D. Previous Studies
Satihat has conducted the correlation research by the title “The Relationship between Students’ Vocabulary Mastery and Reading Comprehension
Achievement”. It conducted on 30 December 2007 till May 2008 at SMPN 10
Cilegon Banten. In which the sample were about 64 students of second grade of SMPN 10 Cilegon Banten. The objective of her research was to know the
correlation between vocabulary and reading of the students. She used test as instruments to collect data; the test was about vocabulary and reading. Then, the
test was done in two days, first day was vocabulary test and the second one was reading test by the time given of both test was about 60 minutes. To analyze the
data, she used Pearson Product Moment as formula. And the result of her research was
0,734; it means that there is positive correlation between student’s vocabulary and their reading. There are the similarity and the differences between this
research and the writer’s research. The similarity of this study is both of them concern on the correlation between vocabulary and reading comprehension. Then,
the instruments which was used also same, both of them used vocabulary and reading test as the instrument. Meanwhile, the differences of both studies are this
study concerns on all kind of reading text, but the writer’s study concern on
descriptive text only. In addition, this study was conducted on two days, and the sample had to answer the questions of both test in the different days; however the
writer’s study provided one day to give both tests for the samples. Later, Mezynski conducted the research
by the title “Issues Concerning the Acquisition of Knowledge: Effects of Vocabulary Training on Reading
Comprehension .” The objective of her research is to know about the effect of
vocabulary instruction on word learning and reading comprehension. She identified 8 studies. She designed the research by selecting words that would be
taught about 6-1800 words, setting the duration of time in teaching the students, and applying the method of teaching that she used such as using flash cards and
semantic associations. The result of her research is that all studies demonstrated gains in vocabulary knowledge for words taught, but only 4 of 8 studies that
demonstrated well of vocabulary instruction on comprehension of reading.
According to her, it can be concluded that lexical access seemed to be a critical factor in enhancing comprehension. Therefore, she promoted comprehension by
three factors; first was the amount of practice that given to the words, second was breadth of training in the use of the words and the third was the degree to which
active processing is encouraged. The similarity of this study is both of them concern on the influence of vocabulary to reading comprehension skill.
Meanwhile, the differences between both studies is this study emphasizes on teaching vocabulary by using flash card then applying it to practice reading; but in
writer’s study the focuses on the results which students got in both scores of vocabulary and reading test. Then, another difference is on applying the research.
In this study, Mezynski identified 8 studies from different sample, and gave some treatments for the sample by using flash card in order to improve vocabulary on
reading comprehension skill; however the writer’s study is emphasized on the
result of tests not on the treatment, because there is no treatment in the correlational study.
The third is the research that was conducted by Syamsiah, Andayani and Rohmadi; they are students of Sebelas Maret University Surakarta. They
conducted the research by the title “Hubungan antara Penguasaan Kosakata dan
Motivasi Belajar dengan Kemampuan Membaca Cerita Survei pada siswa kelas V SD Negeri di kecamatan Jatiroro.
” The sample that was taken were about 63 students of 33 primary schools in Jatiroro by sampling technique was random
sampling. This research was conducted as long as six months from June to November. The variable that was used in this research was three variables;
vocabulary mastery, students’ motivation, and reading ability. The purpose of this research is to know the correlation between vocabulary mastery and the ability in
reading story, the correlation between students’ motivation between the ability in reading story, and the correlation between vocabulary mastery and students’
motivation and the ability in reading story. For its instrument, they used objective test to know the ability of vocabulary and the ability of reading and questioner to
know the students’ motivations. They used survey correlational method and in
analyzing data, they used correlational regression by significance 0.05. The result
of this research showed that both of vocabulary mastery and students motivation have correlation with st
udents’ ability in reading story. Both of vocabulary mastery and students’ motivation gave contribution about 43.5 for students’
reading ability. The similarities of both studies are both of them focus on the correlation between vocabulary mastery and reading comprehension. Another
similarity is on the results of both studies, in which both of them show the positive correlation between the variables. Otherwise, the differences of both studies are
there are three variables in this study such as vocabulary m astery, students’
motivation and reading skill; but in the writer’s study there are only two variables such as vocabulary mastery and reading skills. Then, other differences are this
study use test and questioner as the instruments; but in the writer’s study only use
test as instrument. Besides that, the differences are on the sample of the research. The sample of this study is 63 students from 33 primary schools; but the sample
of the writer’s study is only 30 eight grade students of a junior high school.
E. Conceptual Framework
Vocabulary is one of the important aspects of learning language. Without vocabulary, process of language learning cannot be achieved. In other words,
vocabulary can be said as media to facilitate students in learning language especially achieving four language skills listening, speaking, reading, and
writing. Therefore, students are hoped to have enough vocabulary to achieve those skills. Especially vocabulary can be found and achieved more in reading.
Reading is one of four English skills that must be mastered for students. The students should be accustomed to read in order to gain many information of the
text they read. Besides that, another benefit can be gotten by reading such as improving or adding vocabulary. Therefore, vocabulary and reading cannot be
separated and have may have relation each other. There are many texts that can be read to practice or improve vocabulary and reading ability. One of them is
descriptive text. Descriptive is a text that describes something such as people, animals, place,
etc. and it is one of the types of reading text that should be learnt by second grade
students of junior high school. Students should master descriptive text as mentioned in curriculum, so that it can facilitate students in understanding an
object in detail. To know how understand students in descriptive text, both of test vocabulary and reading of descriptive text can be used as instruments.
Therefore, based on the above explanations, it can be known that vocabulary probably has the great deal with reading. Thus, it can be supposed that if students
have many vocabularies, they can comprehend descriptive text; otherwise if students have a few of vocabularies, they cannot comprehend descriptive text.
F. Hypothesis
Based on the problems and theory that have been mentioned, the hypothesis will be stated as follows:
First, alternative hypothesis ha: there is a positive correlation between student’s vocabulary and their reading comprehension of descriptive text.
Second, null hypothesis ho: there is no correlation between student’s
vocabulary and their reading comprehension of descriptive text.
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