7 familiar with collocation and understand the connotation meaning
of the word. This type is often used in speaking and writing skill. 2. Passive vocabulary refers to language items that can be recognizes
and understood in the context of reading of listening and also called as receptive vocabulary.
15
Meanwhile Djlinushah and Azimar Enong divided vocabulary into two, namely general vocabulary and special vocabulary. General
vocabulary is of the words that are used in general. There is no limit of field and user. Whereas special vocabulary is that the words that are
used in the certain field and job, profession of special science and technology.
16
From the explanation above, we know that every experts in every book is different in classifying the kind of vocabulary, because every
person has different way in showing and telling their opinions and ideas. Some of them who emphasize vocabulary to the items which the
learners can use appropriately in speaking or writing and to the language items that can be recognized and understood in the context of
reading and listening and some of them classify vocabulary into general and special. Even the classifications of the kinds of vocabulary that they
have made are different, but the point is the same, because their classifications are based on the different sides and aspects.
3. Vocabulary Mastery
Vocabulary is one of the language aspects which should be learnt. Learning vocabulary is important because we are able to speak, write, and
listen nicely we have to know vocabulary first. A person said to ‘know ‘ a word if they can recognize its meaning when they see it. It means that in
15
Jo Ann Aebersold and Mary Lee field, From Reader to Reading Teacher New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997 p. 139
16
Djalinushah and Azimar Enong, Tata Bahasa Inggris Modern dalam Tanya Jawab Jakarta: CU. Miswar, 1980 p. 81
7 learning vocabulary we have to know the meaning of it and also
understand and can use it in sentence context. According to Red John vocabulary is knowledge involves knowing
the meanings of words and therefore the purpose of a vocabulary test in to find out whether the learners can match each word with a synonym, a
dictionary – tape definition, or an equivalent word in their own language. In learning vocabulary automatically we have to know the meaning of
words itself and can use it in sentences. Wilkins 1972: 130 states that vocabulary learning is learning to discriminate progressing the meaning of
words in the target language from the meanings of their nearest ‘equivalent’ in the mother tongue. It is also learning to make the most
appropriate lexical choices for particular linguistic and situational context.
4. Presenting New Vocabulary
Different teachers have different ways to present new words. Whatever methods are used, the following suggestions may help teachers:
1 Prepare examples to show meaning. Examples are best if they are created by the teachers themselves rather than taken from the
dictionaries. Students look up words in dictionaries.if they students find that most of the teacher’s examples are from the dictionaries, they
tune out when the teacher talks. 2 Ask students to tell the meaning first. Teachers should always elicit
meaning from students before they offer the meaning. 3 Think about how to show the meaning of a word with related words
such as synonyms, antonyms etc. 4 Think about how to check students’ understanding.
5 Think about the context in real life where they words might be used. Relating newly learned language to real life promotes high motivation.
6 Think about possible misunderstanding and confusion that student may have.
7 There are words that best to be taught in groups.
a. Synonyms. These are by no means as frequent as people think. Though words may have similar denotative meaning they represent
the same concept their convocational meanings may differ. Sometimes, it is possible for the teacher to say “enormous means the
same as large.” b. Antonyms. These are often thought as “opposites” such as hotcold. It
is important for the teacher to remember that not hot, does not always mean cold, sometimes it is question of degree. In these cases students
usually start by learning the extremes and later learn intermediate words:
Hot—warm—cool—cold c. Complements. Here two words exist and one excludes the other---
singlemarried. In this case it is possible to explain by saying: single means not married. This idea may be extended to groups of
incompatible words---each is defined by being not the other, for example, morning—afternoon—evening—night. It is best to teach
these words in groups, as the meaning of one depends directly on the meaning of the others.
d. Converse. Each of a pair of words implies the other; parentchild, employeremployee. Such words are best explained together.
e. Hyponyms. Car, van, bus , lorry are hyponyms of vehicle. Often such words are difficult to handle without translation.
Here are more ways to present and explain vocabulary: a. Draw pictures, diagrams and maps to show meanings or connection of
meanings. b. Using real object to show meanings.
c. Mime or act to show meanings, e.g. brushing teeth, running, swimming etc.
d. Use synonyms or antonyms to explain meanings.
7 e. Use lexical sets, e.g. cook: fry, boil, brake, grill;
f. Translate and exemplify, especially with technical words or words
with abstract meaning. g. Use word formation rules and common affixes.
5. Consolidating vocabulary.
