condition, derivational suffixes contribute large effects on the changes of syntactic category of a word.
On one side, vocabulary mastery for senior high school students holds the important roles in increasing their reading comprehension. Mochizuki and Aizawa
1998: 291 argue that affix knowledge plays an important part in reading and vocabulary development. It can be inferred from here that affix knowledge allow the
language learner develop their vocabulary mastery. Furthermore, this knowledge influences on the development of learners’
vocabulary size. By mastering the derivational knowledge, Second or Foreign Language learners can enlarge their vocabulary size. Then, their reading
comprehension will increase due to large number of vocabulary size. Understandably, when students know the word employ they are also supposed to be
able to recognize the words family of it such as employment, unemployment, employing.
Since there are many studies work on vocabulary development and focus their subject on several vocabularies use and usage, the development of syntactic
recognition of the derivational suffixes of senior high school students is issued in order to enlarge the vocabulary studies concerning affixations, especially
derivational suffixes.
B. Problem Identification
According to O’Grady and Dobrovolsky 1996: 144 derivation forms a word with a meaning andor category distinct from that of its base through the
addition of an affix. They add that derivation is the process by which a new word is built from a base, usually through the addition of an affix. Other words, derivational
knowledge deals with the English words formation. This study intends to observe students’ syntactic recognition of derivational suffixes of English words.
On the other hand, derivational knowledge means the ability in deriving words uses derivational affixes. Derivational affixes consist of two major elements.
They are prefix and suffix. The proposed study will focus on students’ ability in recognizing part of speech of derived words. Furthermore, this study intends to
search on the development of the syntactic recognition of derivational suffixes of English words which can be achieved by Sang Timur Senior High School students
during their studies in the different duration. Since vocabulary knowledge holds the significant role in the second and
foreign language acquisition process, it is very important to do this research. Possessed derivational knowledge allows language learners to have maximum effort
in enriching their vocabulary size. Finally, mastering a large vocabulary size will guarantee a better reading comprehension.
C. Problem Limitation
This study is closely related to English word formation, especially word formation through the addition of derivational suffixes. The study also compares first
year, second year and third year of Senior High School students’ ability in recognizing the syntactic categories of new words after the addition of derivational
suffixes. The aim is to see the development of their derivational knowledge of
English words concerning the length of their study during school time. On the other hand this study is intended to investigate the developmental
patterns of students’ syntactic recognition of English derivational suffixes. Therefore, this study will investigate whether the patterns of that the patterns are stable,
increased or even decreased.
D. Problem Formulations
