THE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING VOCABULARY MASTERY BY THE EIGHTH YEAR STUDENTS AT SMP MUHAMMADIYAH 6 SURAKARTAA IN 2014/2015 ACADEMIC YEAR PUBLICATION ARTICLE Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Getting Bachelor Degree of Education in English Department by RISKA TRI WAHYUN NI A320110020 SCHOOL OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF SURAKARTA 2015
THE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING VOCABULARY MASTERY BY THE EIGHTH YEAR STUDENTS AT SMP MUHAMMADIYAH 6 SURAKARTA IN 2014/2015 ACADEMIC YEAR Riska Tri Wahyuni Djoko Srijono Siti Fatimah English Department, Muhammadiyah University of Surakarka Email: rizkatriwahyuni06@gmail.com ABSTRACT The objectives of the study are to describe the strategies for improving vocabulary mastery by the eighth year students of SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surakarta. This study is a descriptive research. The data are taken from event, interview, and document. In collecting the data, the writer uses observation, interview, and document. The technique for analyzing data is data reduction, data display, and conclusion and verification.the results of this study are: (1) the strategies for improving vocabulary applied by the eighth year students are tutored and untutored environment; (2) the students are encouraged and motivated to learn English more, and (3) the students also have learning experience through their strategies. Keywords: learning strategies, improving vocabulary, vocabulary mastery ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan strategi untuk meningkatkan kosakata bahasa Inggris yang diterapkan siswa kelas delapan di SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surakarta tahun ajaran 2014/2015. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif. Data diambil dari kegiatan belajar mengajar, wawancara, dan dokumen. Penulis menggunakan observasi dan wawancara dalam pengumpulan data. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan meliputi reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan dan verifikasi. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah: (1) strategi yang diterapkan siswa untuk meningkatkan kosakata yang meliputi pembelajaran dengan guru dan mandiri; (2) siswa lebih terdorong dan termotivasi untuk belajar bahasa inggris; (3) siswa juga mempunyai pengalaman belajar berdasarkan strategi yang mereka terapkan. Kata kunci: strategi pembelajaran, pengembangan kosakata, penguasaan kosakata A. Introduction Human being living in the society needs language. It is an important means that help people make communication among individual or even
nation. As an international language, English is studied for science, politics, and as a school subject. In Indonesia, the English knowledge has been given not only in secondary school but also in elementary school even in kindergarten. Fauziati (2010: 61) states that vocabulary is the center of language. Learner cannot communicate fluently without sufficient vocabulary, they will find big problems in mastering vocabulary. Vocabulary is an important element to make someone more understand the language. It must be learned since the beginning that is from Junior High School in order that the students have chance to learn English. Related to English teaching learning process, language skill such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing needed a series of words that are called vocabulary. In other words vocabulary has an important role in English language teaching. Learners need the appropriate strategies to master vocabulary. According to Brown (2000: 122) opinion and styles are general characteristics that differentiate one individual from another, strategies are those specific attacks that we make employ to solve problem posed by second language input and output. The field of second language acquisition has distinguished between two types of strategy, learning strategy and communication strategy. The objectives of this study are to describe the strategies for improving vocabulary mastery by the eighth year students at SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surakarta in 2014/2015 Academic Year. This study has theoretical significance and practical significance. Theoretically, the result of this study can enrich the strategies for improving vocabulary mastery in Junior High School. Practically, the result of this study can be applied by teacher to provide better technique for teaching vocabulary so that the students are motivated and interested to learn more and can be used as a reference for other researchers in conducting otherresearch, especially research on teaching vocabulary.
Related to research on teaching vocabulary, Agustin Prawira (UMS, 2007) conducted a research entitled Teaching Vocabulary Using Illustration at the Seventh Year Student of SMP N Karangasih Sragen. The study shows that using illustration can improve the vocabulary mastery of the student and enjoy in teaching learning process. Secondly, Ernawati (UMS, 2002) has conducted a research about Teaching Vocabulary Using Picture at the First Year Student of MTs N Walen Simo Boyolali. The study shows the effectiveness of picture in English teaching-learning process. By using picture the students can improve the student s ability in vocabulary. The last research was done by Istiyani (UMS, 2004), entitled Teaching Vocabulary Using Games at Aisyah Kindergarten of Surakarta. The study shows that using games in English teaching learning process can improve the student s ability in vocabulary. Based on the researches above, the writer wants to apply study in different object. The object of this research is the strategies for improving vocabulary mastery by the students. Hopefully, it can find the effective solution to improve the vocabulary mastery of the second year at SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surakarta. From the reasons above, the writer is interested in conducting a research entitled THE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING VOCABULARY MASTERY BY THE EIGHTH YEAR STUDENTS AT SMP MUHAMMADIYAH 6 SURAKARTA IN 2014/2015 ACADEMIC YEAR. B. Research Method This study is a descriptive reasearch. The writer describes the strategies for improving vocabulary mastery done by the eighth year students at SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surakarta in 2014/2015 academic year. The subject of this study is the year students of SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surakarta. The writer takes the students of class VIII A which consists of 5students, including
four male students and one female student. They are the students which have good score in the class. The writer uses random sampling. The writer focuses on strategies for improving vocabulary mastery done by the eighth year students at SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surakarta in 2014/2015 academic year. The data are taken from event, interview, and document. In collecting the data, the writer employs observation, interview, and documentation. The method of collecting data is observation, interview, and documentation. The technique for analyzing data is data reduction, data display, and conclusion and verification. C. Research Finding and Discussion From the observation and interviewing that has been conducted, the strategies for improving vocabulary mastery done by the eighth year students at SMP Muhammadiyah 6 Surakarta in 2014/2015 academic year, resulted two kinds of strategies namely tutored and untutored environment. Tutored environment may take place in school with the teacher guidance. While untutored environment, the students learn individual by themselves such in their home. The specification of any individuals vocabulary knowledge depends on the person and his motivation, desires and need for the words. So the biggest responsibility in increasing the knowledge is on the individual himself. The success in widening the vocabulary mastery requires their own motivation and interest on the words of language. They master different amount of vocabulary. The vocabulary is acquired from their teacher at school or by independent learning. They know the meaning of vocabulary but cannot use them in a sentence correctly. In building a sentence, they just can make simple sentence such as; I can play football. They master vocabulary in three months. It starts from September to November 2014. They learn vocabulary at school and at home. At school, the process of learning takes place twice a week, at Monday and Tuesday. In one
week they learn vocabulary approximately eighty minutes at school and sixty minutes at home. In mastering vocabulary they are unique with their own characteristic especially their motivation. They have cognitive development. As stated by De Bevoise (1999: 146) that among the words of the child s early vocabulary, nouns are plentiful; while predicate forms (verb and adjective) are relatively rare. The most materials given are vocabulary, but noun is easier to come than verb or adjective. They acquire book, pencil and blackboard well than words like run, dancing and loudly. They only master the vocabulary without using it in a sentence or dialog. As they have done, they master English vocabulary around sixty. They master vocabulary during two months. Most of their vocabulary are noun. Strategy refers to a technique used to overcome some particular learning problem. In mastering vocabulary, the learners have a certain strategy. The learner uses strategy to make the improvement in mastering vocabulary easier. They use many strategies in mastering vocabulary. They are: 1. Tutored Environment In tutored environment, there are two strategies. Those are: a. Using Power Point By using Power Point, the learners are more interested in learning English and can increase their attention. Power Point can avoid the learner s boredom. Besides, it will be interesting for them in mastering vocabulary. b. Using Picture Picture is used to make the material clear and interesting. Learner can understand the explanation of the material in detail. The leaner feels fun and happy in learning English. 2. Untutored Environment In untutored Environment, there are four strategies. Those are:
a. Memorizing Memorizing vocabulary is an effective way in mastering new vocabulary. It can improve the number of vocabulary. b. Using Picture Using pictures which are completed with the name of things and interesting color can make the learner easy in understanding the meaning of vocabulary and memorizing it. c. Watching Cartoon Film The learner can hear a lot of vocabulary, although the learner does not know the meaning. Those words have been got in to their brain. So, the learner will be easy in mastering vocabulary. d. Using Song Lyric The learner which have hobby, listening to music, will search lyric of their favorite song. Then they will translate that lyric into Indonesian to understand the song. In addition, the learner has a lot of new vocabulary in their brain and also they feel very happy and fun in mastering vocabulary. Those strategies are used to improve their vocabulary in three months successfully. The students enjoy and motivate to learn English more. D. Conclusion Learners need the appropriate strategies in mastering vocabulary. Strategies that are opinion and styles are general characteristics that differentiate one individual from another, strategies are those specific attacks that we make employ to solve problem posed by second language input and output. The field of second language acquisition has distinguished between two types of strategy, learning strategy and communication strategy. The strategies can take place in tutored and untutored environment. Mastering vocabulary takes place in tutored environment by using power point and pictures with their teacher in the classroom while in untutored
environment they use memorizing, watching television, using pictures and song lyric by themselves. In doing those strategies, they are influenced by their motivation in learning English, besides supported by their family. Those strategies are successful; therefore they master ninety vocabulary in three months. Based on the handout from school, there are forty words. It proves that they have done those strategies successfully.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Brown, H. Douglas. 2000. Principle of Language Learning Teaching, Fourth Edition. New York: Longman. Ernawati, S. Surakarta. 2002. Teaching Vocabulary Using Picture at the First Year students of MTs N Walen Simo Boyolali: Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta. Fauziati, Endang. 2010. Teaching of English as a Foreign Language. Surakarta: PT. Era Pustaka Utama. Fauziati, Endang. 2010. Psycholinguistics: An Introduction. Surakarta: PT. Era Pustaka Utama. Istiani, Y. Surakarta. 2004. Teaching Vocabulary Using Game at Aisyah Kindergarten. Surakarta: Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta. Prawira, Agustin. Surakarta. 2007. Teaching Vocabulary Using Illustration at the Seventh Year Student of SMP N Karangasih Sragen. Surakarta: Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta.