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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Mastering vocabulary is important for learners since vocabulary knowledge as one

of the basic components plays an important role among the language skills. Even

though vocabulary has not always been known as a main concern in language

teaching, but Decarrico in Celce-Murcia, 2001 stated that whether the language is

first, second, or foreign, vocabulary learning is fundamental language possession

(Celce-Murcia, 2001: 285). Vocabulary gives donation to learners to carry out

their skills better. In short, they will find any difficulties in expressing their

language skills because of having too limited vocabularies, since a good store of

words is essential for understanding and communicating.

In learning teaching process in classroom, students in Junior High School

often feel boredom to follow English class because some English teachers still use

traditional method to teach. Traditional method is an approach which offers an

insight of grammatical rules when the process of translating from the second to

the native language is done (Ningrum, 2005 : ). Teacher just helps the students

to translate the written text in mother tongue or gave the students long list of

words with their equivalence in the students native language and asked them to

memorize it.

Meanwhile, Scoot and Pefes, 1994 in Nurmayanti 2008 said that teachers

are pressed to extend their craft to prepare more diverse students for work and life
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beyond schools. An excellent way to do this is involving the strategies of

Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) which constitute a suitable approach in

foreign language teaching (Nurmayanti, 2008: ). In 2007, Wa Ode Rosnah

studied about “The implementation contextual teaching and learning (CTL) on

teaching English at year two SMA Idhata Kendari. The result of her study is

students in SMA Idhata at second year of 2007 were very enthusiastic with the

contextual teaching and learning on teaching English.

This writing focuses teaching vocabulary on the second year students of

Junior High School because their experiences in learning English, especially

vocabulary should have basic. Moreover, students at Junior High School have

gained English at Elementary School. Even if the materials are still simple but

they have been familiar with English. Consequently, in Junior High School the

students more ready to consume learning English material effectively.

SMP N 3 Palangga is one of Junior High Schools in Palangga South

Konawe Regency. Many students have finished in elementary school continuing

their study at the Junior High School. At least 12 villages from 2 districts

differently select SMP N 3 Palangga as the students’ elementary school

destination. Moreover, the researcher is alumnus at the SMP in 2000 / 2001

academic year. Hence, the researcher takes courage to conduct a study entitled

“the effectiveness of contextual teaching and learning to improve students’

vocabulary mastery in learning English at the second year students of SMP N 3

Palangga, South Konawe in 2010 / 2011 academic year”.

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B. Research Problems

Based on the background of the study, the researcher formulates the research

problem as follows;

1. Is contextual teaching and learning can improve students’ vocabulary

mastery?

2. Is there any different students’ vocabulary mastery between students who

are taught by contextual teaching and learning and students who are taught

by traditional method?

3. What is contextual teaching and learning can be implied as a new learning

method in teaching vocabulary mastery?

C. Objectives of the Study

In line with the research problem mentioned above, the objectives of this study

are:

1. To improve students’ ability especially in vocabulary mastery?

2. To describe what is Contextual Teaching Learning can be implied as a

new learning method in teaching vocabulary mastery.

D. Assumption

The researcher assumes that contextual teaching and learning is regarded as an

appropriate approach because its principles are deemed appropriate for improving

students’ vocabulary mastery. According to Hee Choi and Spolsky, 2008 : 21, he

stated that CTL will lead students to active learning, leaving behind rote learning,

which has so far been a normal practice.

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E. Hypothesis

Based on the research problems above, researcher formulates two hypotheses to

this research. They are null hypothesis (Ho) and alternative hypothesis (Ha).

a. Null Hypothesis (Ho)

There is no different students’ vocabulary mastery between students who are

taught by contextual teaching and learning and students who are taught by

traditional method.

b. Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)

There is different students’ vocabulary mastery between students who are

taught by contextual teaching and learning and students who are taught by

traditional method.

F. Significance of the Study

In this study the researcher expects that the research paper has some significance

both of theory and practice.

Theoretical Significance

a) The finding of this research will enrich the theory of students’ vocabulary

mastery.

b) The result of the research paper can be a useful input in English teaching

learning process especially for teaching vocabulary using Contextual Teaching

and Learning (CTL).

Practical Significance:

a) The research will improve the researcher himself in mastering English.

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b) The teachers and students of SMP N 3 Palangga will gain a large knowledge

about teaching vocabulary using Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL).

c) The finding of this research will be useful to the readers who are interested in

analyzing vocabulary mastery of Junior High School using Contextual

Teaching and Learning (CTL).

G. Scope of the Study

The scope of this research is oriented on implementation of the Contextual

Teaching and Learning (CTL) to improve students’ vocabulary mastery focus on

seven components; constructivism, inquiry, questioning, learning community,

modeling, reflecting, and authentic assessment. Vocabulary matter is students’

matter based on the curriculum at second year students and the topic focus on

sport, health, clothes and city life. It is first meeting till mid-term test. The subject

of this research is the second year students of SMP N 3 Palangga in 2009 / 2010

academic year.

H. Definition of Terms

In this writing, the researcher uses some technical terms. The terms in

definition are these:

1. Effectiveness is effect that happen because using contextual teaching and

learning approach in students’ vocabulary mastery. Even though

Poerwadarminta, 1980 : 250 stated that effectiveness is an effect or effects

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which is happened because something useful and carry out a result on using

something such an approach in teaching process.

2. Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) is a teaching learning concept. It

helps us relate subject matter content to real world situations and motivate

students to make connections between knowledge and its applications to their

lives as students and family members (Kunandar, 2001: 293). In this study,

contextual teaching and learning is an approach that to link real world

situation such as students daily live brings to the classroom. Beside that, there

are 7 components on CTL. They are constructivism, inquiry, questioning,

learning community, modeling, reflecting, and authentic assessment.

3. Kridalaksana, 1998: 9, he stated that vocabulary is store of words, which is

owned by the speaker. Similarly, in this study vocabulary is all of the words

that are used in language and each has a meaning each of it. Also it consists of

part of speech like verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs and

pronouns .

4. Students’ mastery is the students’ performance to master something. By the

same token, Poerwadarminta, 1976 argued that students’ mastery is the

students who make impression of acquire something.

5. Students’ vocabulary mastery is the score that obtained by the students after

doing the test, questionnaire and interview. Students will face 40 objective

tests.