THE TEACHING OF VOCABULARY THROUGH WRITTEN INPUT:

EFFECT OF FORM FOCUSED AND MESSAGE ORIENTED TASKS

(An Experimental Research at the Tenth Grade Students of SMK Negeri 1

Punggelan Banjarnegara in the Academic Year 2016/2017)

Ifani Khoerunnisa
1201050150
email: khoerunnisaifani@gmail.com
English Education Department
Teacher Training and Education Faculty
Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto

ABSTRACT
Language teachers have always tried to find the best and most effective ways to
teach new vocabulary to learners of foreign languages. The study investigated the
effect of form focused and message oriented in vocabulary learning through
writing input for 71 students on the tenth grade students of SMKN 1 Punggelan
Banjarnegara. The form focused task aimed to draw students attention to the
word itself through word recognition activities. The message - oriented task,
which pushed the learners into considering the context surrounding the words.
The result of the post-test showed that retention of unfamiliar vocabularies was
higher in the two form focused class than the message oriented class. After the
data had been analyzed, the result of t-test where the t-value obtained from the
computation was 3.641. By using significant level 0.05 for df 59, it was found that
the critical value of t-table was 2.001 It means that the t-test was higher than t-
table ( 3.641> 2.001). Also the form-focused tasks yielded better results than the
message oriented tasks. These results are discussed in light of the construct of
task induced involvement of Laufer and Hulstijn (2001). The form focused
tasks had higher involvement index than message oriented tasks. Form
focused tasks and message oriented tasks had two components need and search
in them, but in the tasks message oriented tasks evaluation component was
absent in that because in the form focused tasks the students had to match the
words with their meaning.

Keywords: Vocabulary, vocabulary through written input, form focused,

message oriented tasks.
INTRODUCTION

Thornbury (2004: 16) states that a word consists of more than just its
form and meaning. Thornbury (2004: 16) suggests that a word consists of
spelling, pronunciation, meaning, frequency, connotations (associations),
register, collocations, derivations and grammatical behavior. Nation (2005: 3)
brings out relatively similar aspects, which divides into three groups: meaning
(form and meaning, concept and referents, associations), form (spoken form,
written form, and word parts), use (grammatical functions, collocations,
constrictions in use). So when a teacher is teaching vocabulary, he or she is
advised to keep all those different aspects of words in mind. In the present
study the main focus is on learning the meaning of the word in language
learning process that includes recognizing the definition of the word either
in L1.
Many researchers argue that most of the vocabulary is learned by
reading. Keashen (1989) emphasize the importance of reading and claims that
reading is comprehensible input, which provides an opportunity for the reader
to comprehend the language and develop more vocabulary. For this reason, the
researcher wants to investigate how L2 learners develop their vocabulary
through reading, particularly with respect to the notions of vocabulary
learning context and vocabulary learning task.
Based on explanation, the writer was interested in conducting a
research on The teaching of vocabulary through written input: effect of form
focused and message oriented tasks in the tenth grade students of SMKN 1
Punggelan Banjarnegara. Therefore, this research attempted to answer the
following questions:
1. Is there any effect of form focused and message oriented in

vocabulary learning through writing input on the tenth grade

students of SMKN 1 Punggelan Banjarnegara?

2. Is there any difference between form focused tasks and message

oriented tasks in teaching vocabulary?

LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Definition of Vocabulary
In line with the statements above, (Hatch and Brown, 1995:1)

states that the term of vocabulary refers to lists or set of words for a

particular language or lists or set of words that individual speakers of a

language might use.

Based on statements above, vocabulary had important role in

language. It is not less important than the other language components.

Every language had its vocabulary because no language exists without

words. Words were symbols for ideas. They were the mean by which

people exchange their ideas a through.

2. Vocabulary Through Written Input
Before proceeding to the studies that are concerned with actual

teaching of vocabulary a few studies dealing with vocabulary through

reading are discussed. Ehsanzadeh (2012) has studied how the depth and

breadth of vocabulary of EFL students is influenced by reading. By

breadth he means the quantity or number of words learners know at a

particular level of language proficiency, that is the size of the learners

vocabulary. He defines the depth of vocabulary knowledge as a persons

level of knowledge of various aspects of a given word, or how well he or

she knows that word. His results indicated that by reading texts the long-

term retention of words improved significantly. To be more precise he has

found that the depth of a persons vocabulary is influenced by reading

even more extensively than the breadth of vocabulary. Both breadth and

depth have a significant correlation with success of lexical inference and

 again the depth of vocabulary knowledge is a stronger predictor of

inference success. Furthermore Webb (2007) brought forth that in order to

gain full knowledge of a word more than ten encounters with it may be

needed. He also emphasizes the need for an informative context. That

means that in order to learn vocabulary from reading, the texts need to be

systematic and be aimed at teaching certain words, otherwise the majority

of the words will be forgotten soon or the actual meaning of a word will

not even be guessed.

3. Form focused Tasks
Form-focused instruction (FFI) is defined by Ellis ( 2008, p.963) as

a type of teaching which involves some attempt to focus learners

attention on specific properties of the L2 so that they will learn them. FFI

is also divided into two types: Focus on Form and Focus on Forms.

According to Ellis (2008), in Focus on Form instruction, attention to form

is made in the context of a communicative task in which conveying of the

meaning is of primary importance. Focus on Forms instruction, on the

other hand, is the approach in which a series of specific linguistic features

are pre-selected on the basis of a structural syllabus and treated intensively

and systematically in the instructional procedures. In the Focus on Form

approach, language is viewed as a communication tool by the learners

whereas in the Focus on Forms, language is viewed as a subject matter and

object of study to be analyzed and learned (Ellis, 2008;Laufer and Girsai,

2008).
4. Message oriented Tasks
 The meaning-focused approach grew out of the dissatisfaction with

form-focused approaches such as grammar translation and cognitive code

methods. It has been argued that there was a mismatch between what was

learned in the classroom and the communicative skills needed outside the

classroom. (Celce-Murcia, et.al., 1997). Research in grammar revealed

that most adult second language learners who were successful in

controlling grammatical rules and structures in the classroom could not

apply these rules effectively in real communication. (dAnglejan 1978;

Johnson, 1981; Long,Adams,McLean and Castarios, 1976; cited in

KimPark 2000) Early supporters of meaning-focused instruction believed

that the goal of language teaching should be developing the learners

communicative competence which included not only grammar but also

sociolinguistic, discourse and strategic competence.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Method of Research

This research is belonged to experimental method. Experimental

method is one of quantitative research which is strongly measure causal

relationship. Arikunto (2010: 9) says that experimental research is a way to

find out causal relationship between two factors which is appeared by the

researches by eliminating, reducing or separating out other factors which is

disturbing. Experiment is always being done to look the effect of treatment.

 This research used one shot case study as the design of the research.

One shot case study is one type of pre experimental research. Such studies

diagrammed as follow:
X O
Where:
X = the treatment that was given (free variable)
O = observation (dependent variable)
Paradigm one shot case study can be read as follow: there is a group

of students were given treatment and then observed the results (treatment as a

free variable and the results is a dependent variable) (Sugiono, 2004)

Participant

Participants of the research were 71 students on the tenth grade students of

SMKN 1 Punggelan Banjarnegara.

Technique Collecting the Data

This research used test as the technique in collecting the data. Test is

conducted to know the effect of the two tasks on vocabulary learning new

words. According to Arikunto (2010:138) states that test is a question,

exercises or tools which are used to measure: skills, knowledge, intelligence,

or talent owner by individual or groups. In this study, the researcher only uses

one of tests. Post test was given directly to the class without pre test.
Vocabulary test was given in the beginning of the study or before giving

the treatment. The researcher gave texts to the students and the researcher

present most of seemingly difficult words in the texts, except for pronouns,

conjunctions, articles and preposition to the students. The texts for all three
 groups are the same, except for the tasks following the text. Each task required

the participants to the target words in the passage in a different manner.

After researcher gave the treatment, after that the writer gave post

test. After being exposed to all the reading texts and completing the

related tasks, the students are given a list of all 21 target words and are

asked to provide L1 translation or L2 definition for the words that they

know. All the selected target words are presented in a separate sheet, with

the blank lines for each word where the students can write the definition..

All of the classes are given the same tasks.

Technique of Analyzing Data

This research used spss application to calculate the mean, standard

deviation. These results are discussed in light of the construct of task

induced involvement of Laufer and Hulstijn (2001)

RESULT AND DISSCUTION

Result

1. Effect of Form focused and Message oriented Tasks

The researcher used the Laufer and Hulstin (2001) involvement

model as an explanation of these findings, all the tasks should be

categorize based on their degree of involvement. According to Hulstijn

and Laufer (2001), all of the three components may not be present

simultaneously during a reading-based task. The combination of these

factors with their degrees of prominence makes up the involvement load.

Based on involvement load hypothesis, different tasks seem to impose

 varying demands on learners but we cannot compare different tasks and

judge their involvement load based solely on intuition. Table 3 illustrates

the analysis of the two tasks in the study in terms of presence/absence or

degree of prominence of the involvement factors (need, search and

evaluation). Hustijn and Laufer proposed involvement index in which

the absence of a factor is marked 0, a moderate presence of a factor equals

1, and a strong presence of a factor equals 2.

Table 1

Status of
the target Nee Searc Evaluati Involvemen
No Tasks
word d h on t index

Relevant to
1 Form focused tasks + + + 3
task
Message oriented Relevant to
2 + + - 2
tasks task

As illustrated in table 3, the two tasks had a different involvement

index. The form focused tasks had higher involvement index than

message oriented tasks. Tasks 1 and 2 had two components need and

search in them, but in the tasks 2 evaluation component was absent in

that because in the task 1 the students had to match the words with

their meaning.
2. Effect of Form focused and Message oriented Tasks
The research had been conducted for both of form focused tasks

and message oriented tasks. The result of the research was taken from

the analysis of the data that has been collected from the test. The data was

analyzed by using statistical formula mentioned in chapter III. The results

of the research are below:

 Table. 2

Group Statistics

Class N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean

Score Form focused class 29 16.72 2.153 .400

Message oriented 32 14.72 2.144 .379

Class

Before analyzing the results, it seemed necessary to compare the

mean scores of Form focused group and Message oriented groups.

Table 1 show whether there was any significant difference between form

focused tasks and message oriented tasks in learning new vocabulary.

Table 1 shows the result of the groups performance of form focused

tasks (mean=16,72 SD=2,153) and message oriented tasks (mean=14,72

SD=2,144

Table. 3
 Independent Samples Test

Levene's Test for

Equality of
Variances t-test for Equality of Means

95% Confidence Interval

of the Difference

N
Sig. (2- Mean Std. Error
F Sig. T Df tailed) Difference Difference Lower Upper

Score Equal 32 .017 .896 3.641 59 .001 2.005 .551 .903 3.107
variances
assumed

Equal 29 3.640 58.363 .001 2.005 .551 .903 3.108

variances not
assumed

As displayed, results (gain scores) showed that both groups showed

the difference result in teaching vocabulary. The table showed that there

is a significant difference between the effects of form-focused and

meaning-focused tasks in teaching vocabulary, an independent sample t-

test was run. The differences computation of form focused group and

message oriented group score showed that the significant improvement

happened form - focused group. After the data had been analyzed, the

result of t-test where the t-value obtained from the computation was

3.641. By using significant level 0.05 for df 59, it was found that the

critical value of t-table was 2.001 It means that the t-test was higher than

t-table ( 3.641> 2.001).

Discussion
 Having conducted the experimental study, the researcher found both

different and similar result of implementing both tasks. The result shows

that the form focused class get the better score that the message oriented

class. The result of t-test where the t-value obtained from the computation

was 3.641. By using significant level 0.05 for df 59, it was found that the

critical value of t-table was 2.001 It means that the t-test was higher than t-

table (3.641 > 2.001). Based on the students score result, the students who

was tested by using form focused tasks got higher score in post test

than those who were got tested by message oriented tasks. It is mean that

form focused tasks is more effective than message oriented tasks.

According to the data analysis, it could be known that there was different

result between experimental class and control class. It could be shown by

looking the data overall result of conducted research. Form focused tasks

could be proved capable in enhancing students vocabulary.

Although, the students have the better score in form focused group

than the message oriented group, the students have to understand more

about vocabulary. Form focused tasks was benefit to make the students

pay attention with the target words and have better understanding to know

some kinds of vocabulary in both textual and contextual based on

exercises provided on the tasks.

The results of the study are appropriate with what has already been

researched by Tajeddin and Daraee (2013) and in the experiment research

that conducted with EFL learners from pre intermediate level. Tajeddin

and Daraee conclude that form focused tasks can produce better
 retention result than message oriented tasks. Tajediin and Daraee also

concluded that teaching vocabulary does not need a lot of time. Finally,

form focused instruction gives greater impact in vocabulary learning

through written input.

CONCLUTION AND SUGGESTION

Conclusion

After the researcher did the test to both classes, the data was

analyzed by the researcher. The two tasks had a different involvement

index. The form focused tasks had higher involvement index than

message oriented tasks. Tasks 1 and 2 had two components need and

search in them, but in the tasks 2 evaluation component was absent in that

because in the task 1 the students had to match the words with their

meaning and the result also show the differences computation of form

focused group and message oriented group score showed that the

significant improvement happened form - focused group. After the data

had been analyzed, the result of t-test where the t-value obtained from the

computation was 3.641. By using significant level 0.05 for df 59, it was

found that the critical value of t-table was 2.001 It means that the t-test

was higher than t-table (3.641> 2.001). Based on the result of the research,

it can be concluded that form focused tasks is more effective than

message oriented to the students in learning new vocabulary. Thus, the

 hypothesis which stated that form focused tasks is influence students in

learning new vocabulary was accepted.

Suggestions

Having conducted the research, the researcher gave some suggestions

that are proposed for the teachers, students, and readers. The suggestions are

as follows:

1. For the Teacher

The teacher can use the form focused instruction is an

appropriate way to teaching new vocabulary to the students because it was

found that form focused tasks can increase the vocabulary by the

conducted research.
2. For the Students
Students should exercise themselves in learning vocabulary, in both form

and meaning so that the students are not only able to use vocabulary

textual form but also contextual form.

3. For the Readers
This research will be an input for the readers to improve and enlarge their

knowledge on how to teach and learn new vocabulary using form

focused instruction.

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