either communications breakdown altogether or else the student has to use some “repair strategy” such as expressing his meaning in a different way”.
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Such as what has Michael J. Wallace described in his book, the strategy can be the right answers. Some good teachers prepare a model lesson plan or different
method in teaching vocabulary.
1. The Meaning of Vocabulary
In some literature, the writer found the meaning of vocabulary. There are some definitions of vocabulary. A.S. Hornoby in: Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary of Current English” states that is: a
Total number of words, which with rules for combining them make up a language.
b Range of words known to, or used by, a person, in trade, professions, etc.
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Another dictionary, Webster’s New World College Dictionary, define vocabulary as a list of words and, often, phrases, abbreviations, inflectional forms,
etc, usually arranged in alphabetical order and defined or otherwise identified, as in a dictionary or glossary.
20
18
Michael J. Wallace, Teaching Vocabulary, London: Heinemann Education Books Ltd, 1982, p. 9
19
A.S. Hornoby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, Revised and Update ed, Oxford University Press, 1987, p. 959
20
Merriam- Webster, Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4
th
ed, Cleveland: Wiley Publising Inc, 2002, p. 1600
And also S.H. Burton state that: “vocabulary is the range of language of particular person, class, or profession”.
21
Meanwhile, B. Othanel Smith defined vocabulary as “the stock of words used by person, class, or profession”.
22
And C. Ralph Taylor states that: “vocabulary is a collection of words arranged alphabetically for reference and defined the special stock of employed by individual
or by an author”.
23
According to Penny Ur, vocabulary can be defined, roughly, as the word we teach in foreign language.
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Based on the definition above, the writer can conclude that vocabulary is a total number of words, which can be defined and identified. It cannot be separated
from people in all social level.
2. The Kinds of Vocabulary
Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman call those vocabularies as receptive vocabulary and productive vocabulary. ‘Receptive’ vocabulary to mean language
21
S.H. Burton, Mastering English Language, Washington DC: Macmillan Press Ltd, 1982, p. 99
22
B. Othanel Smith, The Language Art in Childhood Education New York: Rand Mc Nally and Company, 1971,p. 248
23
C. Ralph Taylor, Webster’s Home University Teaching, Washington DC Inc, 1965, p.1115
24
Penny Ur, A Course in Language Teaching, Practice and Theory, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960, p. 60
items which can only be recognized and comprehend in the context on reading and listening materials, and ‘productive’ vocabulary to be language items which the
learner can recall and use appropriately in speech and writing.
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Besides, Jo Ann Aeborsold and Marry Lee Field also classified vocabulary into topic- specific or content- specific vocabulary. Topic- specific or content-
specific vocabulary is the words that appear frequently in a particular text because they are related to the topic of the text.
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for example, in a text on the topic of ice cream, the words flavor, texture, cone, toppings and carton might appear frequently.
So, those words can we call as topic- specific or content- specific vocabulary. Meanwhile, according to Fries, vocabulary is divided into two, namely;
function and content words. The function words are a closed class, we cannot add to the prepositions or auxiliaries or modals or any structure word of the language. The
contents words, on the other hand, can be added to at any times as new inventions necessary.
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Caleb Gattegno also classified vocabulary into two kinds they are luxury vocabulary and semi- luxury vocabulary. Semi luxury is the words we would need to
get along with natives in the business of day- to- day life, which include food, clothing, travel, family life, outings and the like. While luxury vocabulary is the
25
Ruth Gairns and Stuart Redman, Working with Words ; A Guide to Teaching and Learning Vocabulary
, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986, p. 64-65
26
Jo Ann Aeborsold and Marry Lee Field, From Reader to Reading Teacher, Cambridge University Press, 1997, p. 139
words we would need in philosophical discussions, political arguments and sources of languages of professions and trades.
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3. The Way of Presenting New Vocabulary
