By:
SITI NURMELIYA BASKARANI NIM : 1112014000086
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENCES
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
2016
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Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2016.
Keywords: Teaching Vocabulary, Writing Test, Memorization.
The aim of this study is to know and describe the whole process in teaching English vocabulary at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta. The subject of this research is the English teacher. The method of this study was qualitative and case study design. The data collecting procedure are observation and interview. One teacher was observed during teaching in the classroom for eight meetings then the writer analyzed the data by adopted Matthew B. Miles and A. Michael Huberman pattern. There were three steps, cover data reduction, data display and verification/conclusion. The result of this study showed: (1) The material that teacher taught in teaching English vocabulary is about describing things. She used a textbook namely An English Course for Junior High School Students (2) MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta is applying scientific method in teaching English vocabulary. That method was suitable applied for teaching vocabulary at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta, it was proven by students’ achievement. Their ability in learning vocabulary was increased and they can pass the KKM score. (3) In teaching English vocabulary, the teacher used media. Based on the writer’s observation and students’ interview, there are some media that teacher used. They are picture and textbook. (4) The teacher used writing test and memorization in evaluating teaching vocabulary.
However, some students have low score for writing test and most of students have high score in memorization. Even though the teacher has explained the material well, the students’ achievement of writing text is still low, after seeing the result of the test, from 38 students only 17 students who passed the standardize score (75). It contrasting to students’ achievement of memorization, most of students passed the standardize score (75) and only 4 students did not. It can be concluded that students still stuck to expand their vocabulary in creating sentences, but they seems good in memorizing some words in learning vocabulary.
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Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2016.
Kata kunci : Mengajar Kosakata, Tes Tulis, Penghafalan.
Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui dan mendeskripsikan keseluruhan proses mengajar kosakata di kelas tujuh MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta. Subjek penelitian ini adalah guru bahasa Inggris. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode kualitatif dan pendekatan studi kasus. Cara pengambilan data ialah dengan pengamatan dan wawancara. Satu guru di amati dalam proses mengajar di kelas selama delapan kali pertemuan kemudian penulis menganalisa data dengan menggunakan pola dari Matthew B. Miles dan A. Michael Huberman. Ada tiga langkah: yaitu data reduksi, penyajian data, verifikasi/kesimpulan. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan: (1) Materi yang guru ajarkan di dalam belajar kosakata adalah tentang mendeskripsikan benda. Dia menggunakan buku “An English Course for Junior High School Students.” (2) MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta menggunakan metode ilmiah dalam belajar kosakata bahasa Inggris. Metode itu telah cocok digunakan untuk mengajar kosakata di kelas tujuh MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta, ini dibuktikan oleh pencapaian siswa. Kemampuan mereka dalam belajar kosakata telah meningkat dan mereka dapat melewati standarisasi nilai. (3) Dalam mengajar kosakata bahasa Inggris, guru menggunakan media. Menurut pengamatan penulis dan wawancara dengan siswa, ada beberapa media yang guru gunakan yaitu gambar dan buku pelajaran. (4) Guru menggunakan tes tulis dan penghafalan dalam mengevaluasi mengajar kosakata. Tetapi beberapa siswa masih mendapatkan nilai yang rendah untuk tes tulis dan hampir seluruh siswa mendapatkan nilai tinggi dalam penghafalan.
Walaupun guru telah menjelaskan materi dengan baik, nilai murid dalam tes tulis masih rendah. Setelah melihat hasil dari tes, dari 38 siswa hanya 17 siswa yang dapat lulus dari standarisasi nilai (75). Itu sangat berbeda dengan pencapaian siswa dari penghafalan, kebanyakan siswa dapat melewati standarisasi nilai (75) dan hanya 4 siswa tidak. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa siswa masih kesulitan dalam mengembangkan kosakata mereka dalam membuat kalimat tetapi mereka cukup baik dalam menghafal beberapa kata dalam belajar kosakata.
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permission to accomplish this research paper “Skripsi”. Peace and Salutation be upon the last prophet Muhammad, his family, his companion, and his followers.
This research paper is presented to Department of English Education, the Faculty of Educational Sciences State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Strata 1 in English Language Education.
The writer would like to express her special great honor and the deepest gratitude to her beloved parents H. Moch Afandi and Eka Yuliati, her brothers Faysal Rachmat Rubiyanto and Fauzan Ardhi Gustama, who always give big supports and moral encouragement to the writer to finish her study.
Next, the writer would like to express her gratitude an appreciation to her advisors, Dr. Alek, M.Pd., and Zaharil Anasy, M.Hum., for their valuable guidance, motivation, attention, correction, suggestion for completing of this research.
Furthermore, the writer would like to convey her sincere gratitude to:
1. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Thib Raya, M.A., the Dean of Faculty of Educational Sciences, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University.
2. Dr. Alek, M.Pd., the Head of Department of English Education.
3. Zaharil Anasy, M.Hum., the Secretary of Department of English Education.
4. All lecturers of Department of English Education, who have taught and educated the writer during her study in UIN Jakarta.
5. Siti Suryani, S.Pd., the English teacher at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta.
6. The principle, all teachers, staffs, and the students of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta.
7. The big family of PBI C 2012 who have accompanied the writer during the process of study with their big support and precious friendship.
8. Wisnuadi Sony Pradana, S.E., her beloved motivator who always give the writer support, motivation, and precious attention.
9. Her beloved foolish sisters Azizah Nurafni Rizky, Dinar Septiningrum, Nur Ariza, S.Pd., Rifqah Amalia, S.E., Bunga Putri Gustini, S.K.M., and Lorna Zelfa, S.Kom. who have accompanied the writer in every situation for almost 7 years with their precious friendship.
10. All people whose names cannot be mentioned one by one who always give support and pray to the writer.
The writer realizes that this skripsi is far from being perfect. Therefore, the writer would highly welcome any suggestions or critics to make this skripsi better.
Jakarta, October 19th, 2016
SNB
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... v
LIST OF APPENDICES ... vii
LIST OF TABLES ... viii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Identification of the Problem ... 4
C. Research Focus and Research Question ... 4
1. Research Focus ... 4
2. Research Question ... 4
D. Research Objective ... 5
E. The Significances of the Study ... 5
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ... 6
A. Teaching Learning Process... 6
1. The Meaning of Learning ... 6
2. The Factors May Affect the Success of Learning ... 7
B. Vocabulary ... 10
1. Definition of Vocabulary ... 10
2. Vocabulary Mastery ... 12
3. Definition of Vocabulary Mastery... 13
4. Kinds of Vocabulary... 14
5. The function of Vocabulary... 16
6. Importances of Learning Vocabulary ... 17
7. What Students Need to Know ... 18
8. Problem in Learning Vocabulary ... 19
9. How to Teach Vocabulary ... 19
10. Media in Teaching vocabulary ... 20
11. Technique in Teaching Vocabulary ... 21
12. Material in Teaching Vocabulary ... 23
C. Evaluation and Assessment ... 25
D. Previous Study ... 26
CHAPTER III RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY ... 28
A. Research Setting ... 28
1. Setting of Place ... 28
2. Setting of Time ... 28
B. Method and Design of Study ... 28
C. Participant ... 29
D. Data Collecting Procedure ... 29
E. Data Analysis Procedure ... 30
CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDING AND INTERPRETATION ... 32
A. Research Finding ... 32
1. Method of Teaching ... 31
2. The Instructional Material ... 35
3. Media in Teaching ... 35
4. Evaluation and Achievment ... 36
a. Evaluation ... 36
b. Students Achievment ... 37
B. Interpretation ... 40
1. Teacher’s Role and Instruction ... 41
2. Teaching and Learning Difficulties during the Lesson ... 42
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ... 43
A. Conclusion ... 43
B. Suggestion ... 44
REFERENCES ... 45
APPENDICES ... 47
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Appendix 3. The Observational Notes ... 61
Appendix 4. RPP ... 66
Appendix 5. English Core Competencies and Base Competencies ... 83
Appendix 6. English Syllabus for Seventh Grade Curriculum 2013 ... 86
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Table 4.3 Students’ Score in Writing Descriptive Text ... 36 Table 4.4 Students’ Score in Memorization ... 38
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of The Study
Vocabulary is one of the important aspects in teaching English language.
Another aspects should teacher know is to be creative and patient in finding, choosing, and simplifying the materials which make the students mastery the vocabulary.
Mastering vocabulary is not easy, moreover other aspects of the language are considered such as; sound, and structure.1 According to Harmer, when the grammar or the structure of one language plays role to build up the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary be the component that provide the vital organ and the flesh.”2 From this statement, we can conclude that vocabulary is the one item that has to be mastered in learning English, because we cannot speak the language well if we do not master it.
No matter how well we learn grammar, how successfully the sound of the foreign language is mastered, without words to express a wider range of meanings, communication in the foreign language cannot happen in any meaningful way.
Students need to master some basic of vocabularies to help them to understand the real life activities related language skills such as reading a text, writing essay, responding an exam question, and participating in class discussion.
However, there are many factors that make the students’ vocabulary is low. They came from the internal factor and the external one. The internal means factors from the inside of the students themselves such as motivation, interest, intelligence etc.
And the external is factors from the outside of the students that affect their learning
1Norbert Schmitt, Vocabulary in Language Teaching, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000), p. 1.
2Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, (New York: Longman publishing, 1991), p. 135.
process such as, learning materials, and teachers’ performance including their teaching strategy.
The problem is student commonly stuck in expanding their English. They tend to be silent while being asked several question in English rather than answering the question. Based on the descriptions above, that the more vocabularies students achieved the more undestandable the English language skill will be.
In developing vocabulary, English teacher should have innitiative to motivate students to make them more active and comprehend about basic vocabulary which crave to be mastered by students. Therefore, the technique of teaching and learning English vocabulary also crave to be maximized to get students’ vocabulary achievment improved in the teaching.
Good teachers should always plan carefully and thoroughly for every aspect of instruction from the first lesson of the first day to the last lesson of the last day.
They know what they are going to do, how they intend to do it, what they hope to achieve, what has been done. Good teaching does not just happen. It is a product of meticulous organization combined with solid knowledge of subject, an awareness of various methods and a through understanding of and liking for the students with whom the teacher works.
Teaching English as a foreign language is not similar to teaching of vernacular. We know English is different from other languages whether on the vocabulary, phonology, and structure system. Those have great deal of influence to Indonesian students in learning English. Developing student’s interest in learning vocabulary has always been one of the principal challenges for the teachers. In addition, to help students in mastering English, many teachers have used different methods and strategies for the same purpose, to understand, to learn and to remember vocabulary more easily.
In Indonesia, the usual technique to handle this problem is by supplying a list of words added with the definition of them, or allows the students to consult a
bilingual dictionary or teacher mentions the definition of every single word of the passage.
Technique are consider as the crucial element in delivering material design for learners and will be effective if it is made according to circumstances of the class.
Due to this fact, the English teacher in junior high school need theoritical bases on teaching and learning English language. Thus, teacher with good skills are needed to apply the technique of meaningful teaching and learning.
Moreover, strategies in teaching vocabulary usually help the students to memorize, and give the opportunity for students to self-assess their progress in learning vocabularies.3 The teacher is hoped to be smart to choose an approach and strategy of teaching that is suitable for the condition and the need of the learners, so the goal of teaching and learning can be achieved.
According to the writer’s experiences in MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta, most of students assumed that English is a difficult material. Their motivation in learning English also low, because the class situation is very boring. Some teachers also still use the old method in teaching vocabulary such as translation method. The teacher thought that the objective of learning English, especially vocabulary is just to make students understand about the meaning of words.
From the description above the writer chooses this study to examine the teaching of English vocabulary in enhancing the students’ English achievement especially on vocabulary achievement.
B.
Identification of the Problem
Based on the background above, there are many problems that can be identified in this research such as:
1. Students still confused in learning English because the teacher delivered a lot of materials in one meeting.
3Ibid., p. 3.
2. Teacher still used the old method in teaching English, especially teaching vocabulary.
3. It is boring activity in learning English.
4. Students commonly stuck in expanding their English because they have limited vocabulary.
C. Research Focus and Research Question 1. Research Focus
This research will be focused only in teaching English Vocabulary at the seventh grade of Mts Negeri 2 Jakarta.
2.
Research Question
According the background, the writer formulated the research question as follows:
1. What materials are taught at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta?
2. What method is used in teaching English vocabulary at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta?
3. How does the teacher use the media while teaching vocabulary at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta?
4. How does the teacher evaluate the students’ ability in learning vocabulary at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta?
D. Research Objective
The objective of this study is to know the whole process of teaching English vocabulary at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta.
E. The Significance of the Research
The result of this research were expected to give some significances go to:
1. For teacher
Hopefully the results of this study are useful for the English teacher at the seventh grade to get clearly information about how to conduct teaching vocabulary and can increase students’ ability in learning English.
2. For students
This research is hoped to be useful input for students to encourage them to master their English vocabulary.
3. For further researcher
This study can be the reference for researcher who are interested in doing research related to teaching English vocabulary.
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A. Teaching Learning Process
The most decisive activity in the successful implementation of curriculum is a learning process or learning activity. Learning is a process that must be taken by students, but basically it should be understood by teachers in its implementation, so that teachers can organize and guide the learning process in accordance with the rules for the effective learning.
Teaching learning are two concepts that cannot be separated from each other. Learning indicates what should be done by learner as a subject who receives lessons, while teaching indicates what should be done by the teacher to his/her student. Both concepts will be integrated in one even when the interaction between teacher and student occur during process of learning. It is called by learning as a process.
1. The Meaning of Learning
Most people identify learning by activities such as reading, writing, explaining, observing, listening, memorizing and so on. However, these activities are basically a learning understanding in the limits of methodical, which means that these activities are forms of learning methods. So, it is not the meaning of learning itself.
According to Jack C Richard and Schmidt Richard, learning is the process by which change in behavior, knowledge, skill etc, comes about through practice, instructions or experience and the result of such as process.1 From that definition, learning is an activity done by human being as an effort to get knowledge (cognitive), to create attitudes (affective), and to raise concept and skills (psychomotor) as a result of the interaction with the environment.
1 Jack C. Richards and Schmidt Richard, Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching &
Applied Linguistics, (New York: Pearson Educated Limited, 2002), p. 298.
2. The Factors May Affect the Success of Learning
The main duty of learners is to learn. The learners try to get knowledge, to create attitudes and to raise concept and skills. Some factors may affect how successfully a course is received by learners. The factors are:2
a. View of Learning
Learner enter a course with their own views of teaching and learning and these may not be identicial to those of their teachers. Therefore, what they see, feel, and expect about learning process may affect how successfully a course is received by learners.
b. Learning Styles
Learners have various ways of learning, because learners’ learning styles may be an important factor in the success of teaching. There are four different learner types in the population:
1) Concrete learners
These learners prefered learning in pairs, learning using media such as video, film, pictures and games.
2) Analytical learners
These learners liked studying grammar, English book, and studying alone, learning through reading newspaper.
3) Communicative learners
These learners liked learning English by hearing and by conversations.
4) Authority-oriented learners
These learners liked learning English by seeing their teacher explain material to them, then they writing it on their notebook, and learning to read.
Learning styles also divide into three categories according to Leaver, Ehrman, and shekhtman. They are:
1) Sensory Preference
Sensory preference refer to channels through which we percieve information which consists of visual, auditory, and motor modalities as minimum.
2 J. C. Richards, Curriculum Development, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press:
2001), p. 223.
2) Cognitive styles
Cognitive styles describe how the individual acquires knowledge and how and individual processess information.
3) Personality types
Personality types learning style that involves affective factors. For some people, one of these catagories may be more important than others. For other people, the catagories have more or less equal valance.
By the diversity of learners’ learning styles, it is important to teachers to know it. By knowing the styles of students, teachers can choose teaching methods and media that are appropriate for their students. In this case, teachers need to be more creative in varying methods in the terms of educational media selection.
Thus the differences in learning styles among students can be accommodated properly. Aside teacher, it is important to students to know their own learning styles. Therefore they can create the atmosphere they like. Thus, it is expected that motivation increase.
c. Motivation
Students will enjoy learning and will study the lesson seriously when they are motivated. They will attentively listen to what the teacher has explained, because they are confortable with such situation.3
Motivation to learn English that is internally driven is more powerful than externally driven motivation. There are some factors influencing learners’
motivation:4
a) The Status of English
It is usefulness percieved in school and after school. When the students think that English is not useful for them, they will be less motivated.
b) Past Learning Experience
Experience of success provide students with more power to persue a new goal. It allows language learners to understand the purpose of trying and have
3 Betty L. Leaver, Madeline Ehrman, Boris Shekthman, Achieving Success in Second Language Acquisition, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), pp. 67—80.
4 Clare Lavery, Language Assistant, (London: The British Council, 2001), p. 24.
pleasure in learning it. Students who have negative experience about English learning need to regain interest and faith in their ability to learn it.
c) Success and Reward
If students have successfully completed previous tasks and lessons and been praised for their achievment then they are more inclined to make an effort.
d) The Content of the Lesson
This must to inherently of interest to the age range. They need to be able to identify with the topic choosen.
e) Self-confidemce
Self-confidence provides learners with the motivation and energy to become possitive about their own learning. It also creates the drive in them to acquire the target language, enjoy the learning process. Some learners are dissapointed in making failure and some are very nervous about making mistakes, so it hampers their progress.
f) Length of Time Studying English
At the early stage of language learning everything is new and progress can seem rapid. This sense of achievement is lost or gets slower as the years pass.
This is one of the reasons why children in primary school seem so much more motivated than adolescents in upper secondary shool.
g) Lack of Challenge
To have a sense of progress and to create the feelings of effort that students associate with learning, we need to stretch them, e.g. do not tell learners something they can tell you, given a little guidance and encouragement. Help them to guess new words instead of jumping in with translation, or encourage them to try to correct their own mistakes on the basis of their knowledge.
h) A Sense of Difficulty
English learner can create a feeling that English is difficult language without realizing it. It is commen to hear students of their own language, ‘English is very difficult’, ‘Grammar is complicated’. More often than not these negative feelings have been induced by learning approaches which over emphasized difficulties and over-highlighted learners’ errors.
Motivation is vital in language learning. It makes language learners positive about their own learning. It also creates drive acquire target language and enjoy the learning process. Moreover, experience of success and satisfaction has a strong connection with motivation. By realizing their improvement and achievement, students always gain the feeling of success. In order for language students to become satisfied with the lesson, it is required to produce a stress-free classroom and develop integrated-tasks lesson. It is necessary that there is a trust between a teacher and students so that much communication in a target language is developed.
B.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is very important in English teaching and learning. If the learners do not know the meaning of the words, they will have the difficulty in understanding about what they see, read, and learn. Their vocabulary will increase if they read more words. This reason makes vocabulary very important; a bad vocabulary will cause bad understanding of a text.
Vocabulary has an important role in determining the successful achievement of each skill. Daily communication needs vocabulary. The more vocabulary the learners have, the more easily they will communicate and express what they want to say. The language skills that are listening, speaking, reading and writing always include vocabulary in their activities. By having a lot of vocabularies learner will easier to express or show their ideas, make a composition and many other activities dealing with language.
In conclusion, by knowing and understanding the vocabulary, learners successfully achieve the four language skills.
1. Definition of Vocabulary
Vocabulary is considered to be the main focus of learning a foreign language since there is a belief that learning a foreign language is similar to learning it’s vocabulary, in order to comprehend more about why vocabulary has
an important role in learning the language, it is better to look at the definition of the vocabulary first.
Webster’s dictionary defined vocabulary as follows: A list or collection of words and phrases usually alphabetically arranged and explained or defined, a sum or stock of words employed by a language group individual work or in relation to a subject: scope of language, and a list of a foreign language textbook of the words and phrases taught or used. 5
According to Hornby, vocabulary is:
a. All the words that a person knows or uses.
b.
All the words in a particular language.c.
The words that people use when they are talking about particular subject.d.
A list of words with their meaning, especially in a book for learning foreign language.6It is observed that this definition is different from the definition before.
The writer summarizes that vocabulary is all the words that a person knows and uses in a language with their meanings. In this definition the writer get complete meaning.
Knowledge of new words and new meaning keep increasing as we grow older and we are often very conscious of this growth and change. As we all may know, vocabulary is very important to improve our knowledge. We can find all information that we want by understanding our reading. As the English teachers, we can give our student some ways to make them interested in mastering their vocabulary. We do not much time just for looking up the difficult word in dictionary.
Schmitt Broadly defined, “We must consider what we mean by vocabulary. The first idea that probably springs to mind is words, a formulation that is admirably adequate for the layperson.”7
5Philip Babvock Gove, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, (Massachusetts:
Heinle Publisher, 1996), p. 2560.
6A. S. Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, Sixth Edition, (London: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 1447.
Acquiring vocabulary is a very important tool to master a language. It is impossible to learn a language without vocabulary, as Zimmerman said:
Vocabulary is central to language and of critical importance to the typical language learner.8
From the previous definitions above, it has come into the conclusion that vocabulary is a set of words known to a person or other entity, or that are parts of a specific language. Vocabulary gives a big even the biggest contribution in learning new language. However, learning vocabulary is not an easy thing especially. The students often face difficulties in memorizing and using the word in a sentence. That is why teachers should encourage themselves to be creative in selecting the approach and the method of teaching English in order to make it easier and fun in learning a new vocabulary.
2. Vocabulary Mastery
Vocabulary mastery is how the teachers teach a list of a word with their meanings, especially in a book for learning a foreign language to the students. By having and mastering it, we will know the meaning of vocabulary in the context.
It can also help to avoid making the mistakes in identifying a language with dictionary and guide us in making the equivalence of the second language to native language.
In relation to the importance of vocabulary second on foreign language learners need various strategies to improve their vocabulary in establishing the meaning of new words when they encounter them. There are 5 essential steps in vocabulary learning that are suggested by Hatch and Brown namely:9
a. Having sources for encountering new words.
b. Getting a clear image, either visual or auditory or both for the forms of the new words.
7Norbert Schmitt, Vocabulary in Language Teaching, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000), p. 1.
8Jack C. Richards and Willy A. Renandya, Methodology in Language Teaching, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2002), p. 255.
9Evelyn Hatch & Cheryl Brown, Vocabulary, Semantics and Languages Education, (Washington: America Educational Research Association, 1995), p. 373.
c. Learning the meaning of the words.
d. Making a strong memory connection between the forms and meanings of the words.
e. Using the words.
These steps would make learners easier in improving their vocabulary and make them more proficient in English.
Vocabulary teaching includes some of the most complex problems in the field of education. Vocabulary teaching is influenced by ideas on the nature of language in general, by ideas on the particular language being taught, and by ideas on how the language is learned.
According to Allen, three techniques can be used for teaching vocabulary:
1) Alphabetical order: Even for a list of new words, alphabetizing way is appropriate in helping students to find a word.
2) Showing the meaning of words through pictures, explanations in mothertongue, and definitions in simple English.
3) Drawing attention to meanings before drilling words.10
The characteristic of students is complex. So it makes the teacher difficult to engage with them. Before the teacher teach the students new word, they is hoped to understand the characteristic of their students. Teaching vocabulary through objects and actions, the teacher has to do a great deal of talking and acting in order to establish some link in learners’ mind between what is said and what is done.
3. Definition Vocabulary Mastery
Mastering vocabulary is the ability to get and receive a lot of words, by having and mastering it, we will know the meaning of vocabulary in the context it can also help to avoid making the mistakes in identifying a language with
10Virginia French Allen, Techniques in Teaching Vocabulary, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983), pp. 10—13.
dictionary and guide us in making the equivalence of the second language to native language, so that mean:
a. Helping us master kinds or levels of meaning. In mastering the kinds or levels of meaning such as the words with their lexical meaning are, they are by no means the only essential meaning in the symbols and devices of a language and also the lexical content the various words as listed and defined in a dictionary.11
b. Vocabularies find in a language, this is because the languages we use consist of vocabularies. Whatever else people may do when, they come together whether they play, flight, they talk; we live in a world of words.
c. Words can express our ability. When a person demonstrated his speech in front of the public, his word can bring ourselves to the other world, his ability in speech is well known all over the world, and that all start from word.
d. Vocabulary is involved in all aspects in student learning and that can improve their skill in English, whether in listening, in speaking, reading or writing.
Student cannot speak well if they do not know vocabulary, they also do not listen carefully if they do not know vocabulary, they may stuck in reading if they do not know vocabulary. So it is mean that vocabulary helps students to learn the language and improve it. In writing vocabulary function as a tool to express a successful learning, it shows a good feedback to the learning.12
From those can be conclude that vocabulary is involved in each aspects of our live, and that mean it is crucial to be acquire, especially when we talk.
4. Kinds of Vocabulary
Vocabulary is an essential component that links the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. There are many kinds of vocabulary made by the
11 Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman, An Introduction to Language, (Victoria: Holt Rineheart and Winston, Inc, 1974), p. 1.
12 Ibid., p. 23.
expert. Harmer distinguishes two kinds of vocabulary, there are active vocabulary and passive vocabulary.13
Active vocabulary is also called as the productive vocabulary. Learner more commonly use it appropriately in speaking and writing. Although when in practice, it seems more difficult to be carried out, but at least learner must know how to pronounce it appropriately, able use the words with good structure in target language. Vocabulary can be called as an Active Vocabulary when students have already learned it and they are expected to be able to use it properly.
Passive vocabulary is called as receptive vocabulary as well. It is words that commonly are uneasy to be recognized and understood in the context of listening and reading either by learners. The passive vocabulary refers to items that learners will propbably find it difficult or even not able to produce it and they only recognize it when they meet them. 14
In short active vocabulary is easier to use because probably someone has already learned it properly and practiced it a lot, while passive vocabulary will tend to be difficult to use.
Nation states, students may acquire vocabulary in two ways; direct and indirect learning. In direct learning, students do exercise and activities that focus on vocabulary, for instance: word building exercise, learning words in lists, and vocabulary games. While in indirect vocabulary learning, the learners’ attention is focused on some other features such as reading and listening activities.15 Whereas Hatch and Brown used the term of intentional learning and incidental learning for kids of vocabulary learning. The define intentional learning, “As being designed, planned for, or intended by teacher or students. While incidental learning as the type of learning that is byproduct of doing or learning something else”.16 In other words, intentional learning is particular intruction in the learning of words. While,
13Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, (London: Longman Group, 1993), p. 153.
14 Ibid., p. 159.
15I. S. P, Nation, Teaching Learning Vocabulary, (Boston: Heinle & Heonle Publisher, 1990), p. 2.
16E Hatch & Brown, Vocabulary, Semantics and Languages Education, (Washington:
America Educational Research Association, 1995), pp. 368 – 369.
indental vocabulary learning has focused on the vocabulary which is learn through reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
According to Elfrieda H. Hiebert and Michael L. Kamil, vocabulary is devided into three. There are oral vocabulary, print vocabulary, and productive vocabulary. Oral vocabulary means the set of words for which we know the meaning when we speak or read only. Print vocabulary, it consists of those words for which the meaning is known when we write or read only. Then productive vocabulary is the set of words that individual can use when writing or speaking.
They are words that are well-known, familiar, and used frequently.17
So, no matter how many experts classifying kinds of vocabulary, words are a part of language elements or language tools of communication which are used by person for showing and telling their opinion and ideas. And the writer concludes that the most important thing in learning vocabulary is the learner have to know vocabulary as many as possible in order to increase their ability in using the target language.
5. The function of vocabulary
Before discussing vocabulary function, first of all we should know the meaning of it. Vocabulary is total number of words which (with rules for combining them) make up a language, or (range of) words known to, or used by, a person, in trade, profession, etc.18
The word “use” has a meaning as the function or the advantage. So we can say that from the definition-above the vocabulary use is the function or the use of words which are used in language. It means that when we use words, we should know the function or the use of our words our vocabularies because it can guide us in understating the language which we learn.
Moreover, vocabulary is central to both the system and the use of language. The words that we pronounce write and organize into sentences and
17 Elfrieda H. Hiebert and Michael L. Kamil, Teaching and Learning Vocabulary;
Bringing Research to Practice, (London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005), p. 3.
18 A. S. Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, Sixth Edition, (London: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 1959.
other grammatical combinations. Words are also, what ordinary users think of as language. For, they are accessible and reflected more fully the whole culture and respond more quickly to changes in society than do other aspects of language.19
6. Importance of Learning Vocabulary
Vocabulary mastery is really important in learning English. Vocabulary, much more than grammar, is the key to students understanding what they hear and read in school and then communicating successfully with other people. Although their structure is low, if they master on vocabulary, it will make them better on their English skills. Recently methodologists and linguists emphasize and recommend teaching vocabulary because of its importance in language teaching.
Ur states “Vocabulary is the most important aspect of language to teach. You can understand a reading text and make your self understood with almost no grammar, but you can not get anywhere without vocabulary. It is more important than reading strategies for understanding a text. It is also the best single measure of proficiency.”20
Thornby quotes Wilkins’ statement that “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.”21 A good store of words is crucial for understanding and communication. A major aim of most teaching programs is to help students to gain a large vocabulary of useful words.
In every lesson, students have to introduce new words and practice them, making clear the meanings and the ways in which each can be used.
Furthermore, a good mastery of vocabulary helps the learners to express their ideas precisely. By having many stocks of word, learners will be able to comprehend the reading materials, catch other talking, give response, speak fluently and write some kind of topics. On the contrary, if the learners do not recognize the meaning of the words used by those who address them, they will be
19 Suzanne Romaine, The Cambridge History of the English Language, Vol. IV, (Cambridge: UK, 1998), p. 57.
20 Penny Ur, Teaching Vocabulary: Going Beyond the Textbook, Some Research-Based Fact about Vocabulary Teaching, 2009, p. 1.
21 Scott Thornbury, How to Teach Vocabulary, (Essex: Longman Pearson Education, 2002), p. 19.
unable to participate in conversation, unable to express some ideas, or unable to ask for information.
7. What Student Need to Know
Learning vocabulary is not more than just the meaning of words but also understanding the knowledge implied both in general and for certain words in particular. As stated in Harmer, writes some components of vocabulary that students need to know, they are:22
a. Meaning
The first thing to realize about vocabulary items is that they frequently have more than one meanings. The words ‘book’, for example, refers to a noun as something you see to read from, or as a thing to be read, but it s also has meaning as a verb.
b. Word use
Students need to recognize metaphorical language use and they need to know words collocate. They also need to understand what stylistic and topical contexts words and expressions occur in. for example, if you meet your friend on the strret you may say “Hi”, or “Hello”(informal term) but if you meet your teachers you should great them with formal espression, “Good Morning Sir”.
c. Word formation
Word formation means knowing how words are written and spoken, and knowing they can change their form. Students need to know how words are spelt, how they sound, the way words are stressed because the way the words are stressed can change when their grammatical function is different, like a word “present” as in a gift has different stress with the word “present” as in low.
d. Word grammar
Language learners also need to master grammar because the aim of language learning is preparing the learners to higher level of education. It can summarize
“Knowing a word”.
22 Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, (London: Longman Group, 1993), p. 156.
8. Problem in Learning Vocabulary
Learning vocabulary is not easy for students. Building up vocabulary is a complicated process, and one that takes a long time.23 There are a lot of problems that students face while they are learning vocabulary. One of the problem is well known. Students might get some difficulties in learning vocabulary. Some factors that often cause these problems are:
1. Pronounciation
Research shows that words are difficult to pronounce and more difficult to learn. Potentially difficult words will typically be those that contain sounds that are unfamiliar to some groups of learners.
2. Spelling
Words are containts silent letters are particulary problematic, such as listen, honor, foreign, honest, etc.
3. Grammar
Grammar associated with the words also problematic, especially if this differs from that of it is first language equivalent.
4. Meaning
When two words overlap in meaning, learners are likely to confuse them.24 Learning vocabulary seems to be one of the easiest things about learning a language, but it is also one of the hardest things to do. It is because learning vocabulary does not only learn about the meaning of word. When learning vocabulary, students will also learn about other aspects of word such as usage, pronunciation, grammatical, and so on. So it often makes difficulties for the students to comprehend the vocabulary.
9. How to Teach Vocabulary
Vocabulary is basic to communication. If people do not recognize the meaning of the key words used by those who address them, they will not be able
23 Ronald Carter, Vocabulary, Applies Linguistic Perspective Second Edition, (London:
Routledge, 1998), p. 184.
24 Scott Thornbury, How to Teach Vocabulary, (Middlesex: Longman, Pearson Education, 2002), pp. 27—28.
to participate in the conversation. If they want to express ideas or ask for information, they must be able to produce words to convey their meaning. Thus vocabulary learning is very crucial in developing competence in a second or foreign language.
Teaching vocabulary is clearly more than just presenting a new word. In teaching vocabulary, the teachers are hoped to have some technique in order to make students familiar with the vocabulary so that they understand new word easily. The techniques functions not only to help the students grasp the meaning of new words quite easily, but also to vary the teaching activity in order to avoid the boredom on the part of students.
10. Media in Teaching Vocabulary
Harmer mentions that the following aids can help to explain new vocabulary are:25
1) Realia
This is the word to refer the use of real objects in the classroom. Thus the words book, pencil, or chair, can be easily explained by showing students a book, a ruler, or a chalk. This is clearly satisfactory for certain single words, but the use of realia is limited to things that can be taken easily from the classroom.
2) Pictures
Pictures are clearly indispensable for the language teacher since they can be used in so many ways. Pictures can be used to explain the meaning of vocabulary items: the teacher can draw pens, rulers, pencils, and books inthe blackboard/whiteboard, or have magazines picture of trucks, bicycle, train, or bus onto cardboard. The teacher might bring in a wall picture showing three people in a room that could be used for introducing the meaning of the sentence, for instance: there are three people in the classroom.
3) Mime, action, and gesture
It is often impossible to explain the meaning of words or meaning either with realia or in picture. An action, in particular, is probably better explained by mime. Gesture is useful for explaining word like ‘from’, ‘to’, etc. or indicating
25 Harmer, op. cit., p. 161.
that the past is being talked about (the teacher gestures backwards over his/her shoulder).
4) Contrast
A visual element sometime may not be sufficient to explain meaning and contrast can be used. Thus, the meaning of “full” is better understood in the context of “empty”, “big” in the context of “small”, etc.
5) Enumeration
The word “vegetable” is difficult to be explained visually. However teacher rapidly lists (or enumerates) a number of vegetables, the meaning will become clear.
6) Explanation
Explaining the meaning of vocabulary items can be extremely difficult just as grammatical explanations. It will be important in giving such explanations to make sure that the explanations include information about when the item can be used. For example, it would be unsatisfactory just to say that “mate” is a word for
“friend” unless you point out that it is colloquial informal English and only be used in certain context.
7) Translation
For many years, translation went out of fashion and was considered as something of sin. Clearly, if the teacher is always translating, this will impede the students‟ learning since they want to hear and use the target language, not their own. Nevertheless, it seems silly not to translate if by doing so; a lot of time can be saved. If the students do not understand a word and the teacher cannot think how to explain it, he can quickly translate it.
11. Technique in Teaching Vocabulary
Base on Adrian Doff, the techniques in teaching vocabulary are:26 1) Say the word clearly and write it on the board
26 Adrian Doff, Teach English a Training Course for Teacher on Teacher’s Work Book, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988), p. 1.
2) Get the class repeat the word in chorus
3) Translate the word into students’ own language 4) Ask the students to translate the word
5) Draw a picture to show what the word means
6) Give an English example to show how the word is used 7) Ask a question using new word
From statement above the writer gives a little clarification that some basic techniques for showing the meaning of words are:
Writing noun words on the board: “pencil”, “table”, etc. Now the question is how the students can easily to understand meaning of the words? In this case many ways to explain about that, for example:
By showing the real object of pencil, table and etc.
By showing pictures. This way can be done by drawing picture of pencil or table on the board and by showing the picture of pencil, table which have been already prepared before (photograph).
Writing verb words on the board: “stand”, “dance”, “close”, etc. Now the question is how the students can easily to understand meaning of these words?
For this case teacher can not show the thing to students because this is not a noun, so teacher show the students by practicing or showing pictures that related to the words.
Writing adjective words on the board: “sad”, “happy”, “angry”, etc. Now the question is how the students can easily to understand meaning of these words?
In this case, teacher can use mime to show it or give the simple explanation like “someone is crying, she is sad”. Teacher also can use a picture to show the meaning of that word, for example picture of emoticon that can describe happy, sad, angry and etc.
From explanation above general points about presenting vocabulary is using real object, mime or picture. There are many kinds of techniques in presenting vocabulary to the learners such as mentioned above. The writer summarized that the way in teaching English vocabulary is depend on the teacher
to choose the best way in order to make students feel enjoy in learning process, because as a facilitator, a teacher has to be able to choose the right technique to teach vocabulary.
12. Material in teaching vocabulary
At the seventh grade, there are so many material that teacher taught.
Narrative text and descriptive text are some of text that teacher used in teaching vocabulary.
1. Descriptve text
a. Definition of descriptive text
Descriptive text is a text which describes something. According to Djuharie, he said that descriptive text is a text which describes and gives more detail information about particular people, thing, place and animal.27 It means that descriptive text tells the readers to know about something specifically by giving characteristic of something which described.
Meanwhile, according to Oshima, descriptive text tells about the senses how something looks, feels, smells, tastes, and sound.28
In sum up, descriptive text is a text which describes something and includes of the characteristic of something. It tells the readers with detail information that can help them to imagine and to describe in their mind about what the content of the text.
b. Purpose of descriptive text
Every text has own purpose. The purpose of descriptive text is to describe people, thing, place, and animal. It means that descriptive text wants to give the
27 Otong Setiawan Djuharie, Gendre Dilengkapi 700 Soal Uji Pemahaman, (Bandung:
Yrama Widya, 2007), p. 24.
28 Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Introduction to Academic Writing 3rd Edition, (New York: Pearson Longman, 2007), p. 61.
description of something. According to Anderson‟s statement, the purpose of descriptive text is to tell about subject by describing the characteristic without including personal opinions, the example of descriptive text are description of a particular building, description of a specific animal, description of a particular place, and description of a specific person.29
In sum up descriptive text has a purpose to describe a particular person, places, animals, and things that tells about their characteristics. Next, it helps the reader to imagine what the text is about.
c. Schematic structure of descriptive text
Generally, descriptive text has a schematic structure, there are:30Identification and Description.
2. Narrative text
a. Definition of narrative text
The narrative text type tells a story. Its purpose is to present a view of the world that entertains or informs the reader or listener.31
Mark and Kathy Anderson said that there are some examples of Narrative text that can be founded are: fantasy novels, bedtime stories, historical fiction, and stories.32
b. Schematic structure of narrative text
Narrative text has a schematic structure, there are: orientation, evaluation, complication, resolution and reorientation.33
c. Purpose of narrative text
The social function of narrative text is to amuse, entertain and to deal with actual or vicarious experience in different ways; narratives deal with problematic events which lead to a crisis or turning point of
29 Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English, (South Yarra:
Machmillan Education Australia, 1998), p. 26.
30 Djuharie, op. cit., p. 24.
31 Anderson, op. cit., p. 6.
32 Ibid., p. 7.
33 Ibid., p. 12.
some kind, which is in turn finds a resolution. It has the following characteristics.34Research has shown that narrative constitutes an important discursive resource used by speakers across a range of social contexts and setting to accomplish many different social functions. It is clearly the case that “narratives are highly portable discursive units”.
Stories can be told to entertain (jokes, folktales, anecdotes), to justify and explain (accounts, and descriptions of events), to instruct (the
‘cautionary’ tale, fables), and to establish social norms (gossip). But even more importantly, stories tell us who we are: they are central to our social and cultural identity.35
C. Evaluation and Assessment
Evaluation or assessment or test, must be conducted in the teaching- learning activities to know how well the students’ understanding about the materials which has given by the English teachers, as a general evaluation is the process of systematic information collecting through the numbers, verbal description, analysis and information interpretation to give a score to the students’
work result. As Muslich stated about (class evaluation): “Collecting process and using information by the teacher for giving decision of student learning result based on the step of learning progress.So, it can be gained profile of student’s ability with competency that fixed in curriculum.”36
According to Brown, assessment has two main categories, they are:37
Formative assessment : The teachers applied this assessment whn the have explained one or two chapters of the material and the students give the feedback to improve their abilty.
Summative assessment : In this assessment, the teachers give two types of test, middle test examination and final test examination.
34 Wido H. Toendan, Reading Comprehension 2, (Bandung: Global House Publications, 2009), p. 105.
35 Joanna Thorn borrow and Jennifer Coates, The Sociolinguistics of Narrative, (Amsterdam: John Benjamin Publishing Company, 2005), p.3.
36 Masnur Muslih, KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan), (Jakarta: Bumi Aksara, 2007), p. 78.
37 H. Douglas Brown, Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices, (Longman: Pearson Education, Inc, 2001), p. 6.
The essential purpose of formative assessment is to move students’
learning forward while their learning is still in the process of developing. It operates as a feedback loop in which both teachers and students can play active roles enabling learning by consistently working to build and consolidates student understanding and skill during the course of a lesson.
D. Previous Study
The writer has found two relevant studies which related to this research.
The first study is conducted by student’s of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta by the title “The Teaching of Vocabulary through communicative language teaching (A Case Study at The First Grade of SMU 1 Ciputat)” written by Erwan. The objective of this study are to know more about the teaching English in the class, and about the evaluation in the class. The techniques used to collect the data are observation, questionnaire, documentation.
From the research above, the writer finds some differences and similarities things with the writer study. The differences are on objective, place, time and the way he collect the data. The writer used observation and interview in this study to collect the data while the study above used observation, questionnaire and documentation. The similarity on this study is vocabulary as a material and method that the writer used.
The second study was conducted by M. Adrian. The student of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah has studied and analyzed Teaching vocabulary by using cooperative learning (An Experimental study at first year of SMP Darussalam Ciputat Tangerang Selatan). He has studied to find the empirical data whether or not there is significant difference between students’ score in learning vocabulary by using cooperative learning and by using grammar translation method. The conclusion that the Students Team achievement Division (STAD) in teaching vocabulary is really helpful in increasing the students’ ability and achievement in English vocabulary.
From the research above, the writer finds some differences and similarities things with the writer study. The differences are an objective, place, time, and method of the study. The objective of study above is to find the empirical data whether there is significant difference between students’ score in learning vocabulary by using cooperative and by using grammar translation method, while the writer’s objective is to know and describe the whole process of teaching English vocabulary. Then, the study above used quantitative method and an experimental approach while the writer used qualitative method and case study approach. The similarity is vocabulary as a material.
28
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METODOLOGY
A. Research Setting 1. Setting of Place
The place of the study was MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta. It is junior secondary school which located on Jalan RM. Kahfi I, Jalan Benda no.34 Ciganjur, Jakarta Selatan, Jakarta. The school was established in 1989 and has been operated since 1990. There are fifteen classes registered from grade VII to IX. English is taught as a compulsory subject. There are two meeting in a week with time allocation 80 minutes for each meeting.
2. Setting of Time
The study conducted at MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta from April 1st to May 6th , 2016. It consists of interview with the teacher and classroom observation in class 7.1. The first three weeks were used for classroom observation and the rest of the weeks were used for interview.
B. Method and Design of Study
This study employed the qualitative method with case study approach.
Qualitative method was choosen because this study aim at providing insight into the case of the teaching of English vocabulary at the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta.
According to Fraenkel and Wallen, case study is a qualitative study approach that studies a single individual, group, or important example to formulate interpretation to the specific case or to provide useful generalization.1 Therefore, the case study approach allowed the writer to study particular teachers in an attempt to understand the case of the teaching of English vocabulary.
1Jack C. Richards and Willy A. Renandya, How to design and Evaluate Research in Education: Seventh Edition, (New York: The McGraw-hill companies, 2009), p. 13.
C. Participant
The participant in this study is English teachers of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta.
The number of English teachers of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta are 4. The writer only took an English teacher who teach the seventh grade of MTs Negeri 2 Jakarta. The reason why the writer only took an English teacher because at the seventh grade, mastering vocabulary is become the main objective in study English while another teacher at the eighth grade teaching about tenses, text and dialog not vocabulary anymore. So, it is decided not to take whole participans in this study.
D. Data Collecting Procedure
To obtain the data the writer use two data collecting procedure . Since study is a case study, the writer use in-depth interview technique as a primary technique and then it is followed by the classroom observation for a validity check.
1. Interview
Interview is data collecting technique by way interviewing selected individual as a respondent. Furthemore, it is the direct face to face attempt to obtain the reliable and valid measures in the form of verbal respons of a respondent. According to Bungin, in-depth interview is a process to obtain information for the purpose of the research by face to face questioning between the interviewer and the informant, with or without the use of the interview guide.2
Before conducting interview, the writer observed the class in order to find the way teacher teach, teaching strategies, and also to know the condition of the class whether students understanding or students motivation in learning vocabulary.
Later on, one respondent was interviewed. The respondent was an English teacher at the seventh grade.
2. Observation
2 Burhan Bungin, PenelitianKualitatif, edidsi kedua, (Jakarta:Kencana Prenada Media Group, 2007), p. 111.
