THE EFFECTS OF CONTEXT CLUES AND MENOMONICS TECHNQUES OF STUDENTS; VOCABULARY MASTERY.
ABSTRACT
B.a rahap. Neni Afrlda SarL Tbe Effect of Context Clues and Mnemonics
Techniques on Students' Vocabulary Mastery. English Applied
Linguistics, Graduate Program oftJNIMED.
The objectives of this study are to investigate whether context clues and mnemonics
techniques significantly affect students' voca&ulary mastery. A quantitative approach
in
~xperimntal
design was carried out to colJect the data of this study. The sec::ond
year students of SMA Nur Hasanah Medan of the second semester in tbC period of
2006-2007 "vere taken as the samples of this study in random and cluster sampling
with 90 students divided into three groups. The data were analyzed by means of
statistical analysis by applying one-way ANOVA Tbe results of testing the flrst
hypothesis shows that the F~bservcd
is higher than F·table (4.SO > 3.11). and tbe
second hypothesis shows that F-observed is higher than F-table · also
(8.6~>31l),
while the third hypothesis shows that F-observed is higher than F·table, it is
( 17.60>3. ll). On the basis of testing the hypothesss. t
(1) context clues $ignifica.ntly atfeurces to overcome students' difficulties in
I
mastering English voc3.butary (Nation: 1990: 160). Similarly, Oxford and Scarce IIa
( 1"994) also reveal guessing the meaning of word from context is the most useful
vocal learning technique. There are some other exercises to establish students·
English vocabulary, such as word building exercises, guc;ssing words from context.
learning words in lists and vocabulary 6'8J11es. Krashcn ( 1981) believes that certain
conditjons influence :Jludents' lack of ability to comprehend the meaning of a text.
9
namely: learners' interest in understanding the message, the message is not closely
related to learners. and ineffective vocabulary teaching process.
In addition, there are some types of vocabulary also, namely: High ~quency
words, Academic vocabulary, Technical vocabulary and bow frequency words.
However, the researcher chooses only one of those types of vocabulary in this
discussion, it is high frequency words which is conunonly occur in seniorJUgh school
·· · .students' English text book. It is considered as the most important type of vocabulary
should be mastered by senior high school students to master their own English
proficiency.
Considering ·the fact that vocabulary mastery is affected by many factors, ijtere
are some techniques can be used to increase students' vocabulary mastery. Howe er,
the researcher limits the sco
of this stud on the discussion of usin context clues
and mnemonics techniques to iricrease students' vocabulary mastery which is related
to the previous background of the study. There are teo types ofeontext clues can be
used to increase students' vocabulary mastery, they arc: descriptions, o·pJ)ositcs,
synonym, cause and effect, purpose, too/enough, appositives, combination skills and
sentence structures. However. this research limits the discussion on five of them only
as the common context clues used in English senior high school textbook.
CBAPTE'RV
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
~.1
Conclusions
The research findings imply that there are sigclflcant effects of context clues
and mnemonics techniques on students• vocabu1ary mastery. The calculation of data
is -summ'artzed as follows:
1. Context clues significantly affect students' vocabulary mastery. It indicates
that context clues can be applied to increase students· vocabulary mastery
significantly.
2 . Mnemonics techniques significantly affect students' vocabulary mastery. It
indicates that .mnemonics techniques can be applied to_increase stud~·
1y
3. Context Clues and Mnemonics techniques significantly affect students•
z
voca,bulary mastery. This means that both context clues and mnemonics
techniques · ~
· be
applied to increase students' vocabulary mastefi
significantly.
69
~.2
70
Suggestiom
Based on the above conclusions, it is suggested that:
(1) English teachers should teach context clues and mnemonics techniques as the
ways to inc~
students' vocabuliiiY mastery. Some exercises and activities
to context clues
related
.
. and mnemonics techniques are
completion, contextual exercises, ~'Ords
needed.
such as word
in context. etc. They are extremely
beneficial to enable students in unde~taig
the meaning of an unfamiliar word
to lead the whole meaning of a teXt.
(2) Students• attention and creativity should be increased in practicing their ability to
improve vocabulary mastery by doing some context clues and mnemonics.
techniques as often as possible.·In this case. they 5:hould ptaetice it by themselves
.
the teachers should
'
guide
them
to
teach
vocabulary techniques
comprehensively.
(3) Since the subjects of this research is
t~mied
on the senior high school srudepts
only; it is needed to conduct other different Sti\:!jects from higher level, sUch _a s·
university students for further research related to vocabularY mastery. Those
researches are hopefully valuable to be applied in
incr~.g
knowledge about the techniques of mastering English vocabulary.
students'
7·2
References
Amaudet, ML, and Ba.rrett, M.E. 1984. Approaches to Academic Reading and
J.Vr11mg. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.
Brown, Dorolhy f . 1980. Advanced Vocabulary Teaching: The Problem of
CollocatJon. RELC Journal 5, l-11 .
Bruton. and Samuda. 1981 Guessing Word'i. Modem English TeKher 8; 3·18-21).
Chandrasegaran, Antonia. 1980. Teaching the corUexr clue appruach to
Meanmg. Gui~elns
3:61-68.
Bums, Robert 1994. 1ntroductirm to Research methods. Melbourne: Longman.
Donald. et al. 1979. Introduction to re:
B.a rahap. Neni Afrlda SarL Tbe Effect of Context Clues and Mnemonics
Techniques on Students' Vocabulary Mastery. English Applied
Linguistics, Graduate Program oftJNIMED.
The objectives of this study are to investigate whether context clues and mnemonics
techniques significantly affect students' voca&ulary mastery. A quantitative approach
in
~xperimntal
design was carried out to colJect the data of this study. The sec::ond
year students of SMA Nur Hasanah Medan of the second semester in tbC period of
2006-2007 "vere taken as the samples of this study in random and cluster sampling
with 90 students divided into three groups. The data were analyzed by means of
statistical analysis by applying one-way ANOVA Tbe results of testing the flrst
hypothesis shows that the F~bservcd
is higher than F·table (4.SO > 3.11). and tbe
second hypothesis shows that F-observed is higher than F-table · also
(8.6~>31l),
while the third hypothesis shows that F-observed is higher than F·table, it is
( 17.60>3. ll). On the basis of testing the hypothesss. t
(1) context clues $ignifica.ntly atfeurces to overcome students' difficulties in
I
mastering English voc3.butary (Nation: 1990: 160). Similarly, Oxford and Scarce IIa
( 1"994) also reveal guessing the meaning of word from context is the most useful
vocal learning technique. There are some other exercises to establish students·
English vocabulary, such as word building exercises, guc;ssing words from context.
learning words in lists and vocabulary 6'8J11es. Krashcn ( 1981) believes that certain
conditjons influence :Jludents' lack of ability to comprehend the meaning of a text.
9
namely: learners' interest in understanding the message, the message is not closely
related to learners. and ineffective vocabulary teaching process.
In addition, there are some types of vocabulary also, namely: High ~quency
words, Academic vocabulary, Technical vocabulary and bow frequency words.
However, the researcher chooses only one of those types of vocabulary in this
discussion, it is high frequency words which is conunonly occur in seniorJUgh school
·· · .students' English text book. It is considered as the most important type of vocabulary
should be mastered by senior high school students to master their own English
proficiency.
Considering ·the fact that vocabulary mastery is affected by many factors, ijtere
are some techniques can be used to increase students' vocabulary mastery. Howe er,
the researcher limits the sco
of this stud on the discussion of usin context clues
and mnemonics techniques to iricrease students' vocabulary mastery which is related
to the previous background of the study. There are teo types ofeontext clues can be
used to increase students' vocabulary mastery, they arc: descriptions, o·pJ)ositcs,
synonym, cause and effect, purpose, too/enough, appositives, combination skills and
sentence structures. However. this research limits the discussion on five of them only
as the common context clues used in English senior high school textbook.
CBAPTE'RV
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
~.1
Conclusions
The research findings imply that there are sigclflcant effects of context clues
and mnemonics techniques on students• vocabu1ary mastery. The calculation of data
is -summ'artzed as follows:
1. Context clues significantly affect students' vocabulary mastery. It indicates
that context clues can be applied to increase students· vocabulary mastery
significantly.
2 . Mnemonics techniques significantly affect students' vocabulary mastery. It
indicates that .mnemonics techniques can be applied to_increase stud~·
1y
3. Context Clues and Mnemonics techniques significantly affect students•
z
voca,bulary mastery. This means that both context clues and mnemonics
techniques · ~
· be
applied to increase students' vocabulary mastefi
significantly.
69
~.2
70
Suggestiom
Based on the above conclusions, it is suggested that:
(1) English teachers should teach context clues and mnemonics techniques as the
ways to inc~
students' vocabuliiiY mastery. Some exercises and activities
to context clues
related
.
. and mnemonics techniques are
completion, contextual exercises, ~'Ords
needed.
such as word
in context. etc. They are extremely
beneficial to enable students in unde~taig
the meaning of an unfamiliar word
to lead the whole meaning of a teXt.
(2) Students• attention and creativity should be increased in practicing their ability to
improve vocabulary mastery by doing some context clues and mnemonics.
techniques as often as possible.·In this case. they 5:hould ptaetice it by themselves
.
the teachers should
'
guide
them
to
teach
vocabulary techniques
comprehensively.
(3) Since the subjects of this research is
t~mied
on the senior high school srudepts
only; it is needed to conduct other different Sti\:!jects from higher level, sUch _a s·
university students for further research related to vocabularY mastery. Those
researches are hopefully valuable to be applied in
incr~.g
knowledge about the techniques of mastering English vocabulary.
students'
7·2
References
Amaudet, ML, and Ba.rrett, M.E. 1984. Approaches to Academic Reading and
J.Vr11mg. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc.
Brown, Dorolhy f . 1980. Advanced Vocabulary Teaching: The Problem of
CollocatJon. RELC Journal 5, l-11 .
Bruton. and Samuda. 1981 Guessing Word'i. Modem English TeKher 8; 3·18-21).
Chandrasegaran, Antonia. 1980. Teaching the corUexr clue appruach to
Meanmg. Gui~elns
3:61-68.
Bums, Robert 1994. 1ntroductirm to Research methods. Melbourne: Longman.
Donald. et al. 1979. Introduction to re: