CHAPTER II THEORITICAL FOUNDATION A. Understanding of Reading Comprehension 1. Language Learning According to Oxford Leaner’s Dictionary, language is 1. System of communication in speech and writing used by people of a particular country; 2. Language is the use by human of a system of sounds and words to communicate; 3. Particular style of speaking or writing; 4. Ways of expressing ideas and feelings using movements, symbols ad sounds; 5. System of symbols and rules to operate a computer. So that, language is the main instrument to communicate with another and cannot be replaced by another way. And in another source, Hughes (1962: 6) defines that language as a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by which thought is conveyed from one human being to another. Every human beings who is then developing into a family, an ethnic group, and nation absolutely have their own language in which one another is absolutely different whether seen from the point of the way of pronouncing the words or seen from the point of the language rulers. Someone’s language acquisition, ethnic group, and nation will happen automatically by interaction or communication among the members of family or among the ethnic group of a country. 11 12 Then, according to Bojovic (2010; 128) language learning (language acquisition) is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language, as well as to produce and use words and sentences to communicate. Language learning is one of the quintessential human traits, because nonhumans do not communicate by using language. Language acquisition usually refers to first-language acquisition, which studies infants' acquisition of their native language. This is distinguished from second-language acquisition, which deals with the acquisition (in both children and adults) of additional languages. For example a newly baby born and at the age of 3 years old so, the baby will be a child and gets a native language from the members of a family especially, a mother so, he or she will be communicate with his or her members of family and members of a surrounding community. This is supposed to be a language learning process which is experienced by a child. The example above indicates that a child is able to communicate with his or her members of a family and members of a surrounding communicate because he or she is able to understand the language which is use. Such a child’s learning process of language should also be done by the students who are studying English at schools especially, at Senior High Schools. By such a learning process, the students of Senior High Schools are hoped that they will be able to use English although in a simple sentence. But in reality, most of students of Senior High Schools are not still able to use 13 English although in a simple sentence both they are still in the process of learning and teaching or graduating from the schools. Students who are learning English at school are obligated to learn from the basic lesson, such as; vocabulary building, reading, writing, listening and speaking. These basic components will be the main modal for learners to understand all English aspects. Even there are so many kinds of subjects in learning English, but when learners are able these basic components, they will easily learn in English in higher subject focus. Words are supposed to be someone’s basic components of thought and speech, the signs, and symbols to be expressed to someone else. So, he or she is able to communicate with someone also by using the appropriate words. In this case, he or she has the words power that makes him or her uses the language precisely and economically. In the activity of talking, someone will surely use words, phrase, and sentences to express his or her ideas, thoughts, and feelings to someone else. Knowledge about words or vocabulary is supposed to be the root of a language, besides of course the rules of language themselves. The limitation of knowledge about vocabulary will be obstacles for someone to communicate using an oral language, say, talking. In other words, words are supposed to be the power for someone to use a language as its own function namely, an instrument of communication. Language is the main instrument of communication. Extremely, language is the only instrument for human beings to communicate with the 14 other fellow human beings. The role of language in daily live is being premiere, because of its advantages. Language and human beings are not able to be separated each other such as body and soul. Therefore, language and human beings are one unity like body and soul. The writer has an opinion that language is meaningful sounds or groups of sounds produced by the organs of speech to express feelings, ideas, and thoughts of someone to others. 2. Reading The definitions of reading according to Oxford Learner’s Dictionary (2010; 356) is look at and understand something written or printed. In learning process we need to know then understand what we are reading, listening and speaking as well. And reading is the first method to get more vocabularies of these languages we are learning about. Then, Cambridge Advance Learner’s Dictionary (2008: 312) state that reading is 1. the skill or activity of getting information from books: 2. an occasion when something written, especially a work of literature, is spoken to an audience: 3. the way in which you understand something. There are four basic skills in learning English; reading, writing listening and speaking. All English learners must be mastering those four basic skills to improve their ability, also with students. Reading is very important for language learners, because by reading we are familiar with words, phrase, sentences, and paragraph of language we are learning. The importance of reading is representing in our elementary school study subject. There we 15 found that reading is the first study learnt by first grade of elementary school students. According to Bojovic (2010: 23) Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Like all language, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated. The reading process requires continuous practice, development, and refinement. In addition, reading requires creativity and critical analysis. English has been spoken by people from all over the world. Everyone knows about this famous language even though they can or can not practice in speaking or writing the language well. There are four skills which must be mastered by the students. They consist of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Writing is a productive skill. However it must be through a process which is not easy to get it through. Students need more attention when they learn the rules or the steps from writing form. Consumers of literature make ventures with each piece, innately deviating from literal words to create images that make sense to them in the unfamiliar places the texts describe. Because reading is such a complex process, it cannot be controlled or restricted to one or two interpretations. There are no concrete laws in reading, but rather allows readers an escape to 16 produce their own products introspectively. This promotes deep exploration of texts during interpretation. Readers use a variety of reading strategies to assist with decoding and comprehension. Readers may use context clues to identify the meaning of unknown words. Readers integrate the words they have read into their existing framework of knowledge or schema. Also according to Bojovic (2010: 65), there are several types and methods of reading, with differing rates that can be attained for each, for different kinds of material and purposes: a. Subvocalized reading combines sight reading with internal sounding of the words as if spoken. Advocates of speed reading claim it can be a bad habit that slows reading and comprehension, but other studies indicate the reverse, particularly with difficult texts. b. Speed reading is a collection of methods for increasing reading speed without an unacceptable reduction in comprehension or retention. Methods include skimming or the chunking of words in a body of text to increase the rate of reading. It is closely connected to speed learning. c. Proofreading is a kind of reading for the purpose of detecting typographical errors. One can learn to do it rapidly, and professional proofreaders typically acquire the ability to do so at high rates, faster for some kinds of material than for others, while they may largely suspend comprehension while doing so, except when needed to 17 select among several possible words that a suspected typographic error allows. d. Rereading is reading a book more than once. "One cannot read a book: one can only reread it," Vladimir Nabokov once said. A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research found re-reading offers mental health benefits because it allows for a more profound emotional connection and self-reflection, versus the first reading which is more focused on the events and plot. e. Structure-proposition-evaluation (SPE) method, popularized by Mortimer Adler in How to Read a Book, mainly for non-fiction treatise, in which one reads a writing in three passes: (1) for the structure of the work, which might be represented by an outline; (2) for the logical propositions made, organized into chains of inference; and (3) for evaluation of the merits of the arguments and conclusions.