CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Vocabulary
Vocabulary is indeed important in learning a foreign language. It is one element that links the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing
altogether. Vocabulary research has tended to focus on reading. In order to communicate well in a foreign language, students are hoped
to acquire a sufficient number of words and need to know how to use them accurately. Without having enough vocabularies, communication will end up in
unpleasant situation and make the students reluctant to continue their sentence or idea.
When someone talks about vocabulary, the first thing that come in hisher mind; vocabulary is a group of words on a certain language as a part in
teaching-learning a foreign language.
1. Meaning of Vocabulary
In language learning and teaching vocabulary, it is important to know what vocabulary is. About the meaning of vocabulary it has already
been interpreted in many different ways by experts to have clear understanding, it is better to take a look at some definitions.
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Penny Ur said “vocabulary can be defined, roughly, as the words we teach in the foreign language”.
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Hatch and Brown define “vocabulary as a list or set of words for a particular language or set of words that individual
speaker of language might use”.
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According to AS Hornby, vocabulary is: a. Total number of words which make up a language.
b. Range of words known to, or used by, a person, in trade, profession, etc.
c. Book containing a list of words; list of words used in a book, etc, usually with definition or translation.
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To master a language is not easy, because some aspects of language are needed. It is impossible to learn a language without mastering vocabulary.
In Webster’s dictionary, vocabulary is defined as follows: a. A list of collection of words and phrases, abbreviation in
inflectional form, etc. usually arranged in alphabetical order defined of otherwise identified as in a dictionary of glossary.
b. An interrelated group of non-verbal symbols, sign, gestures, etc. used for communication or expression in a particular art, skill, etc.
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Based on definitions above, we can say that vocabulary is a list or a stock of words, phrases, signs, codes, or rules of the words.
2. Types of Vocabulary
According to Mary Finnochiaro and Michael Bronomo in their book “vocabulary is divided into two, namely: function word and content
word”. The function words are closed class, which can be added on the
1
Penny Ur, A course In language teaching Practice and Theory New York: Cambridge
University Press, 1996, p. 60
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Evelyn Hatch and Cherry L Brown, Vocabulary, Semantics and Language Education
Cambridge University press, 1995, p. 1
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AS Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Oxford: 1981, p. 1959
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Meriem Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary America: Meriem Webster’s, Inc., 1983, p. 1494
prepositions or auxiliaries or modal or many other structure words of the language. Content words; on the other hand, can be added to any time at any
scientific advances to make new words and communication about new invention necessary, for example: a word of quantity or measure is usually
preceded by “a” and followed by “or” in English. a piece of bread, a head of lecture, a pound of bananas.
Jo Ann Aeborsold and Mary Lee distinguish vocabulary into active and passive vocabulary.
a. Active vocabulary is also known as productive vocabulary. Students must know how to pronounce it well, they must know and
be able to use grammar of the target language, and they also must be familiar with collocation and understand the connotation
meaning of the word, this type is often used in speaking and writing skill.
b. Passive vocabulary refers to language items that can be recognized and understood in the context of reading and listening and it’s also
known as receptive vocabulary. Another opinion comes from Nelson Brooks; vocabulary is divided
into three, namely: a. Little or empty words that have little meaning in themselves but
serves particular items in an utterance and relate them to teach other as well as change and guide the direction of taught, such
words are: an, these, but, although and the like. b. Content words that their own stay, such as: salt, ugly, holiday, etc.
c. Cluster of words such as verb that convey special concept when used with given pronouns or preposition. For example; call it off
and go without.
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3. Technique in Presenting Vocabulary
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