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4. Learning involves active, conscious focus on and acting upon events outside
or inside the organism. 5.
Learning is relatively permanent but subject to forgetting. 6.
Learning involves some form of practice, perhaps reinforced practice. 7.
Learning is a chance in behavior. From the definition above, it can be concluded that learning is a process of
getting information and skill from some practices and study of something.
C. Vocabulary
Vocabulary is very important in both learning and teaching. Vocabulary is basic of language. Vocabulary can not be separated from learning language
because it is considered as a part of language. The first thing that is taught when learning language especially English is vocabulary. It means that vocabulary is a
key to communicate with others. According to Schmit, The most important part of learning foreign language is learning vocabular
y ” Schmit, 1997:2001. Me Charty said The biggest component of any language course is
vocabulary 1990: VIII. It means that vocabulary is one important thing when learning foreign language first, without vocabulary we cant improve the
knowledge about new words. Besides, vocabulary is very important to understand in learning material and comprehending text. According to Dellar H and Hocking
D, if you spend most of your time studying grammar, your English will not improve very much. You will see most improvement if you learn more words and
expressions. You can say very little with grammar, but you can say almost anything with words Shortly, it can be concluded that in learning language, we
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should have a lot of vocabulary, because without vocabulary it is difficult to express and to understand something.
Moreover, Coady and Hockin define The Vocabulary is central to language and critical importance to the typical language learner Coady and
Hockin, 1997:5. So it is obvious that vocabulary is an important component in English language teaching. It is also important to introduce English to the students
as a second language.
D. Teaching Vocabulary to Children
Teaching English for Elementary school is different from teaching English for Junior High school or Senior High school students. Students in elementary
school are children who are very active. Kerstin Klein in his book
Teaching Young Learners
1993:6 defines that teaching young learners is different from teaching adults. Children tend to change their mood every other minute and they
find it extremely difficult to sit still. On the other hand, they show a greater motivation than adults to do things that appeal to them. In teaching English to
children, the English teacher has to make interesting materials. The teacher should be creative in managing the classroom in order to make the class alive.
According to Wendy and Lisabeth H. Ytreberg, children have certain characteristics. Some characteristics of children are describing below:
1. They understand situations more quickly than they understand the language
used. 2.
Their own understanding comes through hands, eyes and ears. 3.
They are very logical- what you say first happened first.
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4. They are very short attention and concentration span.
5. Young children sometimes have difficulty in knowing what fact is and what
fiction is. 6.
Young children are often happy playing and working alone, but in the company of others.
7. Young children cannot decide for themselves what to learn.
8. Young children love to play, and learn best when they are enjoying
themselves. 9.
Young children are enthusiastic about learning. Wendy A. Scott and Lisbeth H. Ytreberg, 1990:2-3
In teaching English, it is important to know characteristics of the children. The basic concepts of the childrens in early age are formed. They also ask
questions all the time, so the children have great willing in learning language, because language is a tool of communication to express what they want to say and
what they feel.
E. Strategies in Teaching English Vocabulary
