WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Yesy Purnamasari
112007197
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Yesy Purnamasari
112007197
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
WACA
Su of the
_____________________ Prof.DR. Gusti Astika, M
CANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Yesy Purnamasari
112007197
Approved by:
____ _________________
M.A. Hendro Setiawan Hus _______
This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any other person except where due reference is made in the text.
Copyright@ 2012. Yesy Purnamasari and Prof.DR. Gusti Astika, M.A.
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature, Satya Wacana University, Salatiga.
1
Vocabulary Learning by English Department Students at Satya Wacana
Christian University
Yesy Purnamasari
Satya Wacana Christian University
Abstract
Vocabulary learning is one of the most important challenges that learners will face throughout language learning process. Vocabulary has been considered as important to language use in which lack of vocabulary knowledge of learners can lead to difficulties in learning. Furthermore, utilization of vocabulary learning strategies also affects students’ performance. So it was important to investigate the utilization of vocabulary learning strategies by learners. The general purpose of this study was to describe strategies used by students in learning vocabulary. Based on the purpose of this study, the method for this research was descriptive. A total of 50 English department students from different academic years responded to a 33-item vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire which was designed based on theory proposed by Stoffer (1995), Schmitt (2000), Grabe (2009). Finally the results showed the most frequently used strategies, such as learning for meaning, having the need to acquire new vocabulary, finding opportunities to use and practice the new words, memorizing the meaning of the words when there was a test, and uttering that the teacher assumed that lexical instruction was not important, therefore, the teaching of vocabulary was not popular (Nation, 1990). However, nowadays the significance of vocabulary and its significance in learning a language have become more accepted.
2 integration of various kinds of knowledge along with gaining different levels of ability to make use of that knowledge in communication.
One cannot read, write, or even speak the language without having enough knowledge of vocabulary (Searfoss, 1985). To be a successful English learner, it needs some efforts in increasing vocabularies. Cogan (2002) also adds that the limited number of vocabulary that someone has may cause him/her get into trouble in learning foreign language. Since he or she cannot get information well when he/she read or listen, and cannot express freely his/her concepts and ideas when he or she write and speak. However, acquiring a second language involves different areas such as motivation, learner’s need, learning environment, learning strategies and language awareness. It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore learning strategies especially in learning vocabulary. Learning strategies can help the second language learners become better learners also become independent and confident learners (Chamot, 1999). The particular strategies used by second language learners for the acquisition of new words in the second language are called “vocabulary learning strategies” (Gu, 1994).
3 can be acquired by using vocabulary learning strategies. Fan (2003) in his study adds that all vocabulary learning strategies are more or less connected to the following five steps of learning vocabulary in a foreign language which have been identified by Brown and Payne (1994): (1) having sources for encountering new words, (2) getting an obvious image, either visual or auditory, of the forms of the new words, (3) learning the meaning of the words, (4) making a strong memory connection between the forms and the meanings of the words, and (e) using the words.
Gu (2003) categorized second language vocabulary learning strategies as cognitive, meacognitive, memory and activation strategies. Fan (2003) who refined Gu (2003)’s classification, categorized vocabulary learning strategies into ‘primary category’ which contains dictionary strategies and guessing strategies as well as, ‘remembering category’ which integrates repetition, association, grouping, analysis and known words strategies. Schmitt (2000) classified vocabulary learning strategies based on Oxford (1990)’s language learning strategies taxonomy. According to this categorization, strategies are divided into determination, social, memory, cognitive, and metacognitive. Determination strategies aid learners to determine the meaning of words by using dictionary, guessing meaning, and identifying the parts of speech and constituent elements. Determination strategies can be called as individual learning strategies that help students to identify the meaning of new words without other’s help. In contrast, social strategy is used to determine the words definitions by asking native speaker, teachers/ tutors, classmates. Social strategy aid the learners to interact with other people and learn from each other. It can also be applied to stabilize information by speaking to native speakers or even language teachers outside the class.
4 their background knowledge to the new words. In these strategies, there are three groups: first, using images to create a strong connection with the vocabulary and its meaning. These images can be shaped in individual’s mind or drawn in notebooks. Second is using strategies to link vocabularies together to help retrieval of word. Using vocabulary knowledge aspects is the third group of memory strategies; it has function to stabilize the meaning of the word. Some examples of knowledge aspects are giving attention to the word’s phonological or orthographical form, memorizing affixes and roots, matching some words to their corresponding physical action, and learning the word class.
Repetition is one of the most common strategies in cognitive strategy by Schmitt (2000), Cognitive strategies deal with mechanical aspects of learning vocabulary and not deal with mental processing of the learners. For examples, highlighting new words, taking notes, making list of new words, using flashcards to record new words, putting English label on physical objects, keeping a vocabulary notebooks, and also writing the English words many times. Metacognitive strategies give learners opportunities to learn and record and review those experiences. In other words, metacognitive strategies are monitoring, decision making, and assessment of learner’s advance. They also help learners to specify suitable strategies in learning vocabulary. Some examples using English language media, studying new words many times, paying attention to other’s when speaking English, and skipping or passing the words.
5 strategies, visual, and strategies involving physical action, overcome anxiety and strategies used to organize words.
Grabe (2009) provided vocabulary learning techniques or ways for learners to learn vocabulary through direct instruction which promotes vocabulary learning. Some researchers in their studies Blachowicz & Miller (2000), de Groot & van Hell (2005) recommended these direct instruction has been shown to improve vocabulary learning such as; semantic mapping, attending glosses, experiencing multiple exposures to words, independent strategies, and raising awareness of words and motivation for learning include examine the learner’s awareness of words they encounter, their selection of words, their interest in learning words, and external motivation from teachers which support and motivate the learners in vocabulary learning (adopted from Grabe, 2009).
There is a wide range classification of different second language vocabulary learning strategies suggested by different researchers (Fan, 2003; Gu, 2003; Schmitt, 2000; Stoffer, 1995; Grabe, 2009). While a variety of vocabulary learning strategies explained above, in this present study employed some strategies that proposed by Schmitt, (2000), Stoffer, (1995), Grabe (2009). Strategies suggested by those different researchers were the basis for the current study.
6 learners’ interest in learning process. Gu and Johnson (1996) added the most successful learners were those who actively employed a wide range of vocabulary learning strategies.
One of the studies done by Laksmi (2007) investigated the strategies in learning vocabulary used by first year students of the English department SWCU. The results showed that most participants used the strategies mentioned in the study. Cognitive, metacognitive and social strategies were the most frequently used strategies and the least frequently used strategies were determination, affective strategies, etc. Another research on vocabulary strategies was done by Asgari (2010). His study explored vocabulary learning strategies used by a number of students in Putra Malaysia University. He found that most of the participants preferred to use various English language media, apply new English words in their daily speaking which related to memory strategies and metacognitive strategies. Those strategies were considered as popular strategies and the respondents were keen on using them. The interesting part from Asgari’s (2010) study was nobody in his study who mentioned that they learned words with the help of other students. In the study, He also emphasized on the importance of vocabulary learning strategies research to get better understanding on what strategies were employed by learners in acquiring vocabulary.
8
The Study
The method of this research was descriptive. It was aimed to identify the use of strategies in learning vocabulary by describing the nature or conditions of the present situation (Landman, 1988). The participants in this study were students majoring in English education at Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga. The participants of this study were 50 students selected randomly from different academic year; 10 students from year 2007, 10 students from year 2008, 10 students from year 2009, 10 students from year 2010, and 10 students from year 2011.
Addressing the preceding research questions, a vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire was created based on theory proposed by Grabe (2009); Stoffer (1995); Schmitt (2000) as a tool to figure out the vocabulary learning strategies used by English department learners. The questionnaire (see Appendix B) was a 33-item with 2 choices to answer that is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The 33- items questionnaire was administered in some English department classes, at the beginning of the class so the students could concentrate in filling out the questionnaire. In addition, the respondents were asked to provide personal information (age, years of studying the foreign language, and GPA). It took about 5 to 7 minutes and they were asked to answer honestly and were asked to collect the questionnaire after they finished filling it out.
The vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire measured five specific categories of vocabulary learning strategies (see Appendix A).
9 2. Self- motivation strategies (Stoffer, 1995), which focus on examining self motivation or individual motivation to learn or encounter vocabularies. These strategies are more on internal motivation and individual purposes or reasons to learn new words (e.g., having personal goals in learning new words, learning words for certain purposes, having necessities to learn new words, etc.)
3. Metacognitive strategies (Schmitt, 2000), include monitoring, decision making, and assessment of one’s advance. They can also help learners to specify suitable vocabulary learning strategies for learning new words. Specific examples include using English language media, studying new words many times, trying to use new words in speaking, etc.
4. Memory strategies (ibid), help learners to acquire the new words via mental processing by connecting their background knowledge to the new vocabularies. In other words, memory strategies are a number of techniques that learners apply to recall the word (e.g., memorizing affixes and roots, matching some words to their corresponding physical action, reviewing new words, etc.)
5. Social strategies (ibid), are strategies that can be used to determine the word definitions by asking teacher, classmates and native speakers. In other words, social strategies can encourage learners to interact with each other and learn from each other. They also can be used to stabilize information by speaking to native speakers or even language teachers outside the class.
10
Discussion
The aim of this chapter was to analyze the data gathered to answer the research question. The discussion of this chapter would be based on the five main strategies which were mentioned previously. Below were the percentages from each strategies of raising awareness, self motivation, metacognitive, memory strategies, and social strategies. The percentage of each strategy was obtained from calculating “YES” answer, divided by 50 and the results were multiplied by 100%. It was decided that strategies which would be considered as the most frequently used strategies were those which had the three highest percentage among other strategies. And strategies considered the least frequently used strategies were those which had the three lowest percentage between other strategies.
Figure 1: Raising awareness of words and motivation for learning
Figure 1 provides description statistics toward raising awareness and motivation strategies. From the total 11 strategies in raising awareness, there were the three most frequently used strategies. First, the majority of the participants (96%) sorted statement number 6 showing that they learned words in order to know the meaning. Second, another 86% of the participants stated that they learned words they were interested to know whether from teachers or other sources (statement 3). This result was congruent with the findings in
11 Blanco’s (2010) study in his investigation of raising awareness strategies used by 24 of participants majoring English language. In his study, most of participants stated that they learned words which interesting for them. Meanwhile, 86% of the students asserted that the teacher taught new vocabulary that the students needed to know (statement 8).
According to the data, there were 3 strategies that found as the least frequently used by the respondents. As much as 22% of the students stated statement number 9, in which they knew new words because their teacher taught them vocabulary from book as the main source. There were also 20% of the participants who mentioned that they learned words only from the exercise books given by their teacher (statement 4), Around 18% of the participants, who answered the questionnaire statement number 2, mentioned that they learned new vocabulary only from exercises books and they did not try to find other sources to learn new words
It could be concluded that most of the participants in this current research were aware of the words they had learned. According to Grabe (2009) second language learners need to be aware of the words they learned because it represents the important part in second language learning. According to data mostly students tended to learn words they wanted to know, they really paid attention to the new words taught by the teacher during their learning process. They aware of the words because they wanted to know the meaning and they could use the new words in their skills. The rest of the participants were not really aware of the words they learned. If the teacher taught them new words, they received new words without considering how important the words for them. They also learned new words only from the exercise books and did not choose or select new vocabularies in their learning
12 Figure 2 presents the utilization of self motivation strategies in learning vocabulary. From the data above, there were the three strategies considered as the most frequently used strategies for self motivation. First, almost all of the participants in the current strategies, (98%) stated that they had the need to acquire new vocabularies in mastering second language (statement 15), they also thought that comprehending new words was essential in the second language learning (statement 16). This result was consistent with findings in Liang Zhi’s (2010) study in which she investigated English vocabulary learning strategies for non English majors in independent college in China. In her study, she mentioned that strategy used for self motivation in which the participants think it was important to learn new words was considered as their primary choice. Meanwhile others 96% students voiced out that they were eager to acquire vocabularies in effective ways in order to make their learning easier and enjoyable (statement 17).
13 (statement 13). Meanwhile the rest of them (56%) were motivated because they wanted to get through or pass the test (statement 14). Some of participants showed that they tended to have low motivation to learn new vocabularies.
14
Figure 3 : Metacognitive strategy
15 The second strategies was 86% of the participants mentioned that instead of finding the opportunities to apply the words; they preferred to learn new words from other sources or English media to increase their knowledge of new English vocabularies. The media used such as English newspaper, English books, magazine, internet and also films or songs. The result of the current study was congruent with the results of Asgari (2010). He mentioned that using English language media was one of the most frequently strategies used by the participants. This result might be influenced by the development of technology which was becoming a major part of vocabulary learning and second language learning process. Then 70% of the participants mentioned that they learned new vocabularies every week (statement 20).
However, statements number 20, 18 &19 were the least preferable strategies employed by the participants. 70% of the respondents said that they often learned new words every week (statement 20). 40% of the students stated that they learned word not only from the class but continue actively to learn vocabulary through various media that could be used to add their knowledge of English words (statement 18), Moreover other students, 36% uttered that they learned new words everyday (statement 19).
16 They just received a limited vocabulary in their learning process. Hence these results found that there were two kinds of learners first was learners who able took control in their learning and learners who needed to be controlled by other people such as teachers.
Figure 4 : Memory strategy
Figure 4 indicates the use of memory strategies in mastering vocabulary. According to the result above, from the total of 5 strategies, the data showed 3 strategies that were used most frequently by the respondents. 94% of the participants mentioned that during learning new words, they memorized the meaning of the words or definition of the words when there was a test (statement 25). Meanwhile, the second strategies used mostly was statement number 27 mentioned that some students (82%) used their own technique to memorize or remember words they got, so they would not forget the words easier. In short, they were more comfortable to use their own ways to be able to remember new vocabularies. 74% of the respondents mentioned that they learned new words by memorizing the translation (statement 23).
17 62% of the respondents tried to memorize new vocabularies if there was a test in order to get good mark in their test (statement 24). 62% of the participants uttered that some of them reviewed the new words they got in class and tried to comprehend and memorize them (statement 26). This result was not consistent with findings in Laksmi’s (2007) study in which reviewing vocabulary strategy was considered as the primary choice with highest percentage. This present finding was also unlike the results of recent study conducted by Lo (2007) who studied the perceptions of low achieving Chinese EFL students about use of vocabulary learning strategies and its usefulness. In his study, the vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire (adopted from Kafipour, 2011) involved a list of 19 VLS which indicated the frequency. The results of Lo’s study showed that reviewing new vocabulary strategies as the most useful and the most frequently used strategies by respondents.
18
Figure 5 : Social strategy
19 words that they didn’t understand. In other words, they felt free to ask and discussed the complicated words with the teacher in order to get new input to increase their vocabulary comprehension. The study from Asgari (2010) was congruent with the current result in which Asking questions in class about unknown vocabulary was one of the most frequently used by the participants. However, this result was different from Kafipour’s (2011) study in which respondents preferred to learn new words individually and did not need social interaction.
Meanwhile there were three strategies were considered as the least preferable strategies used by the participants, such as statement number 33, 28 and 29. 66% of the respondents mentioned that the teacher gave suggestions to learn new words (statement 33). Several participants (54%) asserted statement number 28 in which they mastered vocabularies with the ways or technique that the teachers suggested to them and the rest 52% of the participants clarified that the teacher helped them individually to master and comprehend new vocabularies (statement 29).
20
Conclusion
This paper reports on a study intended to describe the vocabulary learning strategies used by English department students in their language learning process. As said by Grabe (2009) the awareness of new words that students learned represents an important learning goal. The success learners need to be aware of the words they encounter in text. The awareness of vocabulary showing by the participants in this study such as learning words in order to know the meaning, learning words that they wanted to know and learning words in order to know the meaning. The least frequently used strategies were learning words from their teacher, learning words from the exercise books and learning new words in the exercise books.
The participants in this study tended to have high motivation in learning new vocabulary. It was proven by the most frequently used strategies for self motivation such as having the need to learn new words, mentioning that it was important to know words, and wanting to know how to master new vocabulary effectively. This result was consistent with findings in Zhi Liang (2010) in which strategy used for self motivation about the importance to learn new words was considered as their primary choice. The least frequently used strategies for self motivation were learning new words when there was a test and also learning words in order to pass the test.
21 English words in their speaking. The least frequently used strategies were learning new vocabularies everyday and continuing to learn vocabulary outside the class.
The participants used memory strategies for specific and useful purposes. The participants also could be categorized as active learner. It was proven by the most frequently used strategies such as memorizing meaning of new words so they could use the words actively and using their own ways to remember meaning of the new words. The least frequently used strategies applied by the participants were trying to memorize meaning of new words when there was a test and reviewing new words they had learned. This result was not consistent with findings in Laksmi’s (2007) study in which reviewing vocabulary strategy was considered as their primary choice. This present finding was also unlike the results of recent qualitative study conducted by Lo (2007) in which the results showed that reviewing new vocabulary strategies as the most useful and the most frequently used strategies by respondents.
22 teacher suggested to them and also mentioning that the teachers help them individually to understand new vocabulary.
23
Acknowledgement
This thesis would not have been accomplished without supports from many people. Firstly, I thank to Jesus Christ for His blessing in every single moment of my life and also gave the best things for me. I thank to my family, thank you Monyi & Ponyi, you are the best thing that I have ever had in my life. My brother Tyngty, thank you so much for your suggestions. I acknowledge with profound gratitude to many people who have had constant supports to me to finish my study in Faculty of Language and Literature of SWCU. First, I thank to Prof.DR. Gusti Astika, M.A, my supervisor for his patience, guidance and assistance. Without his guidance, I would never have been able to finish my thesis. My best wishes in all of your endeavors. Next to Hendro Setiawan Husada, MA., my examiner thanks for her favor and patience in examining my thesis. Finally, thank you so much for being my best friends, Siput, Smoll and jejenk.
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