CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1. The Background of the Study

English is an international language. As an international language,

English has a significant role in the various field of activities and wide influences

in the world. Therefore it has forced the students in the world to know even master

English. In our country, English is a foreign language. It also a compulsory subject

taught in the school. It has been taught at school as one of the subject from

Elementary school up to university. It has been determined as the compulsory

subject in National Curriculum.

Because English as one of the subject in National Curriculum and of course

National Examination, it has forced students ought to master the four language

skills; listening, speaking, reading, writing.

In fact, most of the students have less capability in learning English. In

every examination, most of them cannot answer the questions even though the

simple questions. They always pick the wrong answers. This case is caused by the

students’ limitation of vocabulary. The limitation of such a construct of vocabulary

have become apparent in the past few decades (Carter, 1998; Richards, 1976). It

has been proposed that vocabulary is dynamic complex of both knowledge of a

word and the skill of using it and vocabulary cannot be separated from discourse,

(Nation, 2001; Robinson, 1989). This is the view of vocabulary adopted in the

present study. Thus, beside knowing the word, vocabulary learning includes using

the word automatically in a context appropriate manner.

Vocabulary is an important aspect in teaching language, as stated by

Thornbury (2002:13) that “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without
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vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” Vocabulary is an element of language is

considered the most important factors. It means that, the students have to master

vocabulary. Students will not be able to answer the questions without mastering the

vocabulary. Therefore the students have to able to memorize English vocabulary so

that they can answer the questions, especially the simple questions. Traditionally,

vocabulary is viewed as a complex of form and meaning. Thus vocabulary learning

is intended to memorize the form meaning association.

Learning English vocabulary as a foreign language seems difficult for

some Indonesian students, to master it is completely different from Indonesian

language itself. They find difficulty to memorize new words and to enlarge their

vocabulary knowledge. In fact, having low vocabulary proficiency will cause an

obstacle for the students in learning English. While they have limited vocabulary in

their minds, they are not able to use language accurately. It .means that if the

students are lack in vocabulary, it will circumscribe them to use language skillfully

to express their ideas.

The researcher is an English teacher of SD 020264, Binjai. Based on

preliminary research conducted at SD 020264 Binjai, the researcher had done pre-

test about vocabulary and after analyzing the problems, the researcher found some

findings, they are: (1) the students have limited numbers of vocabularies, (2)

students has difficulties in memorizing the meaning of words. They get low score,

the students got some problems with their vocabularies such us understanding the

meaning of words and remembering vocabulary. Most of them got scores for their

vocabulary test below the criteria of minimum score at the school. Students should

achieve the score 7.00 as the minimum score (Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimum:

KKM), but in fact most of them have lower, the average is 64.70.
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The main reason why English learning is not very successful is that our

students lack the opportunity to learn English in real life interaction in an English

environment. Therefore, many teachers try their best to find the strategies and

technique for teaching English to students. Inadequate vocabulary is one of the

serious problem in learning English, and it affects language development and

learning ability because vocabulary is a basic component of language use which

creates the foundation for learners performance in other skills, (Alemi and Tayebi,

2011).

In order to help students succeed in learning language, one tool that can

interest students in learning vocabulary is the use of song, which introduce students

the new vocabulary and phrases in a lively way. Music allow students to learn

vocabulary more rapidly, because music is also language.

(Rosova, 2007) claimed that song have a place in the classroom for helping

create a friendly and co-operative atmosphere for language learning, but they can

offer much more. He also mention, song is an effective tool in education. As

Razmjoo (2012) suggests that the use of songs in the foreign language classroom

reflect the inherent rhythmic nature of life.

Songs can be useful tools in learning of vocabulary, sentence structure, and

sentence patterns, not to mention their reflectivity of mother tongue culture

(Murphey, 1992). Songs as a media is easy to remember the vocabulary because it

is familiar for them. Media provides an enjoyable atmosphere for the students;

hopefully the students will develop their vocabulary. From kind of songs, the

students can learn new vocabulary.

Video is seen as an important resource use in the ESL classroom because

it is dynamic, immediate, and accessible, (Lonergan in Walker, 1997).

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There are some benefits related to using video or movie in the classroom.

The first is relate to motivation. When they are watching movie, students can learn

language components such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation. Second,

movies help the learners’ comprehension by enabling them to listen to exchanges

and see such visual support as facial expressions and gestures simultaneously

(Allan, 1985). It may improve their insights into the topic of the conversations.

The most convincing argument for using movie in the classroom is the

motivation to provide the students (Baltova, 2000; Lin, 2002). Movie also provide

a context for language learning to take place by reinforcing what students would

learn in the classroom in a dramatized, authentic production (Brinton, 1991;

Gebhard, 1996).

Conducting the explanation above, the researcher interests in conducting

an experimental study to prove the effect of listening song and watching movie as

strategies in teaching vocabulary to improve students’ vocabulary achievement at

grade VI of SD 020264 Binjai, at the academic year 2019-2020. So the researchers

entitled as “The Use of Song and Movie on Improving Students’ Vocabulary

Achievement.”

1.2. The Problem of the Study

Based on the background of the study, the problem of this study will be

formulated in question form as follows:

1. Does the use of song affect the students’ achievement in vocabulary?

2. Does the use of movie affect the students’ achievement

in vocabulary?
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1.3. The Objectives of the Study

In carrying out the study, it will be necessary to state the objectives of the

study. So the objectives of the study are:

1. To find out the effect of song on students’ vocabulary achievement

2. To identify the effect of movie on students’ vocabulary achievement

1.4. The Scope and Limitation of the Study

Some experts have classified types of vocabulary. Hatch and Brown (1995)

classifies vocabulary into two kinds: receptive vocabulary and expressive

vocabulary (productive vocabulary). Further, he defines the receptive vocabulary

as the words known when the learner listens and reads. The receptive vocabulary is

also called a passive process because the learner only receives thought from others.

In language application, the receptive vocabulary is considered as the basic

vocabulary. Later, expressive vocabulary is defined as the words used when the

learner speaks and writes.

Harmer (1998:159) adds that active vocabulary refers to vocabulary that

students have been thought or learnt, and which the students will recognize when

they meet then but which they will probably not be able to produce.

1. Receptive Vocabulary

Receptive vocabulary is words that the learners recognize and understand when

they occur in context, but which cannot produce correctly. It is vocabulary that

the learners recognize when they see it in reading context but do not use it in

speaking and writing. The receptive vocabulary is also called a passive process

because the learner only receives thought from others. In language application,

the receptive vocabulary is considered the basic vocabulary. It is much larger

than productive vocabulary because there are many words recognize when the
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learner hears and reads but do not use when he speaks or writes. In these

respects, Richards and Rodgers (1987:308) give a profound explanation that the

listening vocabulary larger than speaking vocabulary and similarly to the

reading vocabulary that is relatively larger than writing vocabulary.

2. Productive Vocabulary

Productive vocabulary is the words, which the learners understand, can

pronounce correctly, and use constructively in speaking and writing. It involves

what is needed for receptive vocabulary can be addressed as an active process,

because the learners can produce the words to express their thought to others.

In order to limit the study, the researcher will only discuss such as follows:

1. This study will be done in the six grade students of SD 020264 Binjai

2. This study focused on the use and the advantages of songs and movies which

are effective to improve students’ vocabulary.

1.5. The Significances of the Study

The researcher hopes, the results of the study will give some benefit for:

1. Students

Through songs, hopes that students will get enjoyable situation and get

clear words, meaning, pronunciation, spelling, and the use of them. Hopes,

it can improve their vocabulary achievement

2. English Teacher

Encourages teacher to find the best strategy in teaching vocabulary

3. School

As an input for the developing of science related to the teaching- learning

language
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1.6. The Hypothesis of the Study

There are two hypothesis in the present study, alternative hypothesis (Ha)

and null hypothesis (H0).

1. Ha : The students who are taught by using song and movie give

significant effect on students vocabulary achievement at six grade of SD

020264 Binjai

2. H0 : The students who are taught by using song and movie do not give

significant effect on students vocabulary achievement at six grade of SD

020264 Binjai