebody who is so close to us. The
example we use as much as possible is related close with students to make it easier for
them. And when we tell things in ourselves, hopefully students will be more familiar with
us. The writer will describe what that person is like from physical, whether he is tall or
not, what skin color he has, does he have straight or curly hair, etc. then the writer will
describe the behavior and what we like about him. what he often does, he is like to play
game for example. And we can add few examples like “We always play game together.”
The writer at the next stage, will have the students telling the us the person who they like
the most. The students write the person in their book for 5 - 7 sentences minimum. The
students may use Bahasa Indonesia at first, then they must translate it in English. The
writer will ask the students to describe it. The students will describe it in English as they
can.

The writer will provide a table of options to make it easier for students to write
descriptive text. The table that will be provided refers to the appraisal system, there are
judgment, application, and amplification. The writer believes that choosing judgment,
application, and amplification is the best to make the students more understanding in
writing descriptive text in English.
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Judgement

Judgment in question can be in the form of personal assessment or personal

judgement (positive judgment or negative judgment) and moral judgment or moral
judgment (positive judgment or negative judgment).

Persona Normality Capacity Tenacity

l
Adimire/ Sociable Powerful Patient
positif Friendly Creative Diligent
Critizise/ Anti-social Weak Impatient
negative Hostile Not creative Lazy

Persona Veracity Propriety

l
Adimire/ Optimistic Docile
Honest Humble
positif
Critizise/ Pessimistic Rebellious
Two-faced Arrogant
negative

Appreciation

Appreciation of an object includes our attitude towards an object that we find

around us, such as TV shows, films, books, paintings, rums, public buildings, shows,
games; whatever we see or happens around us. As with affect and judgment, objects can
be appreciated positively or negatively.

Positive Negative
Amusing Boring
Humble Arrogant
Calm Angry
Cheerful Depressed
Good Bad
Patient Impatient
Honest Deceitful
Optimistic Pessimistic
Amplifying

According to Martin and Rose (2003: 37), is that they are gradable, which means
that we can say how strongly we feel about someone or something.

extremely beautiful
sharply beautiful high grading
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really beautiful
quite beautiful
fairly beautiful low grading
somewhat beautiful

The table above will be provided before the students write the descriptive text.
The writer will explain the points and how table word used to be implemented in writing
descriptive text. Keraf (1981: 93) argues that the description is a form of writing that is
related to the efforts of the writers to reveal the details of the object being discussed. The
writer provides simple words and easy to used.

Judgement appraisal words is used to describe the characteristics of person that

the students will be written. Appreciation appraisal words is used to describe what the
person often doing that want to describe by the students. And amplifying appraisal words
is to support the detail or specific characteristic and activities that will be explained by the
students in descriptive text.

Conclusion

The application provides the ways appraisal system used in junior high school
level. It also provides the idea how the appraisal system worked on writing ability in
descriptive text. The way used by the writer as much as possible is easily implemented in
junior high schools. But in the other side, the writer also admitted that this application is
far from perfect. The writer will be opened to know any suggestion and advice.

Finally, the writer hopes that the application provided before can help the teachers
to make them easy in teaching English specifically on writing skills in descriptive text.
The writer also hope that the students will improve their writing ability specifically in
descriptive text. the application provided hopefully will make the students more
interested in learning English.
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References

Chomsky, 1965. Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Fairclough, N.1992. Discourse and Social Change, Cambridge: Polity Press.

Fairclough, N. 1995. Critical Discourse Analysis, London: Longman Group UK Limited.

Halliday, M.A.K. and R. Hasan, 1985. Language, Context and Text: Aspects of Language
in Socialsemiotic Perspective. Victoria: Deakin University Press.

Martin, J.R. and D. Rose. 2003. Working With Discourse. London: Continuum.

Sinclair-de-Zwart, 1969. Developmental Psycholinguistics, Oxford: Oxford University

Press.