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Teaching and learning process, therefore, should give enough opportunities for them to use English in every day contexts. Children learn
by doing, they learn language by using it, listening to it, speaking it, and writing it.
c. Association and memory
Children understand and retain the meaning better when they have seen some objects associated with it. For this reason, the teacher should
expose the students to real life situations. With their experience in real life they can learn English effectively.
3. Teaching English in Elementary School
Like other profession, teaching requires a long and difficult period of academic preparation, legal recognition, and social responsibility. Teaching
children is different from teaching adult because they have special characteristics. The teachers are demanded to be active and creative in
teaching young learners. They should explore their abilities and competences. One of the ways is by using everything in environment to help
success of teaching and learning process in order to be more effective. There are some elements that should be learned in learning a foreign
language especially English, one of them is vocabulary. It is very important because people can’t express their thought and understand other’s thought if
they don’t have enough vocabulary. The same perception is also stated by
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Gattegno in Richards and Rodgers, 2003: pp. 37 and 82. He pinpoints that in language learning, vocabulary is seen as a central dimension and the
choice of it is very crucial. This is supported by Palmer in Thornbury, 2002: p. 30 who says that vocabulary is one of the most important aspects
of foreign language learning and the essential component of reading proficiency.
Teaching English vocabulary in primary school is very crucial. It is stated by Burn and Broman 1975: p. 295 that the teacher must give
attention to develop the vocabulary of each child through carefully planned instruction and to do so, she must be aware of what words are and how they
are formed. Here, the success of language teaching not only depends on the
teachers’ and the students’ competence but also on the method of teaching vocabulary. There are many methods of teaching vocabulary. Not all the
methods are helpful for the students. In this case the teacher has to choose the appropriate method.
Burns and Broman 1980: p. 297 – 305 propose numerous methods to develop children’s vocabulary such as the following:
a. Firsthand experience A varied background of firsthand experience, field trips, and
excursions is profitable at all grade levels. Concrete experience permits the word to be associated with real situation: consequently, school should
try to extend the experience of the children. The nature and quality of the
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educative experiences that children meet both inside and outside the classroom are primary factors that determine speaking, writing, reading,
and hearing vocabularies. b. Books
Books are other significant sources of vocabulary growth, particularly books that provoke questions and discussion. Pupils need a
variety of interesting, easy to read books so that new words and ideas can be learned from the context.
c. Context clues Children who read extensively can learn many words just through
use of context. Wide reading provides the opportunities for context to illuminate words meaning when it is essential to the on-flow of thought.
Through a variety of reading material, the reader can begin to recognize subtleties and varied meanings of words.
d. Visual and other instructional aids and materials Visual aids should be utilized frequently, not only to illustrate the
words that have been used but to suggest other words. Individuals are helped in their word selection by special illustrative sentences, pictures
and illustrations, or explanation that dramatizes the meaning of particular word.
e. Context areas In every subject field, teachers should develop vocabulary carefully.
The vocabulary problem is more acute in textbook than it is in general
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reading material. The selection of textbook that avoid complicated verbiage and explain new terms clearly when they are introduced is one
important way of reducing the vocabulary problem to teachable proportions.
f. Oral and written expressions Teachers should encourage variety in oral and written expression. A
conscious effort needs to be made by the teacher to encourage use of words that express thought exactly, rather than words that perform
omnibus service. g. Teacher-model
The teacher can use new words, sometimes in reading aloud, sometimes in providing explanations. Particularly in the primary years,
when most pupils are occupied with developing recognition of words already in their understanding, reading and speaking vocabulary, the
teacher need to read and tells many stories to the group. In reading to children it is inadvisable to simplify the vocabulary. After reading a new
story, new words may be discussed and in later retelling or dramatization, the use of the new words should be encouraged. Pupils are great imitators
and if the teacher employs good vocabulary, they tend to approach his levels of expression.
All of those presentation methods, either singly or in combination are useful ways of introducing new words. To make the words
memorable, the teacher should use a suitable method to teach vocabulary
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for the children. In this research, the researcher chooses experiential learning as a method to improve the students’ vocabulary mastery.
In applying experiential learning, the researcher used firsthand experience method to teach vocabulary. Because it can be a highly effective
educational method. There are many benefits for language and learning. These include: new knowledge, increased language proficiency, new
vocabulary specialist and general, literacy learning - for the young this will include simple concepts of print, new words, and a growing grasp of
sentence structure, etc. whereas for the older child this can extend knowledge of new written genres, writing for new audiences, growing
reading and research skills, a stimulus to creativity, and increased interest in learning.
4. Procedure of Teaching Vocabulary
