Computers and Classroom Atmosphere

30 learning vocabulary. One of the factors is that the tendency that teachers cannot ca ter the students’ learning preferences. In fact, as cited in Egbert and Hanson- Smith 1999, Dunn et al. 1995 found out that failing students could do better significantly when they were taught with strategies suited their learning preferences. Concerning the importance of vocabulary mastery for students, acquiring synonyms in English is also important in the acquisition. In this study, the researcher proposed a picture comparison interactive medium to be administered in learning activities. This research aims to investigate to what extent a picture comparison interactive medium can be a learning aid in fostering students’ in synonyms, especially near-synonyms. To conduct this study, the researcher implemented an experimental research to figure out the causality of a picture comparison interactive medium. The researcher adhered to the criteria and steps of true experimental research. In so doing, the researcher assigned the research subjects to control and experimental group then deliberately controlled and manipulated the conditions of every group Cohen et al., 2007. After that, the researcher could find out any effects of the treatments. The description of near-synonyms proposed by Lyons 1995 was used as a basis for the selection of the pairs of near-synonyms that would be the materials in the lesson. Fourteen pairs of near-synonyms were selected in this study. Those selected words were regarded as near-synonyms since they were more or less similar, but not identical in meaning. 31 Since the aim of the st udy was to measure the students’ mastery in near- synonyms after the implementation of certain treatments, the students were asked to do some tests. The tests required the students to choose between two synonymous words and determine which word was suitable to complete the sentences based on the context. The results of the tests were used to show the students’ level of mastery in using near-synonyms. Theories of visualizations proposed by Levie and Lentz 1982 and Levin et al. 1987 were used to identify how the presence of any illustrations in the implemented learning media. Then, the theory of dual coding by Paivio 1971 and multimedia by Mayer 2005 gave the elaboration of the influence from verbal and nonverbal information occurring in the learning medium. Theory of compare and contrast strategy proposed by Silver 2010 came as a basis to analyze why and how this kind of strategy gave certain impacts to the students’ mastery in near-synonyms. Further, the study of computer assisted language learning by Schofield 1995 and Holliday 1999 gave some views about how the computer use could bring certain atmosphere in the learning processes. All of the theories gave the basic views which were relevant to this research. Those theories helped the researcher to analyze any effect of a picture comparison interactive medium implementation. Then, it helped the researcher to answer the question of to what extent a picture comparison interactive medium can improve students’ mastery in near-synonyms. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI