When we consider by what we mean with vocabulary, the first idea that probably occurs to our brain is “words”, we may have pretty clear idea of what the words are. It is a
sequence of letter bounded by spaces.
14
Evelyn Hatch and Cheryl Brown states that vocabulary is a list or set of words for particular language and a list or set of word that
individual speaker might use.
15
Vocabulary is a basis of language; it is the “first of language”.
16
Vocabulary as one of the language aspects have to be learned when people are learning a language. Good
mastery of vocabulary is important for anyone who learns the language used in listening, speaking, writing and reading besides grammar. A learner of the foreign language will
speak fluently and accurately, write easily or understand what he or she reads or hears if he or she has enough vocabulary and has capability of using it accurately.
It is obvious that vocabulary is very important in learning a language, especially in English, because the English vocabulary is extremely large and varies as well. Therefore, it
is highly essential for English teachers to help their students’ in mastering vocabulary. Norbert Schmitt gave the definition of vocabulary as a basis of a language; it is
very important to be mastered first. We cannot speak well and understand written materials if we do not master it.
17
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines “vocabulary means all the words that someone know, learn of uses or the words that are typically used when talking
about particular subject or a list of words with the explanation of their meanings in a book for learning foreign language”.
18
In some literature, we found the meaning of vocabulary. There are some definitions of vocabulary. A. S. Hornby in “Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current
English” states that vocabulary is: 1.
Total number of words which with rules for combining them make up a language.
14
Nobert Schmitt, Vocabulary in Language Teaching New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000, P.1
15
Evelyn Hatch and Cherryl Brown, Vocabulary, Semantics and Language Education New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995P.1
16
David Crstal, the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English language Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1995 P.116
17
Norbert Schmitt, op cit. P.2
18
Longman, Dictionary of Contemporary English, Second edition Harlow: Longman Group, 1987P. 1177
2. Range of words known to, or used by a person, in a trade, profession, etc.
19
In Webster’s new World College Dictionary, defined vocabulary as a list of words and, often, phrases, abbreviation, inflectional forms, etc., usually arranged in alphabetical
order and defined or otherwise identified, as in a dictionary or glossary.
20
In addition, according to Penny Ur, vocabulary can be defined, roughly, as the words we teach in
foreign language.
21
Based on the definition above, the writer can conclude that vocabulary is a list or stock or collection of words, terms, codes and phrases arranged and explained to make up
the language used by a person class or profession.
2. The Kinds of Vocabulary
Vocabulary varies in four skills of language, listening, writing, reading and speaking. Generally, a student will absorb listening and speaking vocabulary before
coming to the reading and writing vocabulary. But in real situation, the process may change, especially in foreign language teaching. Reading vocabulary may become the first
stage before processing the speaking and listening vocabulary. According to the basis of frequency, vocabulary can be divided into two kinds;
namely high frequency vocabulary and low frequency vocabulary.
22
a. High frequency vocabulary consists of words that are used very often in normal
language use in all four skills and across the full range of situation of use. It consists of most of the function words of English and the most of contents of words. High
frequency vocabulary consists of 2000 words families, which about 87 of the running words in formal written text and more that 95 of the words in informal spoken text.
b. The low frequency vocabulary on the other hand, covers only small proportion of the
running words of a continuous text, it means that low frequency vocabulary is rarely
19
A.S. Hornsby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, Revised and Updated, Oxford University Press, 1987 P. 959
20
Merriam Webster, Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4
th
edition, Cleveland: Wiley Publishing Inc, 2002 P. 1600
21
Penny Ur, A Course in Language Teaching Practice Theory, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996 P. 60
22
Paul Nation., New Ways of Teaching Vocabulary New York: Teacher of English to Speaker of Another Language TESOL Inc, 1994, P. 3
used in common activity of English language. This group includes well over 100.000 word families.
Besides, Evelyn Hatch and Cherly Brown divide the vocabulary into:
a. Active Vocabulary is words which the students understand, can pronounce correctly
and uses constructively in speaking and writing.
b. Passive Vocabulary is words that students recognize and understand when they occur
in a context of reading or listening, but which he can not produce correctly himself.
23
I. S. P. Nation distinguished vocabulary into increasing vocabulary and establishing vocabulary. Increasing vocabulary means introducing learners to new words and thus
starting their learning. Establishing vocabulary means building on strengthening this initial knowledge, which is encouraging the knowledge of particular words to develop and
expand.
24
Meanwhile Djalinushah and Azimar Enong divided vocabulary into two, namely
general vocabulary and special vocabulary. General vocabulary is the words that are used
in general. There is no limit of field and user. Special vocabulary is the words that are used in the certain field and job, profession of special science and technology.
25
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
which the learners can use appropriately in speaking or writing and to the language items that can be recognize and understood in the context of reading and listening and some of
them classify vocabulary that they have made are different, but the point is the same, because their classification are based on different sides and aspects.
3. Teaching Vocabulary
23
Evelyn Hatch and Cherryl Brown, Op Cit. P. 370
24
I.S.P. Nation, Teaching and Learning Vocabulary, New York: Heinle Heinle Publisher, 1990, P. 6
25
Djalinushah and Azimar Enong, Tata Bahasa Inggris Modern Dalam Tanya Jawab Jakarta: CU, Miswar, 1980 P. 81
