GENRE OF RECOUNT

I. INTRODUCTION
There are many activities or events that we did or happened in our lives. And some events or activities are very interesting to be told to others, for examples some of my friends ever saw the ghost at their houses. According to them those are their experiences which can be very impressive or unforgettable , or it can be our experience that sometimes really interesting to remember and it makes us want to share to others. To express past activities or past event both in written or spoken text , we need to know how to express in English context of communication which is called Recount . The purpose of recount is to tell past activities or past events , such as personal experience, history, biography or autobiography. And we would like to discuss further about the Genre Of Recount.

II. DISCUSSION
The genre of Recount is a type of text that is used to inform or to tell about the past events or past activities. Recount Text is written in Past Simple. It can be written from the first or the third persons point of view. First person means if the events happened to the person who writes the recount, it is called personal recount. And the third person is as the writer who tells other persons experiences. The writer becomes an observer who tells the story. We use connectives or sequence markers to tell the recount clearly in chronological orders. To arrange recount text we also have to know some generic or rhetorical structure which consist of : 1. Orientation In this step we decide or arrange the topic or event that will be told or informed to the readers. On this step, we try to attract or lead the readers to the topic or event that we are going to inform or to tell, so the readers will focus on the topic. 2. Record of Events On this step, we tell the past activities or events in detail and chronological order. It must be completed with the clear setting ( time and place ). 3. Re-orientation. The last step in arranging the recount text, we have to conclude the important things that we have told previously, so the readers will understand more or they notice clearly about the events that happened in chronological order.

The following examples of Recount Text are given in order to explain more about the genre of recount, :
Examples I

Vacation to London

Vacation to London Mr. Richards family was on vacation. They are Mr. and Mrs. Richard with two sons. They went to London. They saw their travel agent and booked their tickets. They went to the British Embassy to get visas to enter Britain. They had booked fourteen day tour. This includes travel and accommodation. They also included tours around London. They boarded a large Boeing flight. The flight was nearly fourteen hours. On the plane the cabin crews were very friendly. They gave them news paper and magazine to read. They gave them food and drink. There was a film for their entertainment. They had a very pleasant flight. They slept part of the way. On arrival at Heathrow Airport, they had to go to Customs and Immigration. The officers were pleasant. They checked the document carefully but their manners were very polite. Mr. Richard and his family collected their bags and went to London Welcome Desk. They arranged the transfer to a hotel. The hotel was a well-known four-star hotel. The room had perfect view of the park. The room had its own bathroom and toilet. Instead of keys for the room, they inserted a key card to open the door. On the third floor, there was a restaurant serving Asian and European food. They had variety of food. The two week in London went by fast. At the end of the 14-day, they were quite tired but they felt very happy.

 The Explanation By reading the above example of recount text above that was taken from internet ( google ), we can explain as follows :

The Orientation : The objective of recount text above is the writer tells the readers about someone exprerience ( Mr. Richards family ) who has vacation to London. The writer tells about the activites of Mr. Richards family on their vacation from the first departure until the they came back from London. The writer also tells about the impression of Mr. Richards family realated to their vacation to London.

Record of Events : The writer didnt tell the detailed activities happened ( when was the time). But the use of Past simple has explained clearly that the events already happened. And the use of sequence markers also explain that the writer has told the events in chronological order.

Reorientation : The writer finally made conclusion by telling the impression of Mr. Richards Family who was very happy to go to London for 14 days, eventhough they were all tired.

Examples II

Princess Diana Biography ( 1961 1997 )

Princess Diana

One of the woman I admire most is Diana Frances Spencer or mostly known as Lady Diana. She was a beautiful and smart princess of English kingdom. She was born in 1961. Diana Got married with Prince Charles in 1981, when she was at the young age of twenty-one and became a member of Britains Royal Family. Princess Diana has two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. She loved her sons very much, that was her reason to endure both from the pressure of living in Britains Royal Family. Princess Diana had a very good impression with her vitality charm and she liked doing some charity works by touching the lives of sick people and homeless people, such as in Africa or even Indonesia. She came to them with her warmth and humanity. People think that Princess Dianas life was tragic when she was finally killed by the car accident in France in 1991. Public were in deep compasion. She has passed away and burried in London.....But her kindness touches and inspires people to remind her forever.

 The Explanation : From the second example of recount text above, we would like to discuss more about recount text and compare the first and the second recounts. The orientation : Telling about someones bioghraphy is one of the example from recount text. On the example above, the writer is as the third one who tells about Dianas Biography that has very impressive life story as a princess of English Kingdom. The writer tells about the history of her life or the events that happened in her life with detailed time. Record of events : The biography of Princess Diana is told in detailed, it started from her time of birth until the time when she passed away by completing the important event that happened in her life. The writer also tells about the other informations that can complete and make her biography more interesting, such as ; the pressure of living in Britains Royal family. Reorientation : Finally, the writer made conclusion by the telling the feeling of people related to the tragedy which caused Lady Diana died and also the impression of people about Lady Diana. We can compare the first and second recount text above, as follows : 1). The first recount tells about someones experiences while the second recount tells about someones biography, eventhough both the recounts above have different objectives, but both of the texts tell about past events and were told by the third persons as the writers who told their observation about Mr. Richards family vacation and about The Biography of Princess Diana. 2). The first recount has unstated time signals and the sequence marker, but all events were arranged in chronologicaly order in past simple. So, the readers understand the story

has already happened clearly. But the second example of recount text is told with detailed time signals, so the readres can remember when the important happened. 3). Both the first and second examples have reorientation or conclusion that explain about the writersobservation related to the story they told.

III. CONCLUSION
From the discussion above, we can take conclusion as follows :

1). The objective of Recount text is used to tell about the activities or events that already happened in the past.

2). The examples of recount text are : - Story of writers experiences ( personal recount ) - Story about someones experiences that was told by the writer as a third person based on her / his observation. - Telling about someones biography. - Telling about history. - Diary

3). Recount text must be arranged in correct generic or rethorical structure that consist of : Orientation Record of events Reorientation We use past simple or sometimes present perfect tense to arrange recount text. We use connectors and sequence markers to arrange recount text to be in chronologically order. But sometimes, recount text used unstated sequence markers as long as the events or activities are clearly explained in chronologically order.

IV. TEACHING SUGGESTIONS As teachers especially SMA teachers, we have to understand how to teach recount text for both reading and writing skills in English teaching, the following suggestions can be used to teach recount text in integrated English Teaching ( Reading, writing and language components; grammar for past simple ) : Use recount text and ask students to read loudly and silently and check their comprehension by asking some questions realted to the text such as : - What is the topic about.? - When did it happen.? - Where did it happen.? - Who are the participants?.....etc Lead the students to understand about orientation, record of event and reorientation by discussing the content of each paragraph, then explain completely using the studentsresponses. Ask students to identify each sentences that are used past simple to express the event or activities that already happened in the recount text given. Then explain the form and the use of past simple by adopting two or three sentences from each paragraph. Ask students to identify the connector or sequence markers are maybe used in the text given, then explain the use of them. After the students understand the steps in arranging recount text, they can try to arrange recount text by giving :
1. Pictures which can be given on slides, then ask them to arrange in correct order based on the time time signals given on the pictures. Then ask them to arrange in as short composition based on the order of pictures. 2. The examples of Diary tell about the important or special events that already happened last week or several days ago. Then ask students to make their own diary. 3. The topics about telling their experiences, it can be sad, happy or unforgetable experiences. We can start ask the students to make the outline, draft , then we can check or revise their writing, so finally students can rewrite their recounts based on our revision. 7