xxix Since then, however, the status of vocabulary has been considerably enhanced.
This has come about partly as a result of the development of communicative approaches to language teaching, and partly through the stimulus of comprehension
based methods such as the Natural Approach Krashen and Terrell. Proponents of these methods point out that in the early stages of learning and using a second
language one is better served by vocabulary than grammar, and that one can, in effect, ‘bypass’ grammar in going for meaning if one has reasonable vocabulary base.In
Theodore Rodgers, 1984: 117 Moreover, Rivers argues that the acquisition of an adequate vocabulary is
essential for successful second language use because, without and extensive vocabulary, we will be unable to use the structures and functions we may have
learned for comprehensible communication. In Theodore Rodgers, 1984: 117 According to the definitions above, it can be concluded that learning language is
always related to vocabulary. If English learners have a rich vocabulary acquisition,
they will be easier to master English and to improve their achievement in English.
E. The Implication of Vocabulary Acquisition for Students’ Achievement in
English
Vocabulary is very important for English learners. As English learners, students surely want to use English fluently and reach a great achievement in English, but the
major obstacle of these goals is the limitation of students’ vocabulary acquisition.
xxx The first thing toward these goals is having a rich vocabulary acquisition. Most
learners, too, acknowledge the importance of vocabulary acquisition. As what has been mentioned before by Rivers, he argues that the acquisition of an
adequate vocabulary is essential for successful second language use because, without and extensive vocabulary, we will be unable to use the structures and functions we
may have learned for comprehensible communication. According to West, learners who have an adequate vocabulary will be able to express their idea they wanted. On
recent days, it becomes a consensus of opinion that the development of a rich vocabulary is a prominent element in the acquisition of second language.
Moreover, Fox argues that learners who want to comprehend such material need a much extensive receptive vocabulary. Receptive here means words are those which
readers understand but which they do not necessary use. Based on the statements above, it can be concluded that as English learners who
want to improve their achievement in English, firstly they should have rich vocabularies acquisition to make them easier in understanding and expressing their
idea in English.
F. Strategies in Teaching English Vocabulary
Strategy is one of the important things in teaching process. An appropriate strategy gives advantages for both of teachers and students. According to Nation,
strategy is an important way to make learners learn language easily. There are several kinds of strategy as mentioned:
xxxi 1.
Writing the word in the board 2.
Getting the learner to repeat the pronunciation of the word 3.
Showing the spelling of the word 4.
Giving the stress pattern of the word and the pronunciation 5.
Showing the prefix, stem, and suffix that make up the word 6.
Pointing out any spelling irregularities in the word Nation, 2008:98
Besides, Nattinger presents a number of classroom techniques for vocabulary developments. These are briefly described below:
Ÿ Comprehension
Context clues . Technique for guessing vocabulary from context including
activating background knowledge from the topic of a text, obtaining clues from grammatical structure, pronunciation and punctuation, and using the
natural redundancy of surrounding words. For example, the reader should be able to guess the meaning of ‘workaholic’ in the following sentence:
‘my father was a workaholic, he worked so long and so hard that we rarely show him.’
Ÿ Word morphology
Learners can be taught to extend their vocabulary by mixing and matching words stems, suffixes and affixes.
xxxii Ÿ
Mnemonic device This is a form of mnemonic in which a list of words to be learned is
associated with a familiar visual image such as a room or a well known tourist spot.
Ÿ Paired associates
In this technique, which is similar to the use of loci, words in the first and second language which have some similarity of sound and meaning are
associated. Ÿ
Key words Here the target vocabulary items are paired with its native language
equivalent in an idiosyncratic way. In Theodore Rodgers, 1984: 134
Moreover, Graves and Rein suggest that in deciding how to teach a vocabulary item, the teachers should consider how they can get the meaning across
most clearly and most quickly. Many new words can be understood through the context. The teachers can draw the students’ attention to the aids wherever they exist.
Concrete visual examples are usually best. If the students’ book does not provide relevant illustrations, the teachers can use classroom media, such as the students’
uniforms, mime, stick-figure drawings on the board, or pictures from a magazine or a picture dictionary such as the New Oxford Picture Dictionary. When illustration is
not possible, the teachers can use synonym or paraphrased verbal explanations. As the teachers speak, they can write on the board to ensure that the students follow the
xxxiii teachers’ explanation. When there is no other efficient way to teach a vocabulary
item, the teachers can ask the students to use a bilingual dictionary, or both of the teachers and the students can offer a translation; but they should consider the use of
native language a last result. Dependence on bilingual dictionaries encourages the students to see English in terms of their native language and to translate word for
word. Therefore, it prevents them from relying on context and other clues essential to effective language learning. In Theodore Rodgers, 1984: 127
These strategies above are important to support the students in learning English vocabulary. Therefore the writer chooses these strategies in order to make
effectiveness of English teaching learning activity.
xxxiv
CHAPTER III DISCUSSION
