RMLT

IMPROVING VOCABULARY USING SEMANTIC NETWORKS IN EIGHT YEAR STUDENTS OF SMP N 1 KLEGO BOYOLALI IN 2010/ 2011 ACADEMIC YEAR

A.    Background of the Study

In the teaching-learning process of English as a foreign language, student must master all of the English skills. They consist of speaking, reading, writing and listening. Mastering English in the global era is very important. English is the most widely used language in international events.

Many countries use English in their affairs. Such as business, politics, education, science and technology that is why English becomes a very important language. It takes a big role in many affairs.

Due to the important role of English in all affairs, English is taught and learnt in non-English speaking countries, including Indonesia. In Indonesia English is the first foreign language. o\it is taught and learnt merely as one of study subjects in school. It may also be learnt for instrumental purpose that is gaining science and technology, which one mostly written in English.

Vocabulary is central to language and of critical importance to typical language learner. Without a sufficient vocabulary, one cannot communicate effectively or express his ideas in both oral and written form. It is undeniable that most learners' vocabulary grows through incidental learning such as through continuous exposure to comprehensible language in reading, listening, speaking, and writing exercise (see Krasnen, 1981). Thus, meaningful and interesting instruction should of course be organized to achieve successful learning (Endang, 2008: 149).

In SMP N 1Klego, English teachers that still use traditional method to teach vocabulary. They just ask students to memorize long list of words with their equivalents in the student’s native language. It seems that this method is not effective enough and makes the learners get bored. One way to make easy and effective in teaching vocabulary is to make active between student and the others.

English teaching method is changeable. The method should be interesting to interest students in teaching-learning process. One of the methods is semantic networks. A semantic network consists of words which share semantic features or semantic components. The words are introduced within a network in which the enlargement takes place by means of grids, words from the same semantic field are subjected to a modified componential analysis. Lexical items, therefore, are learned in groups and not as single items.

B.     Problem Statement

Based on the background of the study above, the writer formulates the problems as follows:

1.      How is improving vocabulary by using semantic networks to the second year students of SMP N 1Klego?

2.      How is the result of teaching vocabulary using semantic networks to the second year students of SMP N 1Klego?

C.    Objective of study

Based on the research problems, the study is aimed to:

1.      To describe the implementation of teaching vocabulary by using semantic networks to the second year students of SMP N 1 Klego.

2.      Know the result of teaching vocabulary using semantic networks to the second year students of SMP N 1 Klego.