remembering the words. Remembering them is not enough. Students have to know the meaning. Knowing words means knowing its denotative
meaning and some aspects surround them.
e. Learning Vocabulary
Vocabulary mastery is an important thing in order to master four major skills in English. Vocabulary is the basic knowledge to be able to
master English. Wilkins in Thornbur y 2002: 13 “without grammar very
little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.” Learning vocabulary does not only occur in one time of learning.
In vocabulary learning, until one certainly knows a word it requires meeting it more than one time and one circumstance. Lightbown and
Spada 2006: 100 say that learners usually need to encounter a word many times in order to learn it well enough to recognize it in new context
or produce it in their own speaking and writing. Learning vocabulary needs a process. In order to make an effective
process, the learner should be in the effective condition of acquiring vocabulary. Thornbury 2002: 2 adds that the condition should help
learners to acquire a critical mass of words to use in both understanding and producing language. In addition, it will enable them to remember
word over time and be able to recall them readily. Hedgcock and Ferris 2009: 285 add that learning a word involves process layers of meaning, a
set of syntactic rules and co nstraints that is, the word’s grammar, as well
as the socially constructed patterns governing how, where and when to use the word appropriately.
In order to attend effective learning of vocabulary, other thing need to consider are what kinds of vocabulary and how much vocabulary needs
to be learnt, especially which is suitable for the students. High frequency words are dominantly fit for the beginner of English learner. This view is
supported by Nation 2008: 7 who said that the most group of words is the high frequency words of the language. Therefore, the high frequency
words are worth to be learned to enrich vocabulary mastery.
f. Teaching Vocabulary
Teaching of vocabulary should not interrupt the whole lesson. Nunan 2003:135, states that one of the difficulties in planning the
vocabulary components of a course is making sure that it does not overwhelm other essential parts of the course.
Harmer 1991: 62 explains that teaching vocabulary is not only teaching new meaning of words but also teaching how to spell and how to
pronounce the words. Elliot et.al. 1996: 384 supports that vocabulary refers to the meaning of words and pronunciation. According to Cameron
2001: 75, a person is said to know a word if they can recognize its meaning when they see it.
There are some principles proposed by Brown 2001:377 in teaching vocabulary. He mentions some guidelines for the communicative
treatment of vocabulary instruction:
