Vocabulary is one of the language components that must be mastered by language students in the language study. This belongs to one of the most important components beside grammar, pronunciation, spelling, and orthographic symbols. Vocabulary is important because it is very needed in mastering all language skills. No one language skill mastery is without the mastery of it. Students need sufficient vocabularies to be skillful in each skill. They, for instance, will be skillful in listening when they are able to identify and catch up several words by heart. Without the ability, it is very difficult to comprehend any words pronounced by speakers. Then, they will be able to speak well when they have a lot of vocabulary stocks. How they can speak if they do not retain such stocks that should be recalled any times because they should produce novel utterance to communicate. Also, this case will be the same in reading comprehension mastery. How to comprehend reading passages if the vocabulary properties do not suffice. This may be possible to comprehend reading materials by guessing but not all words can be guessed. For that reason, the mastery of it becomes crucial. And the last skill that needs vocabulary is writing. Although writing is not only putting words into paper but it is very impossible to write down ideas without vocabularies wanted. From such explanation, it is reliable to say that vocabulary is one of the most important language components.
Richards (2001:4) says vocabulary is one of the most apparent components of language and one of the first thing applied linguists turn their attention to. The number of words studied by foreign or second language learners depends on the objective of the study, and the amount of time available for learning. Educated native speakers may learn around 17,000 words, but there is a much large number of words that can be learnt in a language study. Not all the words that the native speakers know are absolutely useful for foreign or second language learners who have only limited time available for learning.
Gattegno cited by Richards (1992:101) sees vocabulary as a central aspect of language learning and the choice of vocabulary is fundamental. He identifies vocabularies into three classes namely semi-luxury, luxury, and functional vocabularies. The semi-luxury vocabulary comprises of expression common in the daily life of the target language culture; this refers to food, clothing, travel, family life, and so on. Luxury vocabulary is used in communicating more specialized ideas, such as political or philosophical opinions. The most important vocabulary for the learner deals with the most functional and versatile words of the language, many of which may not have direct equivalents in the learner’s native tongue. This practical vocabulary provides a key to comprehending the “spirit” of the language.
Building up vocabularies is not difficult, even though, this is not absolutely easy too. The writer should say so because frankly speaking, the process of building up them will be very easy when language learners are able to sensitively identify the keys to study them. Conversely, this also very difficult if they are not sensitive to comprehend the keys of studying. If the students have been able to apply the suggestions they will never find out the study of them difficult. Thus, nothing should be worried to do. But significantly, difficulties will be found if they are accustomed to studying without comprehending the key strategies. In fact, the difficulties or the easiness in building up vocabularies is very dependent upon the pre-assumption as well as the strategy used by the learners. The vocabulary study will be difficult if they consider studying it is difficult and they study of it will be easy if they proportionally regard that building up it is easy. Of course, this will be more difficult if students do not understand the strategy they apply and will be easy if they apply the most perfect strategy.
Some people claim that building up vocabularies through dictionary is conventional and is not easy. Learners may be easy to memorize list of words in the dictionary because they can be memorized alphabetically. Alphabetical study is helpful in terms of the words entries since they come after another and are listed in a chronological order. Those can be the keys to the process of memorization. However, problems come immediately after the learners study the lists very hard. They become stressful when they are going to use that vocabularies and get difficulties to recall. They, even, do not remember anything they have memorized. They are frustrated and finally they claim that studying vocabularies through dictionary is only time and energy consuming. They come into conclusion that building up through it is easy to remember but also easy to forget. They give up studying and get difficulties to find out other strategies.
Actually, studying vocabularies through dictionary is not absolutely conventional. As previously said it can be correct if learners could not identify the keys and can be wrong if they are able to understand the keys. The capability of such identification will determine the strategies used to study. First of all, learners should know them. Previously, they study vocabulary alphabetically and this is proven disadvantageous. They are easy to remember and at the same time they are easy to forget. Therefore, the learners should consider the priorities. The entry is important but they should pick out vocabularies that are frequently to appear in both written and spoken daily expressions. This can be called the selection process. Secondly, they should identify and distinguish between the simplest and the most sophisticated vocabularies. And the former must be the immediate priority then followed by the latter if they have been well memorized. This process may be called the gradation from the simplest through the complicated. And the last is how to consider the strategies used to memorize them and this is called the practical stratagem. The writer believes that the ways will be more fruitful than the routine used.
written by : Mr. Ruwandi, MA
uploaded by: Marisa Fran Lina, S.PdI and Ratna Sari, S.PdI
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