words of a language is by the use of rules. So, it is clear that vocabulary must exist in a language. One cannot express her or his ideas, nor can recieve information without
vocabulary.
According to Thornbury the importance of vocabulary in language learning. “If you spend most of your time studying grammar, your English will not improve much.
You will see most improvement if you learn more words and expression. You can see little with grammar, but you can say almost anything with words.”
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It means that people cannot increase much if they only spend lots of time for learning grammar. They can increase their English if they study more in words and expression.
People can see what people say by looking the grammar, but they almost can speak everything using words.
While According to Fries, vocabulary is the essential area of language learning.
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Therefore, students must learn vocabulary well, so, they are able to master the language. By mastering a great number of vocabularies, the students can learn
foreign language easier.
2. Concept of Vocabulary Mastery
In learning a new language, Vocabulary is one of the crucial language components that language learners have to master. According to Napa, vocabulary is one of the
4
Scot Thornbury, How to Teach Vocabulary, England : longman, 2002, P.13
5
Fries, C. C, Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language, New York: The University of Michigan Press:2000, P.38
language components and that no language exists without words. Through this idea we can infer that the more words we learn, the more ideas we could have, so we can
communicate the ideas more effectively. Through vocabulary, people can exchange their thoughts and ideas.
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It is clear that vocabulary has an important function in making up language in communication, either in the form of written and spoken.
Mastery is a term that all educators use and believe they understand well or simply reaching a certain level of understanding of particular content. Whereas competence
represent the ability to apply what has been mastered. Mastery as“comprehensive knowledge or skill in a particular subject or activity.” In other words, mastery is a
construct that cannot be observed directly but can be inferred from observable performance on a set of items or tasks related to a particular concept, skill, or
subject.
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In other source, from dictionary, mastery refers to having great skill at something or total dominance over something. Vocabulary and mastery are part of set
in learning vocabulary, mastery is clearly shown by learners’ ability in expressing vocabulary that known with undestanding.
From the theory above, the researcher assumes that Vocabulary mastery is the competence knowledge of a list or a set of words that make up a language which
might be will use by particular person, class, or profession. Vocabulary mastery means mastering the meaning and the ways to use them in context.
6
Napa, A.P, Vocabulary Development skills, Yogyakarta : kanisus, 1991, p.6.
7
Thomas R. Guskey, Eric M.Anderman, Educational Leadership “In Search Of A Useful Definition Of Mastery”. San Francisco:longman,2003,p.31
