AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENT WRITING ABILITY IN WRITING CAPTION TEXT AT THE TWELFTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMA NUSANTARA PALANGKA RAYA

One of the basic competencies that English learners had to have was writing text. The caption text was a descriptive text that provided a concise and imaginative interpretation of the described image.While a caption was a brief descriptive text, it nonetheless presented a unique set of challenges in accurately and effectively conveying the nuances of an image. This research, therefore, sought to elucidate the proficiency level of XII-grade students of SMA Nusantara Palangka Raya in the art of caption writing.
This research employed a qualitative descriptive methodology. Data were collected through the administration of an assignment requiring students to compose a caption comprising five images pertaining to the natural environment. Data analysis entailed the identification of caption writing skills aligning with the theoretical framework proposed by Grayam (2010) who stated that good caption consisted of Clarity, Conciseness, Relevancy, Context, and Attractiveness criteria. Afterwards the analysis of the data obtained, then discussing the data. The final step was drawing conclusions based on the results of data analysis and discussion.
The findings of this research suggested that average students demonstrated Excellent proficiency in the Clarity criteria, with scores reaching 100. Their performance in the Conciseness criteria was also commendable, attaining a Very Good level with a score of 80. Similarly, average students exhibited Excellent level in the Relevancy criteria, with a score of 85. However, their comprehension of Context criteria was merely satisfactory, attaining a Good level with a score of 50. Their understanding of Attractiveness criteria, on the other hand, was less developed, with a score of 20 indicating a Poor level of proficiency. The average level of students' abilities in all criteria assessed was Very Good with a score of 67.Although students' average ability for all indicators was at the Very Good level, it should be noted that the requirements for a good caption were a text that contained all five aspects, namely Clarity, Conciseness, Relevancy, Context, and Attractiveness, so it could be concluded that there were only four captions from two images that met the criteria of a good caption.