Background of The Study

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of The Study

Language is the most important element in communication. Human being could know each other by language. Recently, there is one language that has significant role in connecting every people in the world that is English language. United Nation as international organization uses English language as one of communication languages since it was held in 1945. The factors above are the reasons that English is studied in many levels. English Language becomes important to study. It could be seen that language has been learned in any levels of educational fields. For instance, in Indonesia, English language is taught from lowest level education into highest level universities. When English language becomes main subject in school, Learning English language is obligatory. Students should master the language to pass the National Examination Ujian Nasional. Beside that, students should face the challenge of National Curriculum target. They can use the language for communication if they master several factors. As we know as communicative competences. These are discourse competence, linguistic competence, actional competence, socio cultural competence and strategic competence. These competences are the curriculums in Indonesia for the language teaching and learning. Therefore, at least students should know the language from the basic element to master the language. They must master the vocabulary knowledge well to improve their language skill as a communicative language. In fact, the students do not master yet. It can be proven that the students of SMK YAPRI Cilandak at third year grade always ask the meaning of words. Students could not pronunciate the words well. Students could not make a simple sentence with correct structure. These are the signs that students do not master the language as well. These are indicated the vocabulary of students is low. In fact knowing a lot of words in a foreign language is very important. The more words you know, the better your chance to understanding or making yourself understood. 1 Without an extensive vocabulary and strategies for acquiring new vocabulary, students often achieve less than their potentials and may discourage from making use of language learning opportunities around them such as listening radio, listening to native speakers, using the language in different contexts, reading, or watching television…. 2 . As we know mastering vocabulary is not easy, yet other aspects of the language should be considered such as; sound and structure. Vocabulary is one of the most important elements in language. We could not speak the language well if we do not master it. No matter how well we learn grammar, how successfully the sound of a foreign language is mastered, without words to express a wider range of meanings, communication in the foreign language just could not happen in any meaningful way. 3 There are many factors that make the students’ vocabulary low. They came from the internal factors and the external one. The internal factors are from the inside of the students themselves such as motivation, interest, intelligence etc. And the external factors are from the outside of the students that affect their learning process such as economic background, learning materials, teachers’ performance including their teaching methods. Teaching method is the level which theory is put into practice and at which choices are made about particular skills to be taught. 4 Teaching methods could be assumed as the causal factors that cause the students’ vocabulary problem. It is 1 Julian Edge, Essentials of English Language Teaching, Singapore: Longman Singapore Publisher, 1993. p. 27 2 Jack C. Richards, Willy A. Renandya. Methodology in Language Teaching an Anthology of current Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2002}. p 255 3 A.M. Zaenuri, Vocabulary 1.2003. p. 1 4 Jack C. Richards, Theodore S. Rogers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching a description and analysis, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992, p. 15. implemented in teaching and learning. The better a teacher implements the methods the better result can be gotten. Before teachers teach in the classroom, they should prepare by the suitable method for teaching and learning activities. Finding suitable methods for implementing in the classroom are not easy. For example, Grammar translation method has dominated Europe in foreign language teaching since 1840’s until 1940’s. This method is implemented by teacher in SMK YAPRI now. It is one possibility that indicates the students’ vocabulary is low. Writing and reading form is superior to use in the method than speaking and listening. Teachers just teach the students lexically. All the meanings of words are translated by mother tongue language. Meanwhile the meaning of words is complicated. It depends on many factors. Situations and the discourse of the speakers affect how the meanings are. Then, there are direct method, communicative language teaching, total physical responses and natural approach which have been developed by scientist to find the better one for language teaching and learning even though these methods are rarely used by teachers in Indonesia. In teaching and learning process, what is important not only how much or how little teaching and learning are done in the classroom with the method, but also how active the students are in their leaning process. It has form the philosophy of learner-centered which is divided two focuses on the language process and the language content. In learning vocabulary, students can not develop their vocabulary if they depend on the teacher themselves. So active learning is needed to improve the vocabulary knowledge. One of the methods to drive active learning is collaborative learning activities. In collaborative learning activities, students generally work in groups two or more 5 . Collaborative learning could be called as an umbrella term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual efforts by students, or students and teacher together. Collaborative learning activities vary widely, but most 5 Mel Silberman, “Active Learning”, Boston: Ally and Bacon, 1996, p.5 center on students’ exploration or application of the course material. It is not only the teacher’s presentation. In line with, Collaborative learning appears as one of the promising learning concept offering some new views in learning a second language. Particularly collaborative learning give learner the opportunity to think for themselves, compare their thinking with others, make a small research project and investigates subject matter with other learner; it can encourage students to think logically based on their mind and their belief. Based on the theories mentioned above, the writer inspired to discuss the effectiveness of collaborative learning activities in teaching and learning vocabulary. How if Collaborative learning is used by teachers in English language teaching and learning and compared with grammar translation method. Therefore, in this ‘Skripsi’ the writer would like to use the collaborative learning in teaching vocabulary in order to know its effectiveness in teaching vocabulary. Based on the statement above, the topic that will be discussed by the writer is teaching vocabulary through collaborative learning method.

B. Limitation and Formulation of Problem