o. Slang: a nonstandard, frequently short-lived, but currently popular, sometimes
abusive and vulgar, almost always colorful word or phrase.
18
The need for vocabulary is one point on which teachers and students agree.
19
Vocabulary knowledge is not something that can ever be fully mastered; it is something that expands and deepens over the course of a lifetime. Instruction
in vocabulary involves far more than looking up words in a dictionary and using the words in a sentence. So vocabulary is English words that are related to the
meaning of the words and the way to use them in communication
B. Collaborative Learning
1. Definition of Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning as we know today found its roots in the 1870’s when four research groups working independently in Israel and United Sates
began to design and study collaborative learning models for classroom context. From various sources, there are at least four definitions of collaborative
learning. First Gokhale stated that the term “collaborative learning” refers to an instruction method in which learners at various performance levels work together
in small group toward a common goal.
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The learners are responsible for helping one another. Collaborative learning offers more opportunity for language
development and language integration. In practical term, collaborative learning makes students working together to achieve common learning goals.
Second, Smith and McGregor write that collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves group of learners
working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product
21
. In
18
John Read, Assesing Vocabulary, …………………..p. 26
19
Virginia French Allen, Techniques in Teaching Vocabulary, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983, p 1
20
David Nunnan, Collaborative Language Learning and Teaching Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992, p.3
21
Smith and McGregor, What is Collaborative Learning, http:learningcommons. evergreen. edu pdfcollab.pdf, July 24
th
2007
collaborative learning classroom, students are divided into several groups. Each group will finish their task together and take the conclusion themselves based on
the tasks or problem are given. Third, different from two definitions above that view collaborative
learning specifically as an approach to teaching and learning, Panitz stated that collaborative learning as a philosophy of interaction and personal lifestyle not just
a classroom technique.
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He further writes that in all situations where people come together in group based other group members. With different interaction
and personal lifestyle of students is expected to appear the understanding in their mind.
In addition, Mel Silberman defined collaborative learning as placing students in groups and giving then tasks in which they depend on each other to
complete the work is a wonderful way to capitalize on the social needs of students.
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Social need of learning is a human need to respond to others and operate together to reach the objective. The learning becomes interesting because
the learners doing it with their group. The learners also have to talk with others what they are experiencing or explaining which is lead to the connection. This
connection motivates learners to stimulate learner. Fourth, even broader than Panitz’s and Silberman, Bruffee makes an
emphasis on the process of reaculturation, he defines collaborative learning as reaculturative process that become members of knowledge communities whose
common property is different from the common property of knowledge communities they already belong to. Bruffee further writes that collaborative
learning helps learners to build understanding of knowledge and learning that are already taking place in their society. Every person belongs to “several
22
Ted Panitz, Collaborative learning Versus Cooperative Learning, http;www.city.londonmet .ac.ukdelibertaiioncolab.leraningpanitz.html. May 11
th
2007
23
Mel Silberman, Active Learning 101 strategies to teach any subject, Massachusetts: Allyn Bacon, 1996, p. 6
interpretative or knowledge communities”
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that forms many aspects such as point of view, histories, values, conventions and interests. Therefore, at this point,
it is necessary to help learners learn to realize and discuss the line between the communities they already belong to and the community represented by the
teacher academic discipline which the learners want enter. From the four definitions discussed above, it can be summed up that the
definitions and the concept of collaborative learning are quite varied and broad. Placing students in groups and giving them tasks in which they depend in each
other to complete the work is a wonderful way to capitalize on the social need of students.
25
In working together, students are enforced to know other thinking. Differences between students can increase understanding about some materials or
lessons. Good communication is needed to achieve the goal. From the explanation above, the writer concludes collaborative learning as
one method that uses students-group for teaching and learning. In collaborative classroom, students decide their own goal in learning. The role of teacher is just
as a mediator and a knowledge transferor. Differences of knowledge in the groups are expected increasing the understanding of the students of learning materials.
2. The Theories Underlying Collaborative Learning
