Proposal Skripsi

A STUDY ON TEACHING VOCABULARY USING GAMES

(For Eight Grade Student of SMPK Mardiwiyata Kediri)

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A.    Background of the Study

English is very important in this globalization era, because English is an

International language that plays important role in every aspect of human life. We

know that English is used in restaurant,in hotel, in the test books, newspaper or

magazine.So,we are demanded to be able to communicate not only using our mother tongue but also by using English.In this global era, people have to improve their ability in every aspect of life, one of them is the ability to master English language. According to Ronald Wardaugh (1972:9) : “language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbol used for human communication.“

“ Depdiknas 2006” English as a foreign language in Indonesia is taught at Junior

High school (SMP/MTS) as a compulsory subject. The implementation of teaching

English  at present is based on the Content Standard.

Schutz (2007) said that “English in its role as global language that it had become one of the most important academic and professional tools. In learning English as a foreign language vocabulary plays is important role. It is one element that links the four skills as speaking,listening,reading and writing all together. Students should get an enough a lot of number of words and should know how to use them accurately.

Vocabulary is the total number of words in a language (Hornby, 1995;1331). Vocabulary is an important part to mastery English well.Vocabulary is also as the fundamental aspect in enabling the students to speak English. From all aspects of foreign language that should be mastered, vocabulary is the most important aspect in teaching English (Harjono, 1988: 71). Vocabulary should be taught and practiced only in the real situation so that the meaning will be clarified and reinforced. So, we could see that students should have adequate stock of vocabulary to make them communicate easily as vocabulary takes the necessary place for someone to master the foreign language.

 Vocabulary size has an impact throughout the life span. Students with inadequate vocabularies are at a much higher risk of performing poorly in high school, community college, or university (Hazenberg & Hulstijn, 1995; Cunningham & Stanovich, 1997). The source of these difficulties occurs very early in life. Young children with relatively small vocabularies comprehend less well. Because they comprehend less well, they often choose to read less. Over time students who read less acquire smaller vocabularies and comprehend less in later years (Stanovich, 1986). Children with smaller vocabularies will continue to lag behind children with larger vocabularies.

Considering the importance of vocabulary mastery in learning English, it is better to introduce new vocabulary earlier. Children are commonly easier to learn the new vocabulary even though they easily forget. So, it needs to repeat the lesson all the time in order to help them memorize the new vocabulary easily.

Teaching vocabulary is clearly more than just presenting new words. It also includes a decision that words should teach the basic of how frequently they are used by speaker of the language. The words are most commonly used are those a teacher should teacher first.

In fact,learning vocabulary that teachers’ given for the students make them lazy and bored, especially for the students at SMPK Mardiwiyata,Kediri.The teacher need something that make them interested.So,to motivate them for learning vocabulary,the teacher needs something new that can stimulate their curiosity.

One of the best way that teacher’s choosen is games.Games is an activity that you do to have some fun (Hornby; 1995;486). Games can help the teacher create the various context in which students have to use the language to communiate,exchange information and express and their own opinions (Wright, Betteridge and Buckby,1984) .

Learning English vocabulary using games has an importance role for elementary teachers and students. The first, as students, they have strong and good motivation to deepen English language. The second, they are easy to accept theEnglish language because they learn by playing games that nowadays has been grownand developed in Indonesia. The third, teaching English vocabulary using games can help teacher in teaching learning process.

W. R. Lee holds that most language games make learners use the language instead of thinking about learning the correct forms (1979:2). He also says that games should be treated as central not peripheral to the foreign language teaching program. A similar opinion is expressed by Richard-Amato, who believes games to be fun but warns against overlooking their pedagogical value, particularly in foreign language teaching. According to him “Games can lower anxiety, thus making the acquisition of input more likely” (Richard-Amato 1988:147). They are highly motivating and entertaining, and they can give shy students more opportunity to express their opinions and feelings (Hansen 1994:118). They also enable learners to acquire new experiences within a foreign language which are not always possible during a typical lesson.

Huang (1996: 1) comes to a conclusion that "learning through games could encourage the operation of certain psychological and intellectual factors which could facilitate communication heightened self-esteem, motivation and spontaneity, reinforcing learning, improving intonation and building confidence."

Some experts have also figured out characteristics of games that make vocabulary learning more effectively.Lee (1995:35) lists several main advantages when games are used in the classroom, including "a welcome break from the usual routine of the language class", "motivating and challenging" "effort of learning", and "language practice in the various skills."

So, games are useful that should be applied in vocabulary classes. The use of vocabulary is a way to make the lessons more interesting, and enjoyable.

Here this paper discusses about  “ A Study on Teaching English Vocabulary Using Games.” It is hoped that teachers will learn and use it as an alternative of language learning strategies that support students’ learning, especially in learning vocabulary.

B.     Scope of the Research

In this research the researcher focus in process of the teachers to teaching English Vocabulary using Games for Eight grade students in SMPK Mardiwiyata,Kediri.

C.    Research Question

1.      What kinds are game that the teachers used in teaching English vocabulary?

2.      How to teach English vocabulary using games?

3.      Is effective if teaching English vocabulary using games for eight grade students at Junior High School?

D.    Purpose of the Research

1.      To know kinds of game that the teachers used to teach English vocabulary.

2.      To know process of teaching English vocabulary using games.

3.      To know effectiveness of teaching English vocabulary using games for eight grade students at Junior High School.

E.     Significant of the Research

1.         Theoretical significant

a.       Will help the readers who want to carry out a research about teaching vocabulary using games.

b.      Will hopefully facilitate the readers’ knowledge of teaching vocabulary using games.

2.         Practical significant

a.       The writer herself can solve the problem found in teaching vocabulary in the classroom.

b.      Will help the students in learning vocabulary.