CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1

Background of the study Vocabulary is one of major problems encountered by English foreign

language (EFL) learners. It is considered to be the most important aspect in foreign language learning. Many students fail to communicate effectively because they do not have sufficient vocabulary mastery. It is impossible if a person can express his/her ideas properly without a wide knowledge of vocabulary. In short, it can be said that the students who have good vocabulary mastery will be able to master the language skills well. Vocabulary plays the most important role in English learning. By mastering a large number of vocabulary items, students will be able to communicate easily and fluently in the target language. Benjamin and Crow (2009: 2) state that vocabulary is at the centre for our ability to communicate or to absorb new knowledge. Vocabulary has an important role in learning foreign language. There would not be possible if someone communicate with another people and have some diversity in sounds, pronunciation or structure without vocabulary. Hakim (2008: 113) explains that selection of words that you want to understand is the word that you really need in a conversation. In order to be able to communicate effectively, especially with native speaker, the learners should have enough vocabulary on their knowledge. In vocabulary teaching, teachers can apply a host of strategies and activities. According to Hatch and Brown (2000: 401), teaching strategies refer to 1

2 everything teachers do or should do in order to help their learners a language. By applying a teaching strategy, a teacher will employ depends on the time available, the content (i.e. the component of knowledge learners are to acquire), as well as on its value for the learner (i.e. which learning strategy he or she can learn or apply). Teaching strategies are also depending on specific principles and in correlation with other factors influencing vocabulary acquisition. Teaching vocabulary is a very challenging and interesting task for teachers. The teachers should be able to select the most appropriate way and tool to ensure the improvement of the students vocabulary mastery. Jeanne McCarten (2007: 3) states that teachers can use different ways to teach vocabulary such as: pictures, sounds and different text types with which can identify: stories, conversations, web pages, questionnaires, news reports, etc. The teachers must not only let their students know the importance of vocabulary but also how it will be important to the students personally. Based on the observation conducted, it was found that the students ability in vocabulary was very weak. There were several factors which caused their weaknesses. The first factor was frequently caused by the English teacher who did not realize the importance of vocabulary. In teaching vocabulary, the teacher just followed the instruction of students textbooks. In this case, the teacher was only explaining the material in the book, then giving the students some examples, and also asking questions from the textbook. The teacher did not try to expand the students vocabulary or gave more chance to the students to determine the meaning of some words in a text. Secondly, the low of the students motivation had become the most important factor for the weakness of the subject under

3 studied. It was found from the empirical observation, that the students did not have a strong motivation in learning English. Most of the students were afraid or scare of having an English class. They assumed that English was a difficult subject and did not important for them. As the effect, the students always got remedial programme because their score achievement was under minimum competency, or KKM which is 65. This reality is a paradox of what has been stated in the Junior High School curriculum. The last factor that affected the weaknesses of the students achievement in learning English vocabulary was the incomplete facilities and the low of teaching media that used by the teacher. This factor made the students bored because the teacher still using a traditional method and facilities in teaching and learning process. To solve the problems faced by the students, the teacher should try to apply a new technique of teaching vocabulary become more interesting and enjoyable to make the students happy in learning vocabulary. There are some techniques that can be applied in teaching vocabulary. One of the techniques which are considered more effective is Dictogloss Strategy. Dictogloss Strategy is a task-based procedure in helping students to use their vocabulary and grammar resources to reconstruct a text and become aware of their shortcomings and needs. It can be a fairly short, controlled activity or a more extended discovery activity. This strategy can motivate the students through cooperative learning because they work in group and interact within group. Furthermore, it also helps to stimulate students motivation by integrating the functions of testing and teaching when they offer their contribution to the group in the context of reconstruction stage.

4 In accordance with the above facts, the researcher is highly motivated to find out the effectiveness of Dictogloss Strategy in improving the students vocabulary mastery of seventh grade students of SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan in academic year 2012-2013.

1.2

Statement of Research Question Base on the background, the research question can be formulated as

follows: to what extent can the students vocabulary mastery of the seventh grade students of SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan in academic year 2012-2013 be improved through Dictogloss Strategy.

1.3

Purpose of the study Specific investigation purpose is to find a specific solution to the research

question. Based on research question above, this research study is intended to improve the mastering of vocabulary of the seventh grade students of SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan through Dictogloss Strategy.

1.4

Limitation of the study On account of this fact, challengers related to vocabulary mastery faced by

the subject of this study are definitely too broad and complex to be dealt with in a single study. Accordingly, in the present class action study the researcher, while acknowledging that there are many other useful strategies, limits his investigation to the teaching of vocabulary through Dictogloss Strategy to the seventh grade students of SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan in academic year 2012-2013. The present study is also limited to the students ability to recognize the meaning of the new vocabulary as suggested by the English teaching syllabus of Junior

5 high school. In this study, the students are taught about noun based on several topics, namely animals, public places, transportations and profession/ occupations.

1.5

Significance of the study The significance of this study can be viewed from both theoretical and

practical aspects, as describe bellow: 1. Theoretically, conducting a pedagogical research is of use in developing the theories of language teaching and learning. With respect to this consideration, it is expected that this study will be able to contribute to the application of linguistic theories especially to the teaching of English as a foreign language for Indonesian students. 2. Practically, the result of this study will be expected to give benefit for the students, teachers, researchers and for the institution, as follow: a. For the Students This research is expected to help the students in order to improve their vocabulary mastery and increase their motivation to study English. b. For the Teachers. This research is expected to give a contribution especially a new technique to the teacher as the way to improve the students vocabulary mastery. The outcome of this study is mean to give the English teacher a better understanding of the important of Dictogloss Strategy improving the students vocabulary mastery. It is expected that English teachers can use the right method and technique in teaching vocabulary and speaking skill in integrated way to improve the students acquisition of English.

6 c. For the Researchers Hopefully this study can be used as a reference in conducting some research study for obtaining better result. d. For the Institution The research is expected to be useful as a reference and to increase the number of catalogues in the library.

1.6

Assumptions Because of the limitation of time, finance, and the researchers ability, not

all variables can be controlled. In order to neutralize the compounding variables, it is essential to state some assumption as follows. 1. The seventh grade students of SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan were assumed to have the same level of English language ability. 2. The seventh grade students of SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan were assumed to have high motivation in learning English. 3. The English teachers of SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan are considered as professional and qualified enough in English teaching. 4. The researcher was assumed to be qualified enough in concluding the research. 5. The instruments which were used for collecting the data were assumed to be valid and reliable

1.7

Hypothesis The purpose of hypothesis is to provide a tentative proposition suggested to

any research problem of a study. The hypothesis is like a guiding material to

7 arrive at a certain conclusion. This will serve as the pathway to follow without wasting time or effort in looking for answers without any directions. This is a single aspect of thinking that will inform if something is true or not. Of course, in order to prove it, the researcher needs to run tests of researching. Based on the background of the study and the research question stated above, the hypothesis is stated as the following: the students vocabulary mastery can be improved through Dictogloss Strategy.

1.8

Definition of Key terms To give a clear understanding of terms use in this study, some operational

definition of the key terms is presented as follows: 1. Improving Improving can be defined as a progress of activities or action conducted through process from down points of knowledge level ability and value to higher level of understanding marked by gradual score in achieving target language both qualitatively or quantitatively. 2. Vocabulary Mastery Vocabulary is a list of words use in a book, usually with definition or translation. Vocabulary is the bulk of human language. In this study, vocabulary can be defined list of words which will be transferred. Mastery means having the skill or knowledge, which in this study refers to the students ability in finding the meaning of unfamiliar words of the new vocabulary. Therefore, in line with this study the word students mastery refers to the quality or the level of students understanding of the word use in context. The new words are selected

8 by the research based on the topics suggested by the English teaching syllabus of Junior High School. 3. Dictogloss Strategy Dictogloss is the integrated skills technique for language learning in which students work together to create a reconstructed version of a text read to them by their teacher (Jacobs and Small, 2003). In detail, dictogloss is a classroom dictation activity where the students listen to a passage, note down key words, and then work in group to create a reconstructed version of the text in the form of writing (Vasiljevic, 2010). 4. SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan SMP Satu Atap Negeri 2 Kubutambahan is defined as a senior high school which is located in Kubutambahan district, Singaraja regency, Bali province where the present study was conducted.

1.9

Theoretical Framework The fundamental theoretical framework can, to a great extent, minimize

versions of an ex post facto study. The present study is conducted on the ground of the following theoretical basic: 1. Conception of vocabulary 2. Classification of vocabulary 3. Teaching vocabulary 4. Dictogloss Strategy 5. Teaching vocabulary through Dictogloss Strategy 6. Assessment of vocabulary

9 All the above headings are briefly discussed in chapter II which deals with Review of Related Literature.