15 understandable, since high school students were considered as intermediate English learners
and thus, there were a lot of unfamiliar vocabularies that they might meet in the text. Hence, to avoid mistake in order to understand the content of the text, they used dictionary to find the
meaning of unfamiliar words. Based on the finding, it can be said that the students often used guessing and
finding synonym when they dealt with new or unfamiliar words, topic, etc. These strategies would work well when the learners had to deal with context of a text, listening, or speaking.
According to Hismanoglu 2006, these strategies helped learners to create written or spoken expression in English, even though with limited knowledge. Thus, the learners were
encouraged to find another vocabulary or to make another phrase that had similar meaning, instead of depending on the dictionary.
4. Metacognitive Strategy
Oxford 1990 stated that metacognitive strategies were used for allowing learners to control their own learning through organizing, planning, and evaluating. For
example, linking new information with already known material, setting goals, objectives, and self monitoring.
According to the Figure 4, metacognitive strategy had a high percentage on the value
never
; 26 of students chose it. It mean only 74 of students used the strategies in this category to help them learning English.
Among the seven items in this category, there was one strategy which was used by all of the students. It was Q17 which stated, “I pay attention when someone is speaking
English.” This result, beside indicated the students’ interest to listen how people utter the English words, it also indicated that they were curious to use English for communication.
They paid attention when people talked using English, so they could understand the message. This strategy was easy to do, since the students would just listen t
o people’s speech. Then, if
16 they could understand the message, it could boost their confidence to use English. This would
keep them to use this strategy for learning English.
Figure 4. Average Use of Metacognitive Strategies
In contrast, Q18 I plan my schedule so I will have enough time to study English was only used by seventeen students or about 33 of the students. It proved that the use of an
organized learning by making schedule was not well-liked in SMA N 1 Ungaran. The students were likely to learn English without managing the time. In this case, it could be
because writing schedule was not applicable for them. The result of this study is in contrast with the statement by O’Malley and Chamot
1990 which revealed that in second language field, metacognitive strategy is widely used. This strategy can be used by managing the students’ own study. It means that the students in
this study did not manage their study concerning English subject. They tend to focus on their task and activity unconsciously.
5. Affective Strategy
