Problem Identification Problem Limitation Problem Formulation

B. Problem Identification

Learning a second language is important when learners are still young. It is in accordance with the ‘critical period’ theory which proposes that children learn a second language much easier than adults do Brown, 1987: 42. It refers to when people learn a second language or a foreign language before puberty, they will learn better. On the other hand, it will be more difficult to learn a second or a foreign language after puberty. In this study, the researcher utilizes a method namely Task-Based Learning to teach vocabulary for the second grade students of elementary school. Using the framework of Task-Based Learning, the researcher attempts to investigate the phenomena that are relevant to the study. Thus, Task-Based Learning for beginners and young learners is occupied in this study since the participants of this study are children.

C. Problem Limitation

Due to the available resources and time, this study is limited to the discussion on how the implementation of Task-Based Learning to teach vocabulary for children is and what the influential factors towards the implementation of Task-Based Learning to teach vocabulary for children are. The participants of this study are limited to the second grade students of Kanisius Notoyudan Elementary School. Since the participants of this study belong to the second grade of elementary school, they are categorized in the primary grade of elementary school Cole, 1956: 125. The second grade students PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI of elementary school are chosen as the participants of this study since they are young learners that enable them to learn words more quickly than to learn structure. Moreover, the emphasis of this study is on vocabulary rather than on structure since vocabulary is said to be the basic element of a language for them to learn Phillips, 1993: 163.

D. Problem Formulation

The research questions can be formulated as follows: 1. How is the possible implementation of Task- Based Learning to teach vocabulary for the second grade students of Kanisius Notoyudan elementary school? 2. What are the influential factors towards the implementation of Task-Based Learning to teach vocabulary for the second grade students of Kanisius Notoyudan elementary school?

E. Research Objectives