Vocabulary is one of the important aspects in learning English for improving communication skill. Without having enough vocabularies, communication will end up in unpleasant situation and make the students difficult to continue their sentences or ideas. Therefore it is highly essential for English teacher to help their students in mastering vocabulary as a basic element in learning English.
In some literatures, there are some definitions about vocabulary. According to Stell (2000:725), vocabulary is all the words that somebody knows or that are used in particular book, subject, etc: or all the words in a language. According to Nunan (2005:121), vocabulary is the collection of words that someone knows. Its means that the students can get vocabulary by word that they hear from other people. Moreover, Hiebert and Kamil (2005:3) add vocabulary is the knowledge of meanings of words. It means that the students know the meaning of word that they produce. For example, they not only know the meaning of word but also they must know what form and function of the word, like word “table” they do not
know the meaning of table but they also know the form of table, like table have four legs.
the speakers to communicate with other. It is very important for the students when they want to master English well.
1. Importance of Vocabulary
Mastering vocabulary is very important for the students who will learn English. It is important to consider, because vocabulary mastery plays an important role in process of achieving language. Rowen (2006:4) and Bintz (2011:44), vocabulary is important for successful second language and it is important to learn for comprehensible communication, without vocabulary the structures and functions unable to be used. It forms an opinion that the development of a rich vocabulary is an important element in learning a language.
who learns English or a certain language has to know or master the vocabulary.
From those statements, it can be realized that vocabulary is very important for the students because it is an essential aspect in language learning. Without having an extensive vocabulary, the students cannot skillfully use language.
2. Types of Vocabulary
Relating to the definition of vocabulary, it is important for us to know the types of vocabulary. There are two type of vocabularies namely receptive vocabulary and productive vocabulary (Hatch & Brown, 1995:370).
a. Receptive vocabulary
Receptive vocabulary is words which the learners recognize and understand when they occur in context, but cannot produce correctly. Receptive vocabulary recognize by the learners when they see in reading context. Receptive vocabulary is also called a passive process because the learners just receive thought from others.
b. Productive vocabulary
and writing competence related with the context. Productive vocabulary can be called as an active process, because in this process the learners are able to produce and express what they thought to others.
Vocabulary is a set of words that is used to communicate with people. According to Hatch and Brown (1995:218), words can be classified based on their functional categories and it is called part of speech. It includes noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, conjunction, and preposition.
In this study, learning vocabulary focuses on noun. Noun refers to places and things. According to Hatch and Brown (1995:219), noun can be divided into concrete noun and abstract noun. Concrete noun likes table, chair, book, and pen different from abstract noun likes hope, understanding, and love. However concrete noun is easier used in this technique than abstract noun. Whereas, prepositions are all those words that help to locate the items and actions in time and space ( Hatch and Brown, 1995:243).
3. Aspects of Vocabulary
In learning vocabulary, there are some aspects which can be learnt by the students. According to Lado (1972: 1) as cited in Mardianawati (2012: 11), the vocabulary aspects consist meaning, spelling, pronunciation, word classes, and word use.
a. Meaning
in different context. In order to discover the meaning, the teacher can use ways such as guided discovery, contextual guesswork and using dictionaries.
Guided discovery involves asking question or offering example that guides students to guess the meaning correctly. The meaning can be conveyed by using demonstration or pictures (using object, using gesture, blackboard drawing and pictures of book) and by verbal explanation (analytical definition, putting the new words in a defining context, and translating into another language) (Nations, 1990: 51 as cited in Kareem, 2000: 6). Involving students in discovering the meaning, it will be easy for students to remember the word and its meaning.
Contextual guesswork uses the context which the word appears to get an idea of the meaning, or in some cases, guess from the word. Word formation (prefixes and suffixes) can also help students to discover the meaning. Teacher can also help students using specific method and practice in contextual guesswork such as the understanding of discourse markers and identifying the function of word in the sentence (verb, adjective and noun).
b. Spelling
In learning vocabulary, spelling is important because it aids in reading and as the connector of sounds and letters. Spelling there may be different acceptable written forms for the same words within the same variety of English or most commonly, due to the fact that they belong to different varieties as happens with many British or American English terms (Nations, 1990: 51 as cited in Kareem, 2000: 6).
c. Pronunciation
Pronunciation is how words are pronounced. Pronunciation of word is not related to the spelling so it is difficult to be learnt. Good pronunciation helps receiver easier to understandable.
d. Word classes
In this study, the students would be encouraged to classify all of the vocabulary answered in noun refers to things or places. e. Word use
Word use is how a word, phrase, or concept is used in a language. Word use may also involve grammar and thus be the subject of profound analysis.
In this study, the students focus on learning two aspects of vocabulary, namely meaning and word classes. The reason for choosing those aspects is it is suitable for Hyponym that will be implemented in the class.
B. Hyponym
Food
meat fish fruit cereals
banana apple orange lemon
Part of a word meaning, therefore, concerns its relations with other words, not only in terms of antonym and synonym, but also in terms of how it fits into the vocabulary hierarchy.
Based on the explanation above, the writer concludes that Hyponym helps the students to describe thing more specific or words that are the specific examples of a general word, a „superordinate'.
1. Why use Hyponym?
Hyponym is an important study for at least two major reasons. One
of those reasons is that understanding Hyponym helps people define and differentiate many words used in everyday life. Another major reason for studying Hyponym is its usefulness in building a vocabulary. People use the concept of Hyponym to add words to their vocabulary.
understanding that can lead to make the communication among users of English clearer.
Hyponym as a medium to teach English especially vocabulary that
has a big function to perform. By using Hyponym the students will be facilitated in learning of English. In teaching Hyponym one a very positive of view for the following reasons:
a. Teaching Hyponym can help the students to understand one word in a hierarchy is the group name and the other are the numbers as shown in meaning relation.
b. Teaching Hyponym can help students retain subject matter, especially if the Hyponym reinforces the class material.
2. Teaching Vocabulary Through Hyponym
In common, teaching vocabulary through Hyponym has three point stages, they are:
a. Teacher writes down the theme that will be learn at the time on the whiteboard or power point slide.
b. Teacher asks the students about the thing that will be found based on the theme.
For example:
Parts of a House
Kitchen Bedroom Dining room Living room Garden
Based on the example above, the writer concludes that the process of gaining vocabulary is through mentioning specific points of a thing which is learned.
C. Basic Assumption
Based on the explanation above, the writer formulated the basic assumption as follows:
1. Application of Hyponym in teaching vocabulary can give stimulation to the students and it can increase as well as support achievement. 2. Application of Hyponym in teaching vocabulary helps the students
have a way to develop a word.
3. In teaching vocabulary needs technique and step to translate and understand the meaning. Hyponym expects to create it.
D. Hypothesis
