Strengthening Students’ Narrative Writing Skills through the Grammar Translation Method (GTM) Using the ABCD Approach at MA Al Ihsan Beji

Abstract

This community service program aimed to improve the narrative writing skills of eleventh-grade students at MA Al-Ihsan Beji through the application of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach and the Grammar Translation Method (GTM). The program consisted of seven learning sessions, with three sessions specifically focused on narrative text enhancement, including the introduction of narrative structure and language features, deepening conceptual understanding, and guided independent writing practice. The program utilized students’ existing assets, particularly their basic grammar foundation from the AEDS program, and further developed their skills through structured and collaborative activities. The findings indicate that students demonstrated improved accuracy in using past tense forms, action verbs, and temporal conjunctions, as well as better organization of narrative sequences. Furthermore, GTM supported students in systematically translating ideas from Indonesian into English. Overall, the program successfully strengthened students’ writing ability, although additional reinforcement is still needed in developing descriptive vocabulary and creative narrative expression.