When we want to speak or write something in English, we always use the first word(s) to signal to the audience what the message is about. So in this case, first word(s) in speaking or writing is used to sign our sentence(s). In English, the first position in a clause contains textual meanings. Textual meaning is the meaning to organize our spoken / written text so that human make sense. Why do we have to analyze the text by using textual meaning? It is because when we use language we convey our meaning in spoken (phonology) or in written (graphology) so we have to analyze textual meaning to know what the kinds of text itself. To analyze textual meaning, we need a simple and distinct element of the textual meanings itself. The first element is theme and the rest of clause is rheme.

Theme is broadly speaking, what the clause is going to be about. And Rheme follows theme.
Theme represents ’this is what I am talking about’ and
Rheme represents ‘this is what I am saying about it’.

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1. DEFINITION, PARADIGM, AND THEORI
Action research is classroom-based research conducted by teachers in order to reflect upon and evolve their teaching. It is a systematic, documented inquiry into one aspect of teaching and learning in a specific classroom. (Conducting Action Research In The Foreign Language Classroom Northeast Conference 1998 New York, Ny Anna Uhl Chamot Sarah Barnhardt Susan Dirstine Materials Contributor: Jennifer Kevorkian)
Action Research is a rather simple set of ideas and techniques that can introduce you to the power of systematic reflection on your practice. (How To Do Action research In Your Classroom Lessons From The Teachers Network Leadership Institute, By Frances Rust And Christopher Clark)
Penelitian tindakan merupakan tindakan yang menekankan kepada kegiatan (tindakan) dengan mengujicobakan suatu ide ke dalam praktek atau situasi nyata dalam skala mikro, yang diharapkan kegiatan tersebut mampu memperbaiki dan meningkatkan kualitas proses belajar mengajar. Jenis-jenis penelitian tindakan antara lain : (1) Penelitian Tindakan Diagnostik; (2) Penelitian Tindakan Partisipasi; (3) Penelitian Tindakan Empiris; (4) Penelitian Tindakan Eksperimental (Penelitian Tindakan, by Hartoto, M.Pd.)
Ada beberapa jenis action research, dua di antaranya adalah individual action research dan collaborative action research (CAR). Jadi CAR bisa berarti dua hal, yaitu classroom action research dan collaborative action research; dua-duanya merujuk pada hal yang sama. Action research lebih bertujuan untuk memperbaiki kinerja, sifatnya kontekstual dan hasilnya tidak untuk digeneralisasi. Namun demikian hasil action research dapat saja diterapkan oleh orang lain yang mempunyai latar yang mirip dengan yang dimiliki peneliti. (http://akhmadsudrajat.wordpress.com)

Classroom action research (CAR) adalah action research yang dilaksanakan oleh guru di dalam kelas. Action research pada hakikatnya merupakan rangkaian “ riset-tindakan-riset-tindakan- yang dilakukan secara siklik, dalam rangka memecahkan masalah, sampai masalah itu terpecahkan. (http://akhmadsudrajat.wordpress.com)

Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK) atau disebut juga dengan Classroom Action Research (CAR) adalah penelitian tindakan yang dilakukan dengan tujuan memperbaiki mutu praktik pembelajaran di kelas. Tujuan utama PTK adalah untuk memecahkan permasalahan nyata yang terjadi di kelas dan meningkatkan kegiatan nyata Guru dalam pengembangan profesionalnya. (Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (Classroom Action Research) Salah Satu Bentuk Karya Tulis Ilmiah Untuk Pengembangan Profesi Guru, Oleh Susanto, S.H.I )

Our basic assumption is that you have within you the power to meet all the challenges of the teaching profession. Furthermore, you can meet these challenges without wearing yourself down to a nub. The only theories involved are the ideas that you already use to make sense of your experience. (How To Do Action Research In Your Classroom Lessons From The Teachers Network Leadership Institute, By Frances Rust And Christopher Clark)


2. THE SYNTHESIS
Well, after reading the material above,
Based on what we have read, Classroom Action Research has some components

So, Classroom Action Research is a research of an action happens in a classroom (educational situation) specifically about the problems during the teaching activities. It is related to the teacher as the subject of teaching process. The teacher can do this research by him/herself. But it also can be a collaborative one. The researcher's consideration is the teaching process' reflection then finding some problems so that can be solved by applying other strategies.
All of parts happen in a cycle. It means, after applying the new strategy then he/she can reflect it again then finding another strategy. By this research, the researcher can find the better way of teaching for repairing the teaching strategy and also improving his/her skill. Of course, for the teacher, it can develop his/her professionalism.


3. THE REVIEW

A. The Concept of Classroom Action Research
Classroom Action Research is a research that is done to the class components (teacher, students, teaching activities) to find the problems occur in the teaching and learning process so there will be the solution for repairing the educational system.
The problems taken by the researcher should be an apprehensive one and the researcher has the commitment to solve them. In doing classroom action research, the researcher should be consistent in paying attention to the ethics procedure that is related to his/her job.
Although a class is in the teacher's responsibility's coverage, but in doing the research he/she has to use classroom exceeding perspective, that is the problems are not just considered as a class' context or a certain lesson (micro scale), but they have to be considered as a school's perspective mission entirely (macro scale).

CAR uses action research's main concept that consists of 4 components :
1) Planning
2) Acting
3) Observing
4) Reflecting

Those four components are related each ther as a cylce.

planning is the first step the researcher has to do before doing something. The planning is expected to be futuristic and flexible to face some non-anticipated effects. By the planning, we can prepare to handle the troubles early. By a good planning, a researcher can be easier to face some problems and it will be more effective in doing research.

acting is an applying of the planning. It can be a teaching method applying that has a purpose to repair or complete a certain model. That action can be applied by the persons who are involved in the applying a teaching method which the result also will be used for completing in doing assignment.

observing is used to see and capture some influences caused by a classroom action. This observation's result is a basic of doing reflection so that the research should be able to show the real situation. In the observation, the researcher should take a note of the process of action, the action's effetcs, environment, and some troubles.

reflection consists of : analysis, synthesis, interpretation, explanation, and conclusion.
The reflection's result is having repairmen of the planning which has been done, and it can be used for repairing the teacher's performance in the future. Thereby, the action research can't be held in only one meeting because it needs more time to do the reflection's result as a planning for the cycle after.


B. The Types of Classroom Action research :
1) Diagnostic type
The research that leads the researcher to an action because there is a problem happens. e.g. there is a conflict between students in a class, etc.
2) Participant type
The research which the researcher is involved directly from start till final.
3) Empirical type
The research is done by a planning to take a note of the process and evaluate the process out of the class. So, the researcher should collaborate with the teacher who does the classroom action.
4) Experimental type
The research is done as the way of applying some techniques, methods, or strategies in the teaching and learning process effectively and efficiently.

C. Characteristics
The characteristics of Classroom Action Research are:
It is based on the situation and related to the diagnosis and a problem solving in a certain context.
It can be participatory –if the research is done in a group- so each person takes a part in the process of research.
It can be self evaluative. The researcher doing evaluation continuously to improve his/her professionalism.
The procedure of action research is on the spot that is designed to handle the concrete problem happens in that place.
Its result can be immediately applied and long range
It is supple and adaptive
It more emphasizes the process than the method.
It is done to solve the chronic problem, not the new identified one
The classroom action researcher is ideally the person who really knows about the problems happen. Therefore, a teacher can be a doctor who will cure a chronic ill through the best recipe.
It is done in a cycle – as written in the "planning principle" above –. In every new cycle, ideally there will be significant difference with the previous cycle. It means the cycle in the previous research is not effective enough to solve the problem faced by the researcher.
The reflection's result of the previous cycle is the basic for the next cycle for making re-planning.

D. Purpose and Significance
Generally, the purposes of Classroom Action Research are:
(1) Improving the quality, process, and result of the teaching and learning process in a school.
(2) Helping the teacher and another educational staff to solve the educational problem.
(3) Growing the teacher and another educational staff's professionalism.
(4) Improving the academic culture in the school environment to create an active attitude in repairing the educational quality continuously.

The significances of Classroom Action Research are :
a. Educational innovation
In the educational innovation, a teacher needs to try changing, developing, and improving his/her teaching style so that he/she can get a new teaching style which is appropriate for the students.

b. Curriculum development
For the curriculum development, CAR will be very helpful if it is used as one of the sources. The process will be influenced by some related ideas about education, knowledge, and teaching. CAR can help the teacher to understand more empirically, not only teoritically.

c. Teacher's professionalism development
A professional teacher will not be bored to do revolution in the teaching process based on the classroom condition. CAR is one of medias used by the teacher to understand what happens in a class. Then he/she begins to repair it professisonally. A professional teacher needs to see and examine the process happens in a class critically . by examining his/her own teaching process, then he/she does reflection and repairing. At last, the teacher will be more professional.


Sources :
- Conducting Action Research In The Foreign Language Classroom Northeast Conference 1998 New York, Ny Anna Uhl Chamot Sarah Barnhardt Susan Dirstine Materials Contributor: Jennifer Kevorkian
- How To Do Action research In Your Classroom Lessons From The Teachers Network Leadership Institute, By Frances Rust And Christopher Clark
- http://akhmadsudrajat.wordpress.com
- Penelitian Tindakan, by Hartoto, M.Pd.
- Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (Classroom Action Research) Salah Satu Bentuk Karya Tulis Ilmiah Untuk Pengembangan Profesi Guru, Oleh Susanto, S.H.I

Discourse Analysis

Persistent
I crossed the street to avoid meeting him, but he saw me and came running towards me. It was no use pretending that I had not seen him, so I waved to him. I never enjoy meeting Robert William because he never has anything to do. No matter how busy you are, he always insists on coming with you. I had to think of a way of preventing him from following me around all morning. However, it was difficult for me.
“Hullo, Robert,” I said. “Fancy meeting you here!”
“Hullo, Elizabeth,” He answered. “I was just wondering how to spend the morning – until I saw you. You are not busy doing anything, are you?
“No, not ø at all,” I answered ø. “I’m going to…”
“Would you mind my coming with you?” he asked ø, before I had finished speaking.
“Not ø at all,” I lied, “But I’m going to the dentist.”
“Well, I do too,” the persistent man answered ø. “There’s always plenty to read in the waiting room.”

Abc : cataphoric reference (Robert William)
Abc : cataphoric reference (Elizabeth)
Abc : anaphoric reference (Robert William)
Abc : anaphoric reference (Robert William)
It : anaphoric reference (preventing him from following me around all morning)
Abc : Superordinate
ø : ellipsis
a. I’m not busy
b. I answered his question
c. He asked to me
d. I don’t mind your coming with me
e. The persistent man answered my question
Because : causal conjunction
However : adversative conjunction
But : additive conjunction

The Explanation Text

A.Social Function
To explain the processes involved in the formation or working of natural or socio-cultural phenomena.

B.Generic Structure:
A general statement to position the reader
A sequenced explanation of why or how something occurs.

C.Language Features:
Focus on generic, non-human Participants
Use mainly of Material Processes and Relational Processes
Use mainly of Temporal and causal Circumstances and Conjunctions
Use of simple present tense
Some use of passive voice to get theme right.

The Venus’s fly trap
The United States of America is where the Venus’s fly trap has its origins. The Venus’s fly trap is a unique plant. It belongs to a group of plants called ‘carnivorous plants’. These plants feed on insect. The Venus’s fly trap has a special mechanism by which it traps its prey. This is how it works.
At the end of each leaf – which grows from the base of a long, flowering stalk – there is a trap. The trap is made up of two lobes and is covered with short, reddish hairs which are sensitive. There are teeth like structures around the edge of the lobes.
The trap contains nectar which attracts insect. When an insect comes in contact with the nectar, the trap snaps shut. There are certain digestive juices inside the trap which digest the insect. It takes about ten days for a trapped insect to be digested. We can tell when this digestion is complete, for then the walls automatically open to wait for another victim.
There are two hundred species of carnivorous plants. Another kind of these well- known species is the pitcher plant. What differentiates this plant from the Venus’s fly trap is the shape, the mechanism to catch insects is the same in both plants.
The pitcher plants which cling to other plants by means of tendrils. At one end of the tendril, there is a pitcher –shaped vessel with an open lid. The mouth and the lid of the pitcher contain glands which produce nectar to attract insect. When an insect settles on the nectar, the lid of the pitcher shuts traps its victim. The digestive juices inside the pitcher then begin to work.
Language Features:
Generic, non-human Participants
The united states The Venus’s fly trap The base of a long
The digestive The trap snaps The nectar
The lobes The insect The walls
The shape The pitcher plant The mechanism
The same in both plants The pitcher shuts The mouth
The tendril The edge The lid The trap

Material Processes Trap Grow Work Made Cover
Come Take Open Wait Catch
Cling Produce Shut Digest Settles

Relational Process. Is Has Belongs to Are

Temporal and causal Circumstances and Conjunctions
And When for then then

Use of simple present tense Is has belongs to feed Traps
works grows attracts comes Shut
digest takes open cling Contain
produce settles begin

Passive voice is made up is covered

OFFLINE LEARNING MATERIAL

The globalization which is wider now gives us more chance to access the information all over the world. This technological development also affects the education. The more popular way to get a source is the online learning material. But, beside the online learning material, the offline learning material now is still the most used by the students as the source in Academic Writing. Of course, in every case, it has advantages and disadvantages. They will be explained here.
From the first paragraph, we can see that the offline material is the opposite of the online material. It means the offline material is the material not connected to the internet browser. One of the advantages we can gain through offline learning material is the offline material usually more valid because the writer, the composer, the publisher, and the year are clear. So it is almost impossible if they give not valid information. Usually the offline material is recommended by the teacher, so that it is almost impossible for us to get the information which is not in line with the teacher’s explanation.
Besides, it also has some disadvantages. It is almost difficult for us as the students to get the information faster because the offline learning material such textbook and CD just can be gotten in a certain time. And it spends more costs than we just browse in the internet. While we are going to have a discussion, from the term offline, of course we need to meet the person that we want to do discussion with. For instance we need to go to the United States to do the discussion with the students there. It needs more costs to do.
We can learn more as what we need and based on our own achievement capacity. We all consider that people are not the same. There are some of them who are satisfied of what they got in the class. Besides, there are also some others who want to know more and more. And if they just use the offline learning material, they have to look for more. In another case, for them who are not understand enough about the material taught in the class, they need to look for more explanation from other sources that can help them to understand. Although there are so many books and other offline learning materials prepared in the library, usually they are not too interesting because we have to look for it one by one and it takes more time.
In conclusion, offline learning material has some advantages to support our study in Academic Writing. It is more valid than the online material. But in using the offline learning material, we need more time to look for it. We also need many costs to get it. But at last, whatever kind of learning material we use, the most important think is the want to gain more information whether it is from the online or offline learning material.

ONLINE LEARNING MATERIAL

By the time, the globalization affects so many aspects in this world. One of them is the development of technology. It has some benefits which can help us doing our task easier. It opens the world wider than before. It gives us more chance to access the information all over the world. This technological development also affects the education. Computer is not only used as the type writer but also can be used as the online learning material. Of course, in every case, it has advantages and disadvantages. They will be explained here.
There are so many advantages we can gain through online learning material. One of the advantages is we as the students are easier to get the information faster than before. As we know, the print out such books or newspaper just can be gotten in a certain time. By the technological support, the students have not to wait anymore to get the source to write an essay. We can access the information we need every time we want. Some schools and public areas are now supported by the wireless network. So, in every time, we can open our mind by browsing more information which is not limited in our school even our country. We can discuss with the students of the United States without going to US. It can enrich our referential theory not only stuck in one book but also from another world’s expert without need more money to buy.
We can learn more as what we need and based on our own achievement capacity. We all consider that people are not the same. There are some of them who are satisfied of what they got in the class. Besides, there are also some others who want to know more and more. And by the online learning material, we can browse more as fast as possible. In another case, for who are not understand enough about the material taught in the class, they can look for more explanation from other sources that can help them to understand through the online material.
Besides, the online material also has some disadvantages. One of them is not all the sources are valid. This is because all the people can write anything in the internet while no one knows who they are. Some of the students usually do this error. They just browse from the internet without considering who the writer is. It can give the students the material which is not in line with the teachers’ explanation.
At last, I can conclude that online learning material can give us so many advantages to support our study. It is easier, faster, and cheaper than the offline material. It gives us a chance to open our mind wider than before. But in browsing the online learning material, we should be careful because there are some not valid sources. Therefore, we should be smart in using this kind of learning material so that we will not be trapped by the not valid sources.

PORTFOLIO

The modern era is more challenging. Therefore, we need more preparation to face it and one of them is by having a recorder of what we have done in the past. For instance are a memory picture, note, etc. It goes to remind us about the past event. Lately, it is also applied in the educational system and in this term, it is applied in Academic Writing 1. We usually know it as Portfolio. Portfolio comes from the word “port” and “folio”. In a simple way, we can understand it as the place to gather the paper. In portfolio assignments, we can collect our paper of assignments over time. There are so many advantages of portfolio assignments applied in Academic Writing. Some of them are based on the learning improvement, and the teaching technique.
Portfolio gives us a significant impact for our learning improvement. It makes us collect all the assignments we have done over time. By examining that assignments compilation, we can measure how our achievement is. It shows us the improvement of our writing skill and knowledge time by time through the assignments we collect. For example, we still did the grammatical error in the first paper. Then we go to the second paper and conclude there is an improvement or not. In another way, we also can see the improvement about our ability in composing the sentences, paragraphs, and essays.
The next is based on the teaching technique. By examining the portfolio of the students, the teacher can measure how far the students’ achievement’s improvement so that the teacher can understand the way of the students’ learning. Then the teacher can evaluate the technique which is more appropriate to his students.
In conclusion, portfolio assignment is one of the good ways to be applied. It helps us more than just in one side. It can help us to measure the students’ achievement. Not only that, it also can help the teacher to understand the students’ learning style.