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COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or
accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my
knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any
other person except where due the reference is made in the text.
Copyright@2013. Shinta Devi Amalia and Prof. Dr. Gusti Astika, M.A.
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the
permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of
Language and Literature, Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga.
Shinta Devi Amalia:
iv
TEACHERS’ S TECHNIQUES IN TEACHING VOCABULARY FOR
YOUNG LEARNERS IN SD AL-AZHAR SALATIGA
Shinta Devi Amalia
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the elementary school teachers‟ techniques
in teaching English to young learners. The research participants were two
elementary school English teachers in Salatiga. The data were collected using
classroom observation and a semi-structured interview which allows the
participants to share their thought and experiences in English teaching and
learning for young learners. The finding revealed that all of the teachers preferred
to use pictures and pronunciation drill as it was easier for them to introduce
vocabulary and check the students‟ written and spoken abilities.
Keywords: Teaching Vocabulary, Techniques, Young learners
Introduction
A very important part of learning English is mastering its vocabulary. There are four
language skills such as speaking, listening, reading and writing. In those skills vocabulary is
the building block. Hakuta (2001) said that the earlier children learn English, the better they
will be. Learning English and its vocabulary are two things that cannot be separated. Once a
student studies English, he or she must also learn the vocabulary. Besides the reason that
vocabulary is a part of a language, many experiments have proven that vocabulary is the key
to success. Now, the problem is, many students, especially young learners, face difficulty in
learning English vocabulary. I remembered the same problem when I entered Elementary
school. There were many vocabulary that students had to memorize, know and comprehend.
Therefore, strategies are needed to help English learners in vocabulary learning. Teachers
have to know the kind of strategies that are effective to teach vocabulary for young learners.
The strategies should encourage the students‟ willingness to learn English.
There are many strategies in teaching vocabulary for young learners, such as using
songs, short stories, toys and etc. Fun activities may help students to be more involved in
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learning English vocabulary because in general some activities can entertain children or
young learners. According to Harmer (1983:7), students will be highly motivated if they are
involved in the teaching learning process. The students‟ willingness will encourage them to
learn English because this enthusiasm comes from the student. Thornbury (2002:13)
concludes that without grammar a language can be conveyed a little, but without vocabulary
nothing can be conveyed. It means without sufficient vocabulary, one cannot express
meaning and communicate effectively in a particular language. A person cannot develop
his/her skills well if he/she does not have enough vocabulary.
Literature Review
Vocabulary are the collection of words that an individual knows. Vocabulary is
related to the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing (Nguyen & Khuat, 2003).
When people learn a language, they will also learn vocabulary. Learning vocabulary at an
early age is very important. Martin et.al (1985:88) define vocabulary as the part of language
that speakers most often adjust according to the situation within society, among different
people and changes from one situation to another as one word may have several different
meanings. Carter (1987:8) states that vocabulary is defined as the lexical unit of language
which has a form or expression that is associated with content. So, vocabulary has absolutely
something to do with the language which has form and expression. It also functions as a
means of communication. Speakers, who are involved in a conversation, use their vocabulary
in context as they will automatically adjust according to the situation. So, vocabulary is the
main tool in doing conversation.
Theories of teaching vocabulary
The use of Audio Visual Aids (AVA) is really useful to conduct a fun learning
(Kristiana, 2012). Essentially, the use of audio visual aids depends on the materials which are
going to be taught. Oxford (1990:8) defines strategy for learning vocabulary strategy as
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specific actions taken by the learners to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more
self-directed, and more transferable to new situation. Therefore, many strategies that can be
used in teaching vocabulary such as by songs, storytelling, and actions or role play etc. In line
with this Schmit (1997) says that vocabulary learning strategy is a part of language learning
strategy which in turn is a part of general learning strategies.
Techniques of teaching vocabulary in Elementary schools
In learning vocabulary, young learners cannot learn abstract things. They need to
touch and see things. Children are encouraged to become involved in purposeful and creative
activities with other children, to make major choices among hands-on learning activities, to
initiate and accomplish self-motivated tasks in a rich environment. There has been some
experts who point out that it is better to start the study of English as a Foreign Language
Learning (EFLL) before the critical period (12 or 13 years old) because it will build more
proficient speakers of English. In addition, young learners are very much linked to their
surroundings and are more interested in the physical and the tangible (Rivers, 1964). It is true
that, “their own understanding comes through hands and eyes and ears. The physical world is
dominant at all times” (Scott & Ytreberg, 1990, p.2). Zokaee (2012) found that vocabulary
learning strategies that worked for Iranian learners was visual style. Learners are easier to
learn vocabulary using visual style. It means that learners are easier to receive or add
vocabulary through something they can see or touch.
There are several kinds of strategies that can be used by the teachers to help their
students learn English vocabulary words. One of the strategies is using realia to teach
concrete items as it is easier to show rather than explain the meaning. According to Milone
(2003) realia include objects, actions, concrete materials, „real‟ factors and activities of every
category. Gower et al. (2005) suggested that in teaching vocabulary, it is better to use real
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things rather than rely on wordy explanations and discussions. Concrete items can create the
teaching-learning activity more enjoyable and lively.
The second strategy is by using mimes and gestures. Mime is particularly useful to
illustrate actions such as drawing or painting, walking, running, etc. Some teachers seem to
be particularly gifted in this area, but it should also be done with more practice. This
technique can also be used to check the students‟ understanding about what they have learned
in the classroom by asking them to point at something, to act (swimming, crying, dancing), to
touch or hold up something, or to make a face or gesture (to indicate yes or no, maybe).
Beside those strategies, there is also another strategy, which is, using pictures. Wright
(2007) stated that a picture as a visual representation of mind can better affect students in
learning a language. Students predict, deduce and infer, not only from what they hear and
read but also from what they see around them. Pictures also play an important role in
motivating students, contextualizing the language they are using, giving them a reference and
in helping to discipline the activity. In general, pictures can help the teachers and students in
teaching and learning vocabulary, and other aspects of language. In consequence, pictures
can help students to imagine the real object. Wright (2007) denotes five roles of pictures in
speaking and writing. First, pictures can motivate the students in learning vocabulary.
Second, pictures contribute to the context which the language is being used. Third, pictures
can also be described in an objective way („this is a train‟) or interpreted („it‟s probably a
regular train‟) or responded to subjectively („I like traveling by train‟). Besides, pictures can
prompt responses to questions or prompt substitutions through controlled practice. The last is
pictures can provide information to be referred to in conversation, discussion and storytelling.
According to research conducted by Mart (2012), using stories in teaching vocabulary are
highly motivated to young learners; stories can also create a happy and enjoyable learning
environment. Children like stories, and they find stories easy to access and understand. That‟s
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why stories can be an ideal source for young learners in effective language learning. Learning
vocabulary using stories can give big opportunity to the students to master vocabulary.
According to research conducted by Tavil & Isisag (2009), games are also a good way
to promote vocabulary teaching. Games help and encourage students to maintain their interest
and work. Games are often associated with fun which can reduce anxiety, thus the acquisition
of in out are more likely to occur. Game also helps the teacher to create context in which the
language is useful and meaningful. When the students take part in a game, they must
understand what others are saying or have written, and they must speak or write in order to
express their own point of view or give information (Wright et al., 2002). If the students can
perform the game properly, it is accepted that games can provide intense and meaningful
practice of language, and then they must be regarded as central to a teachers‟ repertoire.
Amato & Patricia (1995) affirmed that games are sometimes used in classroom to develop
and reinforce concepts (e.g. colors, shapes, numbers, word definitions), to add diversion to
the regular classroom activities, and even to break the ice. Games contribute to vocabulary
learning if teachers give students a chance to learn, practice and to review the English
language in a pleasant atmosphere.
Nguyen & Khuat (2003) mentioned three advantages of games in vocabulary teaching
and learning. First, games bring in relaxation and fun for students, thus help them learn and
retain new words more easily. Second, games usually involve friendly competition and they
keep learners interested. These created the motivation for non-English students to get
involved and participate actively in the learning activities. The last, vocabulary games bring
real world context into the classroom, and enhance students‟ use of English in a flexible,
communicative way.
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Characteristics of young learners
According to scoot and Ytreberg (1991), an elementary school usually consists of
students from seven up to twelve years old who are enthusiastic to know and learn
everything, they construct their physical knowledge about their environment through the use
of their sense to perceive object properties. Furthermore, Wadsworth (1979) said that children
in approximate age seven to eleven are in the stage of concrete operations. In this stage
children start to give reason, but the ability to reason is based on tangible objects and direct
experiences. Brown (2001) points out that learning characteristic of young learners are really
important to be noticed in order to conduct successful teaching and learning. He states that
young learners are easily engaged with physical activities that capture their immediate
interest. The teachers should consider learning characteristics of young learners in order to
achieve the learning goals.
Research Question
Based on the discussion above, my research question for this study was, “What are the
techniques used by the teachers to teach vocabulary for young learners?”
Purpose of Research
The various techniques for teaching vocabulary have been discussed above; games,
stories, pictures, mimes and gestures, and realia. Based on the theory given, the purpose of
my study was to describe what kinds of techniques were used to teach vocabulary especially
in elementary schools.
Significance of the Research
This study was expected to provide knowledge about techniques in teaching of
vocabulary at elementary schools. Also, it was possible for the elementary school English
teachers in making their vocabulary teaching become more efficient. In addition, the
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description of techniques might also be useful for teachers in Elementary level in preparing
students-teachers in becoming creative teachers.
The Study
This study was a descriptive study to describe the elementary school teachers‟
techniques in teaching vocabulary for young learners. The setting of the study was an
elementary school located in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia.
Participants of the study
The participants of this study were two English teachers in SD Al-Azhar Salatiga. The
participants were selected based on a purposive sampling or criterion-based selection
(Blackledge, 2001 as cited in Zacharias, 2011). I selected the teachers purposefully who
fulfilled the criteria; elementary school English teachers who graduated from English
Education and who have been teaching English in elementary school for more than one year.
In the discussion, the participants were named as A and Teacher B.
Research Instrument
This study aimed to describe the teacher‟s techniques to teach vocabulary in Al-Azhar
Salatiga. To gather the information from the teachers, this study used observations and
interviews. In addition, the type of observation used was a non-participant observation. As
the instrument, I used field notes which described the teachers‟ techniques in teaching
grammar. Meanwhile, a semi-structured interview or “interview guided approach” (Patton,
1990) was another technique for collecting the data. The instrument of this study was the
interview questions that elicited of teacher‟s reasons of using the techniques.
Data Collection Procedure
The observation was held ten times in five classes. Each class was observed two times.
During the observation, I recorded the activity or learning and teaching process between the
teacher and the students using a video recorder. The observation was held in order to see the
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real teaching learning process. It was hoped that the data gathered were rich and reliable.
During the observation, I focused more on what was happening in class, and had enough
time to get the data from the class.
After I have done with class observation, I did an interview to the same teachers that
I had observed before. The semi-structured interview (Patton, 1990) was the techniques to
collect the data. My intention of using this kind of technique was to make greater flexibility
like changing the order of questions to provide opportunity for follow-up questions. The
interviews were conducted to seek specific information on teachers‟ strategies in teaching
vocabulary for young learners. The interviews were conducted in informal situations where
the interviewer and the interviewee sat to create natural conversations in order to encourage
the teachers to recount their experiences, opinions, and free responses (Seliger&Shohamy,
1989). The interview was 15-20 minutes on average and it was recorded. The interview was
held after the each observation and I finished doing the observation and interviews in three
weeks.
Data Analysis Procedure
I used clean transcription method in transcribing the data gathered from observations
and interviews. As stated by Zacharias (2011), a clean transcription of interview focuses on
the content of the interview. Then, the transcriptions were coded based on the kinds of
techniques used. The quoted examples from the data collected were used to support each
point in the process of analyzing the data. The data were analyzed descriptively, and some
supporting theories were included in the analysis.
Finding and Discussion
This section discusses the elementary school teachers‟ techniques in teaching
vocabulary for young learners in Salatiga. The techniques were identified from the discussion
of the literature review by Zokaee (2012), Milone (2013), Gower et al. (2005), Wright
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(2007), Mart (2012), Tavil & Isisag (2009), (Wright et al., 2002), Amato & Patricia (1995),
and Nguyen & Khuat (2003). There were games, stories, pictures, mimes and gestures, and
realia techniques as discussed in the following discussion.
When I observed the teaching-learning process in class, the teachers used some
techniques in teaching vocabulary for their students. I found eight techniques that the teachers
used in teaching vocabulary.
1.
Repeating
The first technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was repeating. Repeating
technique was used when the teacher was teaching vocabulary related to adjectives and verbs
in a story. This technique was presented by Teacher A, as seen below:
Teacher
: Now, let’s read after Miss Mega. Princess Trina was a clever girl, but
she didn’t like to go to school.
Students
: Princess Trina was a clever girl, but she didn’t like to go to school.
Teacher A intended to teach adjectives and verbs. She told the students to repeat the
words or sentences she said. Teacher A explained in the interview that repeating is an
important technique to teach vocabulary to elementary school‟s students because the students
could memorize the vocabulary taught well through repetition. During the interview, the
Teacher A said that by using technique of repetition students can know the meaning and how
to pronounce the words. In the interview, the Teacher A said,
I use repeating biar students lebih tau meaningnya dan pengucapannya. Jadi siswa
lebih cepat menghafal, karena lebih banyak mereka practice, lebih cepat juga anak
belajar vocabulary.
From the interview, it was revealed that teacher A used repetition to make the learners
comfortable with the material given. The repetition needed in the teaching vocabulary is also
9
discussed in Freeman (2000) who said that Learners who come from educational
backgrounds where rote learning and repetition are common practice will feel comfortable
with drilling. Thus, the teacher used the technique of repeating to make students easier to
memorize the vocabulary. Repetition could help the students memorize the vocabulary and
understand the meaning better.
2.
Pronunciation drill
The second technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was pronunciation drill
(Thornbury, 2006). This technique was used when the teacher B was teaching adjective. This
technique was presented by Teacher B, as seen below:
Teacher : Look at the page of 38, look at on the pictures, ok repeat after me...Repeat
after me… “Funny”
Students : Funny (not clear)
Teacher : Funny
Students : Funny (quite clear)
Based on the observation, I found that the Teacher B drilled the students in learning
vocabulary. Teacher A explained in the interview that pronunciation drill was an important
technique to teach vocabulary to elementary school‟s students. During the interview, the
teachers said that young learners learn English better through pronunciation drill. According
to the Teacher B, pronunciation drill can be used to introduce vocabulary to the students. Inq
the interview, the Teacher B said, in the following statement,
Ya, I see. Jadi miss mega pake drilling, first untuk mengenalkan kosa kata dulu
kepada siswa, setelah they know , students practice speaking, pronounce, jadi biar
anak tahu, oh tulisannya funy bacanya fanny.
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In the same way, Teacher B said,
Anak-anak tahu real context misalnya gambar cupboord di handbook anak-anak udah
ada gambar almari dibawahnya ada tulisan cupboard, jadi anak-anak tahu, cupboard
itu almari, bacanya harus gini, dengan dia melihat gambar dan praktek bicara.
The teachers used pictures to teach vocabulary because the teachers knew that pictures
could engage students‟ attention. Using pictures that could be seen by the teacher made the
students easier to memorize and master the vocabulary. It was supported by Wright (2007)
who said that picture as a visual representation of mind can better affect students in learning a
language. In accordance with Wright‟s (2007) statement, Rivers(1964) said that young
learners are very much linked to their surroundings and are more interested in the physical
and the tangible.
4.
Using Gestures
The fourth technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was using gestures.
Based on the observation teacher B used some gestures in teaching vocabulary to the
students. This technique was presented by teacher B when teaching the word of short. The
Teacher B showed the gesture by using her hands, as seen below:
Student A
: short itu apa?
Teacher
: apa coba?
Teacher
:Kalau ini long (showing the gesture using her hands, jadi ini apa?)
Students
: pendek miss
Teacher
: Good, pinter
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The duck is white
The goat is brown
During the interview, Teacher A explained,
Sebenernya tujuannya sama ya, untuk mempermudah siswa belajar vocabulary,
karena mereka itu masih usia yg kecil…, Cuma kalo listening lebih bervariasi dan
memang karena kita juga harus mengajarkan skill listening.
Teacher B also had the same opinion to Teacher A, she said,
Jadi listening itu merupakan salah satu strategi lain to catch the students attention.
guru di Al azhar dituntut untuk kreatif, jadi bisa menarik siswa untuk belajar bahasa
inggris gitu. Karena biar anak tidak bosan, variasi dalam pembelajaran, jadi anak
tidak bosan dan yang paling penting attract students to study English biar bahasa
inggris tidak menjadi momok, kaya jaman saya dulu.
Teacher A and B had the same opinions that by using a recording could make the
lesson more interesting and make the students enjoy learning English. The purpose was to
make students learn English in a fun way. In accordance with the teachers‟ statements,
Gordon (2007) said that by listening the same words for several times will help them to
segment the utterance into individual words.
6.
Using Songs
The sixth technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was using song. Based
on the observation teacher B used song in teaching vocabulary to the students. Furthermore,
Gordon (2007) said that using TPR, song and games are suggested in the second language
classroom. This technique was presented by teacher B, Teacher B and the students sang the
song together, as seen below:
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The greeting song: Good morning, good morning, good afternoon, good evening,
good evening, good night, good night, nice to meet you, nice to meet you to, good bye,
good bye see you, see you later.
During the interview about his reason of using songs, the teacher B explained,
Ya mereka itu masih anak-anak dan suka bermain-main. Mereka itu sedang proses
penyesuaian dari TK ke SD. Jadi kita harus pandai-pandai membuat activity yang
benar-benar bisa membuat anak senang. Dengan song mereka tidak merasa sedang
belajar, tapi sesungguhnya mereka itu sedang belajar. Kalau dikasih lagu gitu anakanak cepat hafal and learn some vocabulary dari lagu itu.
Based on the interview, using songs aimed to make the vocabulary more memorable
and create a relaxed atmosphere in class. The uses of songs were really appropriate materials
for children. The Teacher B also said that songs were very appropriate to teach vocabulary
for young learners, that‟s why using songs in vocabulary classes needed because young
learners liked songs and they learnt something by songs easily. In line with the teacher,
Abbott, (2002) cited in Gordon, (2007) said that using songs helped to create a relaxed
atmosphere during the learning process. In addition, using songs made the learning process
memorable.
7.
Read aloud
The seventh technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was read aloud. The
teacher used this technique when she was teaching vocabulary about verbs. This technique
was presented by Teacher A, as seen below:
{Look at the verbs in the box, read aloud with (bareng) Miss Mega. Teacher asks students to
read aloud together verbs in the table}
Students and Teacher
: go to bed
15
Students and Teacher : Play in the snow
Students and Teacher : look at
Students and Teacher : put on
It showed that Teacher A asked the students to read aloud the verb together, in the
interview, she said,
Biar students lebih tau meaningnya dan pengucapannya. Jadi siswa lebih cepat
menghafal, karena lebih banyak mereka practice, lebih cepat juga anak belajar
vocabulary. Iya, biar anak speak up.
The Teacher A asked the students to read aloud. The students had to pronounce words
and practice reading loudly. When they read, the teacher checked the students‟ pronunciation,
so the teacher knew the pronunciation was correct or not. According to Zokaee (2012) she
said that vocabulary learning strategies that worked for Iranian learners was using read aloud.
The students are asked to read aloud while reading the material in their handbook. Thus, the
students can see what they read and practice reading loudly.
8.
Using Hints / Clues
The ninth technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was using hint/clue. The
Teacher A used this technique in teaching vocabulary about colors. This technique was
presented by Teacher A when teaching colors, as seen below:
Students
: Miss brown itu apa?
Teacher
: Brown itu sama kaya warna mejamu itu. . .
Students
: Coklat miss?
Teacher
: Iya
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During the interview about the reason of using hints/clues, the Teacher A explained,
Ini terkait dengan giving clue, jadi seperti kemarin akbar Tanya brave apa miss?
Saya tidak akan menjawab brave is berani, but seperti kemarin saya bilang… kalau
lihat hantu lari, berarti tidak brave. Dengan ini siswa akan lebih lama mengingat
vocabnya.
Based on the interview, gave hints/ clues to teach vocabulary because the teacher
knew that hints/clues could make the students memorize the vocabulary longer. The Teacher
A thought that this technique was effective enough to convey students to stimulate
vocabulary knowledge of the students. Thus, the teacher preferred to give hints/clues rather
than explain the word to teach the vocabulary.
Conclusion
This study found out the elementary school teachers‟ techniques in teaching
vocabulary for young learners. According to the research findings, there were eight
techniques of teaching vocabulary that emerged from the observations; repeating,
pronunciation drill, pictures, listening to the recording, gestures, songs, reading aloud, and
giving hints/clues. The teachers used those techniques to teach vocabulary to the students
with two main reasons, to make the vocabulary more memorable and students more
enthusiastic in learning vocabulary. The teachers believed that teaching could not be
successfully done if young learners did not have any interest of English learning.
As a pedagogical implementation from the findings, it will be better if English
teachers use AVA (such as pictures, video, songs, puzzle, etc) which is supported by some
interactive teaching strategies in their teaching. To conduct a pleasant English learning, the
teachers should know young learners‟ emotion. English teachers have to create a warm
atmosphere in the classroom by considering the learners‟ feelings, needs, and emotion.
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Elementary English teachers should be creative. They have to get young learners‟ attention to
achieve the goal of learning. In addition, the teachers also need to create lesson plans to
manage their whole teaching and learning and to guide them achieve the teaching objectives.
Thus, the teaching and learning process will be well-managed and fun.
There are two limitations in this study. The first one is this study focused on teaching
context in Salatiga. Second, this study involved a small number of participants; further
research may extent the number of the participants to cover more issues in teaching
vocabulary. I would also suggest that it needs to do further research that looks at what
techniques that the teachers used in teaching vocabulary to elementary schools‟ students. It is
hoped that this study can encourage more studies to be conducted at other teaching contexts
where there is a need for English.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This thesis would not have been finished without the support of many people. I wish
to express my gratitude to my new supervisor, Prof. Dr. Gusti Astika, M.A., who was
abundantly helpful and patience in guiding me to finish this thesis in a limited time. Deepest
gratitude also goes to Listyani, S. Pd., M. Hum, as my thesis examiner. Without whose
knowledge and assistance this study would not have been completed. I would like to thank
the English elementary school teachers in Al- Azhar who were willing to share all their
thought, experiences and knowledge for this thesis. I also wish to express my love and
gratitude to my beloved family who always supported me. Special thanks also go to niners,
especially Lutfi (lutpek) and taupan who also supported me with their prayers. All my best I
give to Allah SWT that I can finish this study.
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Appendix A
Observation transcript
The situation: in class V A (2x35 minutes – tadarus 15 minutes)
T: teacher
Ss: Students
1st situation
Praying 1minute(The teacher prepare the material that will be given for the students, then
teacher asks one of the students to write the date of today on the whiteboard, and the teacher
start asking theprevious homework. in 4 minutes )
T: Bu mega ulang, apa aja yang termasuk adverb of sequences? Apa saja yang anak-anak sudah
pelajari kemarin tentang adverb of sequence? Apa aja?
Ss: First, Next, Then, After that
T: First, Next, Then, after that and the last one is???
Ss: Finally
T: Ok excellent… Finally . . . . then what is the function, fungsinya apa?
Ss: Merapikan kalimat..
T: betul sekali, untuk merapikan kalimat supaya step-stepnya kelihatan, ok it‟s very easy for you….
Ok, kalau anak” sudah sampai halaman 36, anak” itu otomatis sudah bisa mngerjakan ini, tinggal
dikasih adverb of sequences, ok… I will start from… mas caca…
Caca(S): first princess trina got up at ten o‟clock.
T: ok, first princess trina got up at ten o‟clock, look at your sentences, so we use first..
Next she wrote a letter to price peter, so you use next. (Yang belum dikerjakan langsung dikerjaan,
jangan lupa untuk memakai adverb of sequences and verb 2 karena past tense) Yasmin, using and then
Yasmin(S):And then, he had breakfast with the king and the queen or the parents.
T: After that she swam on the river, anak” bilang took a bath on the river boleh.
Finally she went to bed,,, trus apa?
22
Ss: at 8 o‟clock o‟clock, boleh she slept at 8 o‟clock…
T: okta, it‟s easy right?
Gilang gampang kan, nugroho kalau tidak dikerjakan kalian tidak akan belajar, Dewa any question?
Dewa(S): no
T: no question?? So ulangannya besok seperti ini, di ingat‟ kalau past verb pake verb brapa/
Ss: verb 2 atau past tense… (6 minutes)
2nd situation (The teacher ask the students to open the handbook and start teaching reading
skills (fill in the blank trough the vocabulary given and asks the students to read aloud by giving
the vocabulary first, still relating to the adverb of sequences.) 2 minutes
T: Now, open the pupils book on pages 38..
Pupils book on page 38
Look at the page of 38, look at on the pictures, ok repeat after me..repeat after me…
Funny
Ss: Funny
T: Handsome
Ss: handsome
T: What is funny?
Ss: hmmmmm….
T: Lucu or laughing, you can say two boys are laughing
T: Soft
Ss: Soft
T: Soft is lembut
Now look at the table and repeat after me:
T: drank
Ss: drank
23
T: Ran
Ss: Ran
T: first
SS: First
T: ate
Ss: ate
T: funny
Ss: funny
T: soft
Ss: soft
T: clever
Ss: clever
T: handsome
Ss: handsome
T: after that
Ss: after that
T: sekarang dibaca sama-sama
Ss: (read aloud the vocabulary)
T: Ask them to do a reading exercise by filling the blank paragraph, and ask… (ada yang g tau artine
yang di dalam kotak, adverb of sequences atau kata kerjanya tanya bu mega?)
S: Bu, drank itu minum?
T: yes drank is minum, drank bentuk kedua dari drink (5minutes)
(Students do the exercise, (10 minutes) after finishing their work, they discuss together and Miss
mega asks some students to read aloud and discuss the correct answer and the meaning of the text) (5
minutes)
24
S: Princess TRina was a clever girl, but she didn‟t like to go to school. Her handsome brother Brin,
didn‟t like to go to school either. He wasn‟t clever, but trina like him because he was handsome and
funny. One sunny day, Trina ran out of the castle and walked up the mountain to her brother brin‟s
cave. First, (teacher said) Trina and brin, drank (kalau water diapakan) some water and ate some
bread. Then Brin told some exciting stories and some funny jokes. Finally, they sat outside on the
soft grass. Trina asked a lot of questions but Brin didn‟t know the answers. The next day, they went to
school together to find out the answers to Trina‟s questions.
(The teacher repeats the sentences one by one and discusses with students the meaning of each
sentence) 8 minutes
3rd situation (Listening section, the teacher asks the students to open the work book and start
teaching the material for listening, the material is still relating to the adverb sequences and past
tense. ) 15 minutes for listening section
T: now open your work book
Please open page … listen and tick!!
Look at the picture and see the question, lihat pertanyaannya…
T: Number one, Ok look at the 2nd picture, What was it like? Appearance nya number 2 kaya gitu?
Appearance nya seperti apa? Appearance is penampilannya.. look at picture nomor 2..
T: okey, next.. what was it about? Apa artinya?
Ss: tentang apa
T: Iya, Tentang apakah itu?
Ss: cinema, go to cinema
T: What did sue think about the film? Happy, shocked, little upset, scary is afraid, afraid is takut?
Ss: upset itu apa bu?
T: siapa tau upset? Upset is kecewa atau dissapointed?
(Students listen to the recording and put a tick on the workbook, teacher write the important thing
like the story like on the workbook on the white board),
The teacher play the cassette 2 times and after finishing they discuss together, discuss the difficult
words and do drilling and translate it into bahasa Indonesia.
25
E.g. What was it like?
Sue saw a film, what was is about? Tentang apa ceritanya?
What did Sue think of the film? Sad? happy?
When discussing the difficult words or new words, the teacher tells the meaning and uses the gesture,
T: cave (she said cave while using gesture in showing the shape of cave)
26
Appendix B
Questions for the interview
1.
What is your reason of using pronunciation drill?
2.
What is your reason of using repeating?
3.
What is your reason of using pictures?
4.
What is your reason of using listening to the recording?
5.
What is your reason of using songs?
6.
What is your reason of using gestures?
7.
What is your reason of using read aloud?
8.
What is your reason of using hint/clue?
27
Apendix C
Excerpt from a thesis participant
A: Mengapa miss mega menguunakan strategi “drilling” dalam pengajaran vocabulary ke anak-anak?
B: Ya, I see. Jadi miss mega pake drilling, first untuk mengenalkan kosa kata dulu kepada siswa,
setelah they know , students practice speaking, pronounce, jadi biar anak tahu, oh tulisannya funy
bacanya fanny.
A: Selain itu kan dalam practice drilling ada gambar juga dalam handbook yang digunakan , kenapa
miss mega juga menggunakan picture dalam mengajar vocabulary?
B: Picture, anak-anak akan sangat mudah belajar vocab dengan see something, belajar dengan sesuatu
yang bisa dia lihat. Jadi, selain anak-anak practice speaking they know the meaning by seeing the
picture.
Drank (gambar minum)
A: kalau applying in the sentence itu alasannya miss mega kenapa? Jadi misalnya, kata “drank” miss
mega minta anak” membuat kalimat dengan kata drank
B: Kalau applied in the sentence itu, tujuane anak-anak biar tambah mudeng, mengerti oh drank itu
minum.
A: Oh ya , miss mega kan juga ask students to repeat, contohnya gini.. kaya yg pas kmaren blajar
reading soal Brin and Trina.. Itu kenapa miss mega menggunakan strategi repeating?
B: Repeating, biar students lebih tau meaningnya dan pengucapannya. Jadi siswa lebih cepat
menghafal, karena lebih banyak mereka practice, lebih cepat juga anak belajar vocabulary.
A: kenapa miss yani menggunakan strategi dengan member clue/hint dalam mengajar vocabulary?
B: Iya, saya lebih suka begitu jadi anak itu tidak malasa berfikir, coba kalau siswa Tanya short apa
miss, saya langsung jawab, sampe besok kan anak g mau mikir dan nggampangke. Jadi kaya mba
shinta bilang tadi, short apa miss/ saya use gesture ___________ this is long, kalau ___ gini apa?they
28
will know the meaning of short by melihat itu. Jadi anak-anak akan belajar vocab lebih cepat dan
masuk dalam ingatannya.
A: Kalau listening to recording miss, knapa Nada menggunakan strategy ini?
B: sebenernya tujuannya sama ya, untuk mempermudah siswa belajar vocabulary, karena mereka itu
masih usia yg kecil…, Cuma kalo listening lebih bervariasi dan memang karena kita juga harus
mengajarkan skill listening.
A: Miss kenapa pake lagu?
B: Ya mereka itu masih anak-anak dan suka bermain-main. Mereka itu sedang proses penyesuaian
dari TK ke SD. Jadi kita harus pandai-pandai membuat activity yang benar-benar bisa membuat anak
senang. Dengan song mereka tidak merasa sedang belajar, tapi sesungguhnya mereka itu sedang
belajar. Kalau dikasih lagu gitu anak-anak cepat hafal and learn some vocabulary dari lagu itu.
29
30
iii
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or
accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my
knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any
other person except where due the reference is made in the text.
Copyright@2013. Shinta Devi Amalia and Prof. Dr. Gusti Astika, M.A.
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the
permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of
Language and Literature, Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga.
Shinta Devi Amalia:
iv
TEACHERS’ S TECHNIQUES IN TEACHING VOCABULARY FOR
YOUNG LEARNERS IN SD AL-AZHAR SALATIGA
Shinta Devi Amalia
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the elementary school teachers‟ techniques
in teaching English to young learners. The research participants were two
elementary school English teachers in Salatiga. The data were collected using
classroom observation and a semi-structured interview which allows the
participants to share their thought and experiences in English teaching and
learning for young learners. The finding revealed that all of the teachers preferred
to use pictures and pronunciation drill as it was easier for them to introduce
vocabulary and check the students‟ written and spoken abilities.
Keywords: Teaching Vocabulary, Techniques, Young learners
Introduction
A very important part of learning English is mastering its vocabulary. There are four
language skills such as speaking, listening, reading and writing. In those skills vocabulary is
the building block. Hakuta (2001) said that the earlier children learn English, the better they
will be. Learning English and its vocabulary are two things that cannot be separated. Once a
student studies English, he or she must also learn the vocabulary. Besides the reason that
vocabulary is a part of a language, many experiments have proven that vocabulary is the key
to success. Now, the problem is, many students, especially young learners, face difficulty in
learning English vocabulary. I remembered the same problem when I entered Elementary
school. There were many vocabulary that students had to memorize, know and comprehend.
Therefore, strategies are needed to help English learners in vocabulary learning. Teachers
have to know the kind of strategies that are effective to teach vocabulary for young learners.
The strategies should encourage the students‟ willingness to learn English.
There are many strategies in teaching vocabulary for young learners, such as using
songs, short stories, toys and etc. Fun activities may help students to be more involved in
1
learning English vocabulary because in general some activities can entertain children or
young learners. According to Harmer (1983:7), students will be highly motivated if they are
involved in the teaching learning process. The students‟ willingness will encourage them to
learn English because this enthusiasm comes from the student. Thornbury (2002:13)
concludes that without grammar a language can be conveyed a little, but without vocabulary
nothing can be conveyed. It means without sufficient vocabulary, one cannot express
meaning and communicate effectively in a particular language. A person cannot develop
his/her skills well if he/she does not have enough vocabulary.
Literature Review
Vocabulary are the collection of words that an individual knows. Vocabulary is
related to the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing (Nguyen & Khuat, 2003).
When people learn a language, they will also learn vocabulary. Learning vocabulary at an
early age is very important. Martin et.al (1985:88) define vocabulary as the part of language
that speakers most often adjust according to the situation within society, among different
people and changes from one situation to another as one word may have several different
meanings. Carter (1987:8) states that vocabulary is defined as the lexical unit of language
which has a form or expression that is associated with content. So, vocabulary has absolutely
something to do with the language which has form and expression. It also functions as a
means of communication. Speakers, who are involved in a conversation, use their vocabulary
in context as they will automatically adjust according to the situation. So, vocabulary is the
main tool in doing conversation.
Theories of teaching vocabulary
The use of Audio Visual Aids (AVA) is really useful to conduct a fun learning
(Kristiana, 2012). Essentially, the use of audio visual aids depends on the materials which are
going to be taught. Oxford (1990:8) defines strategy for learning vocabulary strategy as
2
specific actions taken by the learners to make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, more
self-directed, and more transferable to new situation. Therefore, many strategies that can be
used in teaching vocabulary such as by songs, storytelling, and actions or role play etc. In line
with this Schmit (1997) says that vocabulary learning strategy is a part of language learning
strategy which in turn is a part of general learning strategies.
Techniques of teaching vocabulary in Elementary schools
In learning vocabulary, young learners cannot learn abstract things. They need to
touch and see things. Children are encouraged to become involved in purposeful and creative
activities with other children, to make major choices among hands-on learning activities, to
initiate and accomplish self-motivated tasks in a rich environment. There has been some
experts who point out that it is better to start the study of English as a Foreign Language
Learning (EFLL) before the critical period (12 or 13 years old) because it will build more
proficient speakers of English. In addition, young learners are very much linked to their
surroundings and are more interested in the physical and the tangible (Rivers, 1964). It is true
that, “their own understanding comes through hands and eyes and ears. The physical world is
dominant at all times” (Scott & Ytreberg, 1990, p.2). Zokaee (2012) found that vocabulary
learning strategies that worked for Iranian learners was visual style. Learners are easier to
learn vocabulary using visual style. It means that learners are easier to receive or add
vocabulary through something they can see or touch.
There are several kinds of strategies that can be used by the teachers to help their
students learn English vocabulary words. One of the strategies is using realia to teach
concrete items as it is easier to show rather than explain the meaning. According to Milone
(2003) realia include objects, actions, concrete materials, „real‟ factors and activities of every
category. Gower et al. (2005) suggested that in teaching vocabulary, it is better to use real
3
things rather than rely on wordy explanations and discussions. Concrete items can create the
teaching-learning activity more enjoyable and lively.
The second strategy is by using mimes and gestures. Mime is particularly useful to
illustrate actions such as drawing or painting, walking, running, etc. Some teachers seem to
be particularly gifted in this area, but it should also be done with more practice. This
technique can also be used to check the students‟ understanding about what they have learned
in the classroom by asking them to point at something, to act (swimming, crying, dancing), to
touch or hold up something, or to make a face or gesture (to indicate yes or no, maybe).
Beside those strategies, there is also another strategy, which is, using pictures. Wright
(2007) stated that a picture as a visual representation of mind can better affect students in
learning a language. Students predict, deduce and infer, not only from what they hear and
read but also from what they see around them. Pictures also play an important role in
motivating students, contextualizing the language they are using, giving them a reference and
in helping to discipline the activity. In general, pictures can help the teachers and students in
teaching and learning vocabulary, and other aspects of language. In consequence, pictures
can help students to imagine the real object. Wright (2007) denotes five roles of pictures in
speaking and writing. First, pictures can motivate the students in learning vocabulary.
Second, pictures contribute to the context which the language is being used. Third, pictures
can also be described in an objective way („this is a train‟) or interpreted („it‟s probably a
regular train‟) or responded to subjectively („I like traveling by train‟). Besides, pictures can
prompt responses to questions or prompt substitutions through controlled practice. The last is
pictures can provide information to be referred to in conversation, discussion and storytelling.
According to research conducted by Mart (2012), using stories in teaching vocabulary are
highly motivated to young learners; stories can also create a happy and enjoyable learning
environment. Children like stories, and they find stories easy to access and understand. That‟s
4
why stories can be an ideal source for young learners in effective language learning. Learning
vocabulary using stories can give big opportunity to the students to master vocabulary.
According to research conducted by Tavil & Isisag (2009), games are also a good way
to promote vocabulary teaching. Games help and encourage students to maintain their interest
and work. Games are often associated with fun which can reduce anxiety, thus the acquisition
of in out are more likely to occur. Game also helps the teacher to create context in which the
language is useful and meaningful. When the students take part in a game, they must
understand what others are saying or have written, and they must speak or write in order to
express their own point of view or give information (Wright et al., 2002). If the students can
perform the game properly, it is accepted that games can provide intense and meaningful
practice of language, and then they must be regarded as central to a teachers‟ repertoire.
Amato & Patricia (1995) affirmed that games are sometimes used in classroom to develop
and reinforce concepts (e.g. colors, shapes, numbers, word definitions), to add diversion to
the regular classroom activities, and even to break the ice. Games contribute to vocabulary
learning if teachers give students a chance to learn, practice and to review the English
language in a pleasant atmosphere.
Nguyen & Khuat (2003) mentioned three advantages of games in vocabulary teaching
and learning. First, games bring in relaxation and fun for students, thus help them learn and
retain new words more easily. Second, games usually involve friendly competition and they
keep learners interested. These created the motivation for non-English students to get
involved and participate actively in the learning activities. The last, vocabulary games bring
real world context into the classroom, and enhance students‟ use of English in a flexible,
communicative way.
5
Characteristics of young learners
According to scoot and Ytreberg (1991), an elementary school usually consists of
students from seven up to twelve years old who are enthusiastic to know and learn
everything, they construct their physical knowledge about their environment through the use
of their sense to perceive object properties. Furthermore, Wadsworth (1979) said that children
in approximate age seven to eleven are in the stage of concrete operations. In this stage
children start to give reason, but the ability to reason is based on tangible objects and direct
experiences. Brown (2001) points out that learning characteristic of young learners are really
important to be noticed in order to conduct successful teaching and learning. He states that
young learners are easily engaged with physical activities that capture their immediate
interest. The teachers should consider learning characteristics of young learners in order to
achieve the learning goals.
Research Question
Based on the discussion above, my research question for this study was, “What are the
techniques used by the teachers to teach vocabulary for young learners?”
Purpose of Research
The various techniques for teaching vocabulary have been discussed above; games,
stories, pictures, mimes and gestures, and realia. Based on the theory given, the purpose of
my study was to describe what kinds of techniques were used to teach vocabulary especially
in elementary schools.
Significance of the Research
This study was expected to provide knowledge about techniques in teaching of
vocabulary at elementary schools. Also, it was possible for the elementary school English
teachers in making their vocabulary teaching become more efficient. In addition, the
6
description of techniques might also be useful for teachers in Elementary level in preparing
students-teachers in becoming creative teachers.
The Study
This study was a descriptive study to describe the elementary school teachers‟
techniques in teaching vocabulary for young learners. The setting of the study was an
elementary school located in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia.
Participants of the study
The participants of this study were two English teachers in SD Al-Azhar Salatiga. The
participants were selected based on a purposive sampling or criterion-based selection
(Blackledge, 2001 as cited in Zacharias, 2011). I selected the teachers purposefully who
fulfilled the criteria; elementary school English teachers who graduated from English
Education and who have been teaching English in elementary school for more than one year.
In the discussion, the participants were named as A and Teacher B.
Research Instrument
This study aimed to describe the teacher‟s techniques to teach vocabulary in Al-Azhar
Salatiga. To gather the information from the teachers, this study used observations and
interviews. In addition, the type of observation used was a non-participant observation. As
the instrument, I used field notes which described the teachers‟ techniques in teaching
grammar. Meanwhile, a semi-structured interview or “interview guided approach” (Patton,
1990) was another technique for collecting the data. The instrument of this study was the
interview questions that elicited of teacher‟s reasons of using the techniques.
Data Collection Procedure
The observation was held ten times in five classes. Each class was observed two times.
During the observation, I recorded the activity or learning and teaching process between the
teacher and the students using a video recorder. The observation was held in order to see the
7
real teaching learning process. It was hoped that the data gathered were rich and reliable.
During the observation, I focused more on what was happening in class, and had enough
time to get the data from the class.
After I have done with class observation, I did an interview to the same teachers that
I had observed before. The semi-structured interview (Patton, 1990) was the techniques to
collect the data. My intention of using this kind of technique was to make greater flexibility
like changing the order of questions to provide opportunity for follow-up questions. The
interviews were conducted to seek specific information on teachers‟ strategies in teaching
vocabulary for young learners. The interviews were conducted in informal situations where
the interviewer and the interviewee sat to create natural conversations in order to encourage
the teachers to recount their experiences, opinions, and free responses (Seliger&Shohamy,
1989). The interview was 15-20 minutes on average and it was recorded. The interview was
held after the each observation and I finished doing the observation and interviews in three
weeks.
Data Analysis Procedure
I used clean transcription method in transcribing the data gathered from observations
and interviews. As stated by Zacharias (2011), a clean transcription of interview focuses on
the content of the interview. Then, the transcriptions were coded based on the kinds of
techniques used. The quoted examples from the data collected were used to support each
point in the process of analyzing the data. The data were analyzed descriptively, and some
supporting theories were included in the analysis.
Finding and Discussion
This section discusses the elementary school teachers‟ techniques in teaching
vocabulary for young learners in Salatiga. The techniques were identified from the discussion
of the literature review by Zokaee (2012), Milone (2013), Gower et al. (2005), Wright
8
(2007), Mart (2012), Tavil & Isisag (2009), (Wright et al., 2002), Amato & Patricia (1995),
and Nguyen & Khuat (2003). There were games, stories, pictures, mimes and gestures, and
realia techniques as discussed in the following discussion.
When I observed the teaching-learning process in class, the teachers used some
techniques in teaching vocabulary for their students. I found eight techniques that the teachers
used in teaching vocabulary.
1.
Repeating
The first technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was repeating. Repeating
technique was used when the teacher was teaching vocabulary related to adjectives and verbs
in a story. This technique was presented by Teacher A, as seen below:
Teacher
: Now, let’s read after Miss Mega. Princess Trina was a clever girl, but
she didn’t like to go to school.
Students
: Princess Trina was a clever girl, but she didn’t like to go to school.
Teacher A intended to teach adjectives and verbs. She told the students to repeat the
words or sentences she said. Teacher A explained in the interview that repeating is an
important technique to teach vocabulary to elementary school‟s students because the students
could memorize the vocabulary taught well through repetition. During the interview, the
Teacher A said that by using technique of repetition students can know the meaning and how
to pronounce the words. In the interview, the Teacher A said,
I use repeating biar students lebih tau meaningnya dan pengucapannya. Jadi siswa
lebih cepat menghafal, karena lebih banyak mereka practice, lebih cepat juga anak
belajar vocabulary.
From the interview, it was revealed that teacher A used repetition to make the learners
comfortable with the material given. The repetition needed in the teaching vocabulary is also
9
discussed in Freeman (2000) who said that Learners who come from educational
backgrounds where rote learning and repetition are common practice will feel comfortable
with drilling. Thus, the teacher used the technique of repeating to make students easier to
memorize the vocabulary. Repetition could help the students memorize the vocabulary and
understand the meaning better.
2.
Pronunciation drill
The second technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was pronunciation drill
(Thornbury, 2006). This technique was used when the teacher B was teaching adjective. This
technique was presented by Teacher B, as seen below:
Teacher : Look at the page of 38, look at on the pictures, ok repeat after me...Repeat
after me… “Funny”
Students : Funny (not clear)
Teacher : Funny
Students : Funny (quite clear)
Based on the observation, I found that the Teacher B drilled the students in learning
vocabulary. Teacher A explained in the interview that pronunciation drill was an important
technique to teach vocabulary to elementary school‟s students. During the interview, the
teachers said that young learners learn English better through pronunciation drill. According
to the Teacher B, pronunciation drill can be used to introduce vocabulary to the students. Inq
the interview, the Teacher B said, in the following statement,
Ya, I see. Jadi miss mega pake drilling, first untuk mengenalkan kosa kata dulu
kepada siswa, setelah they know , students practice speaking, pronounce, jadi biar
anak tahu, oh tulisannya funy bacanya fanny.
10
In the same way, Teacher B said,
Anak-anak tahu real context misalnya gambar cupboord di handbook anak-anak udah
ada gambar almari dibawahnya ada tulisan cupboard, jadi anak-anak tahu, cupboard
itu almari, bacanya harus gini, dengan dia melihat gambar dan praktek bicara.
The teachers used pictures to teach vocabulary because the teachers knew that pictures
could engage students‟ attention. Using pictures that could be seen by the teacher made the
students easier to memorize and master the vocabulary. It was supported by Wright (2007)
who said that picture as a visual representation of mind can better affect students in learning a
language. In accordance with Wright‟s (2007) statement, Rivers(1964) said that young
learners are very much linked to their surroundings and are more interested in the physical
and the tangible.
4.
Using Gestures
The fourth technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was using gestures.
Based on the observation teacher B used some gestures in teaching vocabulary to the
students. This technique was presented by teacher B when teaching the word of short. The
Teacher B showed the gesture by using her hands, as seen below:
Student A
: short itu apa?
Teacher
: apa coba?
Teacher
:Kalau ini long (showing the gesture using her hands, jadi ini apa?)
Students
: pendek miss
Teacher
: Good, pinter
12
The duck is white
The goat is brown
During the interview, Teacher A explained,
Sebenernya tujuannya sama ya, untuk mempermudah siswa belajar vocabulary,
karena mereka itu masih usia yg kecil…, Cuma kalo listening lebih bervariasi dan
memang karena kita juga harus mengajarkan skill listening.
Teacher B also had the same opinion to Teacher A, she said,
Jadi listening itu merupakan salah satu strategi lain to catch the students attention.
guru di Al azhar dituntut untuk kreatif, jadi bisa menarik siswa untuk belajar bahasa
inggris gitu. Karena biar anak tidak bosan, variasi dalam pembelajaran, jadi anak
tidak bosan dan yang paling penting attract students to study English biar bahasa
inggris tidak menjadi momok, kaya jaman saya dulu.
Teacher A and B had the same opinions that by using a recording could make the
lesson more interesting and make the students enjoy learning English. The purpose was to
make students learn English in a fun way. In accordance with the teachers‟ statements,
Gordon (2007) said that by listening the same words for several times will help them to
segment the utterance into individual words.
6.
Using Songs
The sixth technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was using song. Based
on the observation teacher B used song in teaching vocabulary to the students. Furthermore,
Gordon (2007) said that using TPR, song and games are suggested in the second language
classroom. This technique was presented by teacher B, Teacher B and the students sang the
song together, as seen below:
14
The greeting song: Good morning, good morning, good afternoon, good evening,
good evening, good night, good night, nice to meet you, nice to meet you to, good bye,
good bye see you, see you later.
During the interview about his reason of using songs, the teacher B explained,
Ya mereka itu masih anak-anak dan suka bermain-main. Mereka itu sedang proses
penyesuaian dari TK ke SD. Jadi kita harus pandai-pandai membuat activity yang
benar-benar bisa membuat anak senang. Dengan song mereka tidak merasa sedang
belajar, tapi sesungguhnya mereka itu sedang belajar. Kalau dikasih lagu gitu anakanak cepat hafal and learn some vocabulary dari lagu itu.
Based on the interview, using songs aimed to make the vocabulary more memorable
and create a relaxed atmosphere in class. The uses of songs were really appropriate materials
for children. The Teacher B also said that songs were very appropriate to teach vocabulary
for young learners, that‟s why using songs in vocabulary classes needed because young
learners liked songs and they learnt something by songs easily. In line with the teacher,
Abbott, (2002) cited in Gordon, (2007) said that using songs helped to create a relaxed
atmosphere during the learning process. In addition, using songs made the learning process
memorable.
7.
Read aloud
The seventh technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was read aloud. The
teacher used this technique when she was teaching vocabulary about verbs. This technique
was presented by Teacher A, as seen below:
{Look at the verbs in the box, read aloud with (bareng) Miss Mega. Teacher asks students to
read aloud together verbs in the table}
Students and Teacher
: go to bed
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Students and Teacher : Play in the snow
Students and Teacher : look at
Students and Teacher : put on
It showed that Teacher A asked the students to read aloud the verb together, in the
interview, she said,
Biar students lebih tau meaningnya dan pengucapannya. Jadi siswa lebih cepat
menghafal, karena lebih banyak mereka practice, lebih cepat juga anak belajar
vocabulary. Iya, biar anak speak up.
The Teacher A asked the students to read aloud. The students had to pronounce words
and practice reading loudly. When they read, the teacher checked the students‟ pronunciation,
so the teacher knew the pronunciation was correct or not. According to Zokaee (2012) she
said that vocabulary learning strategies that worked for Iranian learners was using read aloud.
The students are asked to read aloud while reading the material in their handbook. Thus, the
students can see what they read and practice reading loudly.
8.
Using Hints / Clues
The ninth technique that the teacher used to teach vocabulary was using hint/clue. The
Teacher A used this technique in teaching vocabulary about colors. This technique was
presented by Teacher A when teaching colors, as seen below:
Students
: Miss brown itu apa?
Teacher
: Brown itu sama kaya warna mejamu itu. . .
Students
: Coklat miss?
Teacher
: Iya
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During the interview about the reason of using hints/clues, the Teacher A explained,
Ini terkait dengan giving clue, jadi seperti kemarin akbar Tanya brave apa miss?
Saya tidak akan menjawab brave is berani, but seperti kemarin saya bilang… kalau
lihat hantu lari, berarti tidak brave. Dengan ini siswa akan lebih lama mengingat
vocabnya.
Based on the interview, gave hints/ clues to teach vocabulary because the teacher
knew that hints/clues could make the students memorize the vocabulary longer. The Teacher
A thought that this technique was effective enough to convey students to stimulate
vocabulary knowledge of the students. Thus, the teacher preferred to give hints/clues rather
than explain the word to teach the vocabulary.
Conclusion
This study found out the elementary school teachers‟ techniques in teaching
vocabulary for young learners. According to the research findings, there were eight
techniques of teaching vocabulary that emerged from the observations; repeating,
pronunciation drill, pictures, listening to the recording, gestures, songs, reading aloud, and
giving hints/clues. The teachers used those techniques to teach vocabulary to the students
with two main reasons, to make the vocabulary more memorable and students more
enthusiastic in learning vocabulary. The teachers believed that teaching could not be
successfully done if young learners did not have any interest of English learning.
As a pedagogical implementation from the findings, it will be better if English
teachers use AVA (such as pictures, video, songs, puzzle, etc) which is supported by some
interactive teaching strategies in their teaching. To conduct a pleasant English learning, the
teachers should know young learners‟ emotion. English teachers have to create a warm
atmosphere in the classroom by considering the learners‟ feelings, needs, and emotion.
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Elementary English teachers should be creative. They have to get young learners‟ attention to
achieve the goal of learning. In addition, the teachers also need to create lesson plans to
manage their whole teaching and learning and to guide them achieve the teaching objectives.
Thus, the teaching and learning process will be well-managed and fun.
There are two limitations in this study. The first one is this study focused on teaching
context in Salatiga. Second, this study involved a small number of participants; further
research may extent the number of the participants to cover more issues in teaching
vocabulary. I would also suggest that it needs to do further research that looks at what
techniques that the teachers used in teaching vocabulary to elementary schools‟ students. It is
hoped that this study can encourage more studies to be conducted at other teaching contexts
where there is a need for English.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This thesis would not have been finished without the support of many people. I wish
to express my gratitude to my new supervisor, Prof. Dr. Gusti Astika, M.A., who was
abundantly helpful and patience in guiding me to finish this thesis in a limited time. Deepest
gratitude also goes to Listyani, S. Pd., M. Hum, as my thesis examiner. Without whose
knowledge and assistance this study would not have been completed. I would like to thank
the English elementary school teachers in Al- Azhar who were willing to share all their
thought, experiences and knowledge for this thesis. I also wish to express my love and
gratitude to my beloved family who always supported me. Special thanks also go to niners,
especially Lutfi (lutpek) and taupan who also supported me with their prayers. All my best I
give to Allah SWT that I can finish this study.
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Appendix A
Observation transcript
The situation: in class V A (2x35 minutes – tadarus 15 minutes)
T: teacher
Ss: Students
1st situation
Praying 1minute(The teacher prepare the material that will be given for the students, then
teacher asks one of the students to write the date of today on the whiteboard, and the teacher
start asking theprevious homework. in 4 minutes )
T: Bu mega ulang, apa aja yang termasuk adverb of sequences? Apa saja yang anak-anak sudah
pelajari kemarin tentang adverb of sequence? Apa aja?
Ss: First, Next, Then, After that
T: First, Next, Then, after that and the last one is???
Ss: Finally
T: Ok excellent… Finally . . . . then what is the function, fungsinya apa?
Ss: Merapikan kalimat..
T: betul sekali, untuk merapikan kalimat supaya step-stepnya kelihatan, ok it‟s very easy for you….
Ok, kalau anak” sudah sampai halaman 36, anak” itu otomatis sudah bisa mngerjakan ini, tinggal
dikasih adverb of sequences, ok… I will start from… mas caca…
Caca(S): first princess trina got up at ten o‟clock.
T: ok, first princess trina got up at ten o‟clock, look at your sentences, so we use first..
Next she wrote a letter to price peter, so you use next. (Yang belum dikerjakan langsung dikerjaan,
jangan lupa untuk memakai adverb of sequences and verb 2 karena past tense) Yasmin, using and then
Yasmin(S):And then, he had breakfast with the king and the queen or the parents.
T: After that she swam on the river, anak” bilang took a bath on the river boleh.
Finally she went to bed,,, trus apa?
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Ss: at 8 o‟clock o‟clock, boleh she slept at 8 o‟clock…
T: okta, it‟s easy right?
Gilang gampang kan, nugroho kalau tidak dikerjakan kalian tidak akan belajar, Dewa any question?
Dewa(S): no
T: no question?? So ulangannya besok seperti ini, di ingat‟ kalau past verb pake verb brapa/
Ss: verb 2 atau past tense… (6 minutes)
2nd situation (The teacher ask the students to open the handbook and start teaching reading
skills (fill in the blank trough the vocabulary given and asks the students to read aloud by giving
the vocabulary first, still relating to the adverb of sequences.) 2 minutes
T: Now, open the pupils book on pages 38..
Pupils book on page 38
Look at the page of 38, look at on the pictures, ok repeat after me..repeat after me…
Funny
Ss: Funny
T: Handsome
Ss: handsome
T: What is funny?
Ss: hmmmmm….
T: Lucu or laughing, you can say two boys are laughing
T: Soft
Ss: Soft
T: Soft is lembut
Now look at the table and repeat after me:
T: drank
Ss: drank
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T: Ran
Ss: Ran
T: first
SS: First
T: ate
Ss: ate
T: funny
Ss: funny
T: soft
Ss: soft
T: clever
Ss: clever
T: handsome
Ss: handsome
T: after that
Ss: after that
T: sekarang dibaca sama-sama
Ss: (read aloud the vocabulary)
T: Ask them to do a reading exercise by filling the blank paragraph, and ask… (ada yang g tau artine
yang di dalam kotak, adverb of sequences atau kata kerjanya tanya bu mega?)
S: Bu, drank itu minum?
T: yes drank is minum, drank bentuk kedua dari drink (5minutes)
(Students do the exercise, (10 minutes) after finishing their work, they discuss together and Miss
mega asks some students to read aloud and discuss the correct answer and the meaning of the text) (5
minutes)
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S: Princess TRina was a clever girl, but she didn‟t like to go to school. Her handsome brother Brin,
didn‟t like to go to school either. He wasn‟t clever, but trina like him because he was handsome and
funny. One sunny day, Trina ran out of the castle and walked up the mountain to her brother brin‟s
cave. First, (teacher said) Trina and brin, drank (kalau water diapakan) some water and ate some
bread. Then Brin told some exciting stories and some funny jokes. Finally, they sat outside on the
soft grass. Trina asked a lot of questions but Brin didn‟t know the answers. The next day, they went to
school together to find out the answers to Trina‟s questions.
(The teacher repeats the sentences one by one and discusses with students the meaning of each
sentence) 8 minutes
3rd situation (Listening section, the teacher asks the students to open the work book and start
teaching the material for listening, the material is still relating to the adverb sequences and past
tense. ) 15 minutes for listening section
T: now open your work book
Please open page … listen and tick!!
Look at the picture and see the question, lihat pertanyaannya…
T: Number one, Ok look at the 2nd picture, What was it like? Appearance nya number 2 kaya gitu?
Appearance nya seperti apa? Appearance is penampilannya.. look at picture nomor 2..
T: okey, next.. what was it about? Apa artinya?
Ss: tentang apa
T: Iya, Tentang apakah itu?
Ss: cinema, go to cinema
T: What did sue think about the film? Happy, shocked, little upset, scary is afraid, afraid is takut?
Ss: upset itu apa bu?
T: siapa tau upset? Upset is kecewa atau dissapointed?
(Students listen to the recording and put a tick on the workbook, teacher write the important thing
like the story like on the workbook on the white board),
The teacher play the cassette 2 times and after finishing they discuss together, discuss the difficult
words and do drilling and translate it into bahasa Indonesia.
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E.g. What was it like?
Sue saw a film, what was is about? Tentang apa ceritanya?
What did Sue think of the film? Sad? happy?
When discussing the difficult words or new words, the teacher tells the meaning and uses the gesture,
T: cave (she said cave while using gesture in showing the shape of cave)
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Appendix B
Questions for the interview
1.
What is your reason of using pronunciation drill?
2.
What is your reason of using repeating?
3.
What is your reason of using pictures?
4.
What is your reason of using listening to the recording?
5.
What is your reason of using songs?
6.
What is your reason of using gestures?
7.
What is your reason of using read aloud?
8.
What is your reason of using hint/clue?
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Apendix C
Excerpt from a thesis participant
A: Mengapa miss mega menguunakan strategi “drilling” dalam pengajaran vocabulary ke anak-anak?
B: Ya, I see. Jadi miss mega pake drilling, first untuk mengenalkan kosa kata dulu kepada siswa,
setelah they know , students practice speaking, pronounce, jadi biar anak tahu, oh tulisannya funy
bacanya fanny.
A: Selain itu kan dalam practice drilling ada gambar juga dalam handbook yang digunakan , kenapa
miss mega juga menggunakan picture dalam mengajar vocabulary?
B: Picture, anak-anak akan sangat mudah belajar vocab dengan see something, belajar dengan sesuatu
yang bisa dia lihat. Jadi, selain anak-anak practice speaking they know the meaning by seeing the
picture.
Drank (gambar minum)
A: kalau applying in the sentence itu alasannya miss mega kenapa? Jadi misalnya, kata “drank” miss
mega minta anak” membuat kalimat dengan kata drank
B: Kalau applied in the sentence itu, tujuane anak-anak biar tambah mudeng, mengerti oh drank itu
minum.
A: Oh ya , miss mega kan juga ask students to repeat, contohnya gini.. kaya yg pas kmaren blajar
reading soal Brin and Trina.. Itu kenapa miss mega menggunakan strategi repeating?
B: Repeating, biar students lebih tau meaningnya dan pengucapannya. Jadi siswa lebih cepat
menghafal, karena lebih banyak mereka practice, lebih cepat juga anak belajar vocabulary.
A: kenapa miss yani menggunakan strategi dengan member clue/hint dalam mengajar vocabulary?
B: Iya, saya lebih suka begitu jadi anak itu tidak malasa berfikir, coba kalau siswa Tanya short apa
miss, saya langsung jawab, sampe besok kan anak g mau mikir dan nggampangke. Jadi kaya mba
shinta bilang tadi, short apa miss/ saya use gesture ___________ this is long, kalau ___ gini apa?they
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will know the meaning of short by melihat itu. Jadi anak-anak akan belajar vocab lebih cepat dan
masuk dalam ingatannya.
A: Kalau listening to recording miss, knapa Nada menggunakan strategy ini?
B: sebenernya tujuannya sama ya, untuk mempermudah siswa belajar vocabulary, karena mereka itu
masih usia yg kecil…, Cuma kalo listening lebih bervariasi dan memang karena kita juga harus
mengajarkan skill listening.
A: Miss kenapa pake lagu?
B: Ya mereka itu masih anak-anak dan suka bermain-main. Mereka itu sedang proses penyesuaian
dari TK ke SD. Jadi kita harus pandai-pandai membuat activity yang benar-benar bisa membuat anak
senang. Dengan song mereka tidak merasa sedang belajar, tapi sesungguhnya mereka itu sedang
belajar. Kalau dikasih lagu gitu anak-anak cepat hafal and learn some vocabulary dari lagu itu.
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