“A list of words, usually arranged alphabetically and defined, explained or translated. A range of language,
the stock of words at a person‟s command, or used in a particular work, branch of a subject, language etc
”
2
. People has been supplied with language faculty since they were born,
they also have some words stored on their brain that heshe has got from herhis environment, especially from hisher mother, as a modal to make
interaction with others
3
, however, words always change and improve from time to time; some new words appear while some old words may be out of date,
people need enrich the storage of vocabulary to get along with the environment and its situation.
According to Hatch and Brown vocabulary is “a list or set of words for
a particular language or a list or set of word that individual speakers of language might use
”.
4
Every person must have vocabulary for communicating with others, it is a very significant element of language, with vocabulary heshe can express
their idea. Even though vocabulary does not always affect in the fluency of language, there are some language aspects that must be known and mastered by
learners, such as grammar, pronunciation, diction, and so on, vocabulary still becomes requirement for mastering a language.
2. Types of Vocabulary
Based on the people capability in implementing the vocabulary, Paul Nation mentions two types of vocabulary, those are:
a. “Receptive Vocabulary: Knowing a word involves being able to
recognize it when it is heard What is the sound like? or when it seen What does it look like? and having an expectation of what grammatical
pattern the word will occurrence. This includes being able to distinguish it from word with a similar form and being able to judge if the word form
sounds right or look right.
2
The New Lexicon Webster’s DictionaryDanbury: Lexicon Publication, Inc,1994,p.1101
3
Noam Chomsky. Aspect of The Theory of SintaxMassachusetts: The MIT Press,1965,p. 47
4
Evelyn Hatch and Cheryl Brown. Vocabulary, Semantic and Language Education Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,1995p.1
b. Productive Vocabulary: Knowing a word involves being able to pronounce the word, how to write and to spell it, how to use it in
grammatical pattern along with the word in usually collocates with it, it also involves not using the word too often if it is typically a low
frequency word and using it in a suitable situation using the word to stand for the meaning it represents and being able to think of suitable
substitutes for the word if there any
”.
5
Jo Ann Aeborsold and Mary Lee Field give another term for types of vocabulary:
a. “Active Vocabulary refers to items the learner can use appropriately in
speaking or writing and it is also called as productive vocabulary, although, in fact, it is more difficult to put into practice. It means that to
use the productive vocabulary, the students are supposed to know how to pronounce it well, they must know and be able to use grammar of the
language target, they are also hoped to familiar with collocation and understand the connotation meaning of the words. This type is often
used in speaking and writing skill.
b. Passive Vocabulary refers to a language items that can be recognized and understood in the context of reading or listening and also called as
receptive ”.
6
Nation uses the term of receptive and productive in explaining the types of vocabulary, meanwhile, Jo Ann Aeborsold and Mary Lee Field use the term
of active and passive. The writer can say that receptive or passive vocabulary is the word that
someone knows when it is heard or seen, shehe can mention the meaning of the word, and recognizes it when it appears in reading.
In contrast, productive or active vocabulary is the word that someone knows and shehe can apply it into sentence correctly, it is more difficult to put
into practice than receptive or passive one. It means, using productive vocabulary, shehe must know to pronounce the word well, be able to use
grammar, and be familiar with the collocation. From the explanation above, it is received that person with productive
or active vocabulary have better language capability than person with receptive or passive vocabulary, because knowing vocabulary is not only knowing the
5
ISP Nation, Teaching and Learning Language New York: New Burry house,1990,p.29
6
Jo Ann Aeborsold and Mary lee Field, From Reader to Reading Teacher New York:Cambridge University Pres,1977,p.139
