11 the understanding of phrases and larger chunks stored and retrieved from memory
Tajali Tehrani, 2009 as cited in Maisa Karunakaran, 2013, pp. 110 -111.
3. Theories on Vocabulary Learning
This research also includes the relevance of theories on vocabulary with idioms learning. The point is that the researcher sees vocabulary knowledge is as
significant part of foreign language learning. While, learning idioms can be part of escalating vocabulary in second language learning. Simply, there is a correlation
between vocabulary knowledge and English idioms learning. Thus, the previous statement is presented into theories on vocabulary learning. First and foremost, the
researcher would like to present how significant vocabulary is towards foreign language learning.
According to British council, „language users are expected to use some
less common and idiomatic vocabulary‟ as cited in Tran, 2013, p. 24. The researcher sees English idioms as one of important elements to create good
English communication that can get rid of the gaps when interacting with native speakers. It can be an effort to enhance the academic language and basic
interpersonal communication skills for learning idioms are essential for second language learners so that they can ascend to higher level of English learning
Guduru, 2011. Nonetheless, vocabulary knowledge is a long process which begins since
childhood. The first time of learning starts when children notices the physical objects in the surrounding and then differentiate what object it is Halliday, 1993.
The process of learning vocabulary which begins from childhood will develop as
12 a child grows up and the progress will be significant or develops rapidly when
children are in pres-school years Lightbown Spada, 1993. Thus, Clark explains this process as complex and takes long time while children may still have
around fifty words and then develop the words into hundreds as cited on Carter, 1998, p. 184.
Apart from it, the vocabulary learning is important for it deals with knowing how to use the word syntactically, semantically and pragmatically
Carter, 1998, p. 232. To clarify this statement, the researcher mentions a perspective about vocabulary from another expert. Thornbury 2002 shows the
perspective of the linguist, David Wilkins related to the importance of vocabulary that without grammar, there are little things to say and without vocabulary we
have nothing to convey. By studying grammar at the most of time will not improve English skills. More improvement lies on how the learners learn words
and expressions in vocabulary not in grammar. It will make the learners can say anything with words although with low grammar p. 13.
Nonetheless, vocabulary has been a difficult matter for ESL English as Second Language students particularly. The hardness of learning vocabulary is
clearer as Gleason 1961 asserts that vocabulary can be very easy but this is what students fear most p. 7. Carter 1998 has a certain view that vocabulary
becomes less important element in learning a second language due to more specialization on syntax and phonology p. 184. Based on previous descriptions,
the researcher posits vocabulary learning theory as its relevance with English idiom learning. The relevancy of those two is clarified with the position of idioms
