THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING AND

LEARNING VOCABULARY IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE SUBJECT AMONG ENGLISH
TEACHERS AND FORM 3 STUDENTS IN
SMK (FELDA) TENGGAROH
 INTRODUCTION

• Talking about the importance of vocabulary, the linguist David Wilkins argued that: "without grammar
little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed." Indeed, people need to use words
to express themselves in any language. Most learners, too, acknowledge the importance of vocabulary
acquisition. Based on experience as a teacher, it has been noticed the fact that students usually find it
difficult to speak English fluently. They usually consider speaking and writing activities exhausting
because they keep on using the same expressions and words and very soon their conversation is
abruptly interrupted due to missing words.
• Nowadays, there is more freedom in choosing the methods to be used during English classes. The
English syllabus is organized around both vocabulary and grammar structures. Since there is a certain
number of classes selected for each item in the syllabus, teachers usually have the necessary time to
insist on teaching and practicing vocabulary. Vocabulary is no longer treated as an add-on and teachers
become more aware of the importance of vocabulary and attention is paid to the grammar of words, to
collocations and to word frequency. Nevertheless, students still have difficulties in expressing
themselves fluently and still consider speaking tasks exhausting.
 PROBLEM STATEMENT

• Students usually found difficult to learn English. Sometimes, they avoid it. They
misunderstand instructions on tests and find instructions and teaching confusing. A lack
of vocabulary can be the cause of poor reading, writing and even speaking skills and
makes learning every part in English subject is challenging.
• Most of the problem that can be found in the speaking session for example, students
seem like cannot tell the teacher what they want to say or describe story lines. Being
able to retell a story using the words from the story may show the students need to do
extra work to remember vocabulary. Struggles to communicate what they are thinking.
This can be a lack of words to describe what they want to say.
• In terms of writing skill, students are directly writes bland essays
especially for the weak students. A good vocabulary supports the ability to
express yourself and communicate unique ideas. Uses the same words
over and over again. A lack of descriptive words, adjectives and adverbs
means students stick to the few words they know.
• Based on the statements above, a research has been done to actually
find the importance of teaching and learning vocabulary in English
language subject among secondary and why the students usually find it
difficult to speak, write and read English fluently.
 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
• The research has been done due to several objectives. The objectives of this research
are:
Identifying the importance of teaching vocabulary towards students based on 4 skills:
writing, speaking, listening and reading.
Identifying the importance of learning vocabulary towards students based on 4 skills:
writing, speaking, listening and reading.
Clarifying that vocabulary is the crucial and vital part to improve all 4 skills (writing,
speaking, listening and reading) in English language subject
 RESEARCH METHODS
• The research has been done in SMK (felda) Tenggaroh and the respondents is basically
30 students from class 3 Cendekiawan and 5 English teachers.
• The students were given set of sample questions. Students were asked 4 questions and
state their opinion. The questions basically based on the research topic.
• Students also were given a sample essay question. Students were divided into 2
categories which are one, the group that has been provided with related points and
various types of vocabulary and the other group only got the essay question and they
need to write a paragraph based on their prior knowledge and creativity.
 DATA ANALYSIS
• There are two types of data collection that have been analyzed throughout this
research:
 The first data is the responses given by selected students and teachers in sample
questions.
The other data is based on the different answers given by two categories of groups in
the class. The data has been analyzed based on the description and elaboration for all
points in the essays and this is for writing skill. For reading skill, students are given
several types of common vocabulary and complex vocabulary. Then, students need to
pronounce the word. Listening skill, students were given their listening test based on
two different stories and the last skill which is speaking, they are also given 2 different
topics to be told in the classroom.
ANALYSIS OBJECTIVE 1:

Identifying the importance of teaching vocabulary towards students based on 4 skills:

writing, speaking, listening and reading.
No of Question Questions Yes/ Agree No/Disagree

1 How students get the ideas to *Opinions *opinions

expend points in their essay?

2 Difficult words or easy words? *opinions *opinions

3 The different grammatical form of a

word known as inflections was one
of causes of student’s difficulties in 5 -
learning vocabulary. Yes or No?

4 Limited vocabulary leads to limited

elaboration in an essay? Yes or No? 4 1
ANALYSIS OBJECTIVE 2:

Identifying the importance of learning vocabulary towards students based on 4 skills: writing,
speaking, listening and reading.

No of Question Questions Yes/ Agree No/Disagree

1 In writing an essay, do you *Opinions *opinions

need pictures or words?

2 Difficult words or easy *opinions *opinions

words?
3 Students faced the
difficulties in pronouncing the
words because of the 25 5
differences between spoken
and written in English. Agree
or disagree?
4 Limited vocabulary leads to
limited elaboration in an 28 2
essay? Yes or No?
ANALYSIS OBJECTIVE 3:

Clarifying that vocabulary is the crucial and vital part to improve all 4 skills (writing,
speaking, listening and reading) in english language subject.

No of Question Questions Yes/ Agree No/Disagree

1 Pronunciation can be an issue when

students need to read a text. Agree 27 3
or disagree?

2 Wrong spelling of words are always

occurred in listening test. Yes or 26 4
No?

3 Grammar or sentences?
*opinion *opinion

4 Points will be repeated when

students have limited words choice. 26 4
Agree or Disagree?
 DISCUSSION
• Selected teachers answered that students will have more ideas if the question served with pictures. It is
even rather helpful if the question prepared with words. Students will try to combine the words to
create sentences. It is unnecessarily for the students to have and use the difficult words, but fair enough
if they just use the simple words in essay. All teachers also agree that grammar form is not an easy part
to be taught in classroom. For example, like, regular and irregular verb for past tense, students need to
memorize on their own to know the form of words. There is no specific formula that can be used to
teach the form.
• Students need more words compared to pictures. For them, words are very useful and helpful in all 4
skills. Even though, the simple words given in any questions, but they still can elaborate more on the
points if they have various types of words. Simple but yet understandable is the most preferable for
students in learning English language. Then, there are 25 students are facing with difficulties in
pronouncing the words because of the differences between spoken and written in English. In English,
sometime the pronunciation is different with the spelling or in other word, it can be said that the
pronunciation is sometimes not really associated to the spelling. 28 students said the limitation of
vocabulary can be the most basis issue when students need to expend their ideas.
• Students agree that pronunciation can be an issue when students need to read a text.
Students might have not listened to those words before, so they found that it is difficult to
pronounce the unfamiliar words. 26 students said ‘yes’ that wrong spelling of words are
always occurred in listening test because they might wrongly interpret the word that
have heard. Talking about all 4 skills, students preferred to choose more sentences
compared to correct grammatical rules. However, having limited vocabulary can be
course to the repetition point when students wants to deliver their points or ideas.
• It has been designed several techniques meant to help learners efficiently memorize
words and to help teachers make the process of learning easier for their students.
Repetition is an important technique in learning vocabulary. For the words to be kept as
long as possible in the memory, it is necessary that they be repeated at frequent periods
of time. However, repetition alone will not be effective. It must be accompanied by the
understanding of the meaning of those words and by correlation with other similar
already learnt words.
 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, vocabulary is the most required skill when learning english
language. It is on vocabulary that all the other skills, reading, writing,
speaking, and listening are based and developed. This chapter has shown
why it is important to teach and learn new words and why english
vocabulary is always helpful compared to pictures. Practicing vocabulary is
also strongly connected to apply vocabulary to students' real-life events.
When students experience the situation, it might help to be closer with the
words and directly memorize the words. Vocabulary is not the skill that
students can acquire in any exact time or duration. The effort to learn and
teach it should be continuous.