Definition of Collocation Knowledge

how these affected to their reading ability. There were 88 second year students of English Department of Bung Hatta University who were involved in this study. For correlation study, approximately 30 samples were regarded enough that relates variables. This study distributed questionnaire to find out the students’ response in reading interest, conducted collocation test to measure the students’ knowledge in lexical collocation, and conducted reading test to find out the students’ ability in reading. The result of analyzing data of this study revealed that reading interest has a relation with lexical knowledge of collocation towards students’ reading ability. 38 Another study is The Effect of Teaching Collocation on Enhancing Iranian EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension by Seyyede Samaneh Sadat Kiaee, et al. The study used quasi-experiment as a research design to examine the effect of collocation instruction on enhancing Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. The study involved 70 EFL intermediate students from Safir English Institute in Tehran, Iran. They were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The experimental group was given collocation treatment while there was no treatment for control group. In experimental group, the procedure of collocation instruction included teaching and recognizing collocations, giving examples, and practicing activities, all of which were designed to enhance the participants’ understanding of collocations. The study used reading comprehension pretest and posttest consisted of three reading passages which had about 40 collocations to test the level of students’ reading comprehension. The result indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in reading comprehension. Thus, it revealed that the teaching of 38 Elsa Sastrawati, et al., A Correlation between Students’ Reading Interest and Their Lexical Knowledge of Collocations towards Their Reading Ability, Abstract of Undergraduate of Faculty of Education of Bung Hatta University, vol. 4 1, 2015, pp. 1—14. Retrieved from http:ejurnal.bunghatta.ac.idindex.php?journal=JFKIPpage=articleop=viewpath5B5D= 5106path5B5D=4323 . collocation has a significant role in improving EFL learners’ reading comprehension. 39 Although there has been a study examined EFL learners collocation knowledge with language proficiency and there has been a study examined the relationship between reading interest and lexical knowledge of collocation towards reading ability, not many studies have investigated EFL learners collocation knowledge which is limited in lexical collocation with respect to a specific language skill, reading. Moreover, since there has been the investigation that concerns with the effect of teaching collocation on enhancing EFL learners’ reading comprehension in the Iranian setting, it is worth noting that the present study, therefore, examined the relationship between students’ collocation knowledge limited in lexical collocation and their reading comprehension in Indonesian setting.

D. Thinking Framework

Based on the theories above, reading is one of language skills which is important to be learned. In learning a language, students will get information through reading in order to improve their knowledge to produce a language. Reading is defined as a process of interpreting text to get information and expand knowledge. In reading, the use of eyes and brain are required to process the words and connect it with their background knowledge to get information appropriately. Reading is not only knowing the words but also comprehending the text. Comprehending a reading text is a skill to construct meaning of the text appropriately. Hence, comprehending a text needs an active reader who is able to connect their particular knowledge to the information provided in the text to interpret the message properly. Without comprehension, the readers just read word by word without getting the message of the text. Moreover, when students read a text, they also will analyze words in the text to construct meaning. There are many word formations in passages. One of them 39 S. S. S. Kiaee, et al., The Effect of Teaching Collocations on Enhancing Iranian EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension, Journal of Advances in English Language Teaching, vol. 1 1, 2013, p. 1. Retrieved from http:european-science.comjaeltarticleview76 . is multi words, namely collocation. Collocation consists of two or more words which co-occur together frequently in natural way. Collocation can be found in English texts such as books, magazines, newspapers, novels, etc. In learning a language, collocation is crucial because by having collocation knowledge, it will help students in comprehension and production of a language. Collocation knowledge is defined as an ability to store multi words which frequently co-occur together. Having a better knowledge of collocation also has an impact to the students’ language proficiency, especially reading. In reading, students frequently translate word by word to understand the text. However when they face collocation in a text, they may not translate it word by word. For example, students who have lack of collocation may translate “have second thoughts about something” as think about it twice, however the correct one is decide that it may not be a good idea after all. When students face collocation words, they have to guess the meaning of one word to the collocated word and connect it to the context of the text in order to get complete comprehension. Therefore, the students need to aware every collocation they get after hearing or reading, in order to improve their knowledge of collocation. By having better knowledge of collocation, it will help them in comprehending a text accurately. Thus, based on the explanation above, it can be identified that collocation has a great deal with reading. It can be supposed that the more students getting aware about collocation and having a better collocation knowledge, they will easily and quickly get a complete comprehension of the text; while students who have lack of collocation knowledge will not able to comprehend the text properly.

E. Theoretical Hypothesis

Based on the theories discussed above, it can be proposed theoretical hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between students’ collocation knowledge and their reading comprehension.