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A. The Background of the Problem

Language has been labeled as the most necessary element in human

communication. Therefore, without language existence, nothing can be

understood, spoken, listened, read, written and even felt. It is the first lesson given

to the young people when they begin to learn anything. Nowadays, English has

become the most essential language to learn. At least, as one of the biggest

Moslem country, Indonesian has to be given English as a compulsory subject

more than Arabic. This fact is proven that English has been used around the world

as Finegan (2008:4) states:

Although Chinese is spoken by a greater number of people, English is

spoken around the globe with a wider dispersion than any other language.
From its earlier home in Britain (now with 60 million speakers), it has
spread to nearby Ireland (4 million), across the Atlantic to North America
(where some 215 million residents over the age of five speak it in the
United States and as many as 20 million in Canada) and across the world
to Australia and New Zealand (with more than 20 million speakers).

Therefore, as learning foreign language, Indonesian has to begin learning

it as the young natives learn. A young English native will learn a word for the

first time he or she learns a language. As stated by Akmajian et all (2001:11) that

to begin studying human language, people have to examine the word because it

play an integral role for human to continue using language properly. McCarthy

(2002:2) also describes that words are the basic units of language. He said that the

first thing a baby can learn a language is a word.

By learning words, people will actually learn many fields of language

studies as Minkova and Stockwell (2006:461) elaborates:

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“English Words” is an umbrella topic; it can be addressed from the point

of view of sound structure, morphological composition, syntactic type and
function, meaning, collocational possibilities, regional, social, and stylistic
variation, and many other angles.

Finnegan (2008:12-13) explains that by learning words, people will get at least

five information involved in language such as phonology, lexical structures,

syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

Grammar may be useful to learn language due to the fact that its rule is in

it; however without knowing words there is no anything which can be able to

understand.

To remember words or vocabulary students have learned, research

suggests to make use of long-term memory which includes repetition, retrieval,

memorizing and many others. In spite of the fact that there are many words have

been taught and many methods have been applied by English teachers, students

sometimes forget what words which are given. This issue shows that to learn

vocabulary in order to remember it in long-term memory, not only a good famous

method should be given but also a good way to recognize words takes a part as

well.

This concern also happens in SMP PGRI Waled Cirebon especially at the

seventh grade, the students tend to always look up the dictionary when they are

given a task. In my first observation, l have interviewed some English teachers

about the students difficulties in understanding vocabulary, Mrs. Siti Sa’adah

S.Pdi, one of the English teacher, said that. they will be also inclined to forget

vocabularies they have learned. Therefore, in my own opinion one way which can
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be introduced is to learn word by morphological issue such as derivation,

inflection, word-formation, and so on. Derivational morphology which includes

some prefix and suffixes may assist them to learn many words. As a result they

will only learn a base word which includes many other derived words. It means

that they learn a little but understand much. For that reason, I am interested in

researching this issue as my final job in this lovely institution.

B. The Identification of the Problem

In identifying the problem of this research, I present that the field of the

study is involving vocabulary and morphology competence. Then, the result of

this research is expectantly able to solve one of many problems in learning

English, especially all about vocabulary.

C. The Limitation of the Problem

Discussions involving vocabulary or morphology will not be surely

enough presented in this research. Consequently, the researcher has to narrow his

explanation into only the correlation of learning derivational morphology towards

the students’ achievement in English vocabulary.

D. The Questions of the Research

The writer proposes three kinds of questions as follows:

a. How is the students' knowledge in understanding derivation?

b. How is the students' achievement in their English vocabulary learning?

c. Is there any significant correlation of the students' knowledge in

understanding derivation on their achievement in learning English vocabulary?

E. The Aims of the Research

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The writer proposes three kinds of aims of research as follows:

a. To find out the data about the students' knowledge in understanding

derivational morphology.

b. To find out the data about the students' achievement in English Vocabulary

c. To find out the data whether there is any correlation of the students’

knowledge in understanding derivational morphology towards the students’

achievement in English vocabulary

F. The Uses of the Research

The use of writing this thesis is to give the meaning about derivation as a

part of word-formation in morphology and vocabulary. Furthermore, this will also

give information involving both studies and remind all of the students to learn

both of them more easily but deeply. At last, this research is hopefully able to

participate in learning and teaching process of English.

G. The Framework of Thinking

Morphology has become one of the English subjects regarded as a basic

unit to learn a language as well as the words. To comprehend its meaning, let us

consider the following statement by Bloomfield (1973:207) in his famous book

entitled Language:

By the morphology of a language we mean the construction in which

bound forms appear among the constituents. By definition, the resultant
forms are either bound forms or words, but never phrases. Accordingly,
we may say that morphology includes the constructions of words and parts
of words, while syntax includes the constructions of phrases.

Furthermore, in accordance with Concise Oxford Dictionary distributed through

CD-ROM, morphology is defined as the study of inflections and other forms of

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words. It can be concluded that morphology is a basic knowledge in learning the

form of a word. Due to the fact that it involves word-formation, it definitely

involves vocabulary which contains words as an essential part in learning

language.

On the other hand, derivation is identified as the formation of a word from

another or from a root in the same or another language. The words ‘resend’ and

‘useful’ by some students may be difficult to learn it and have to look it up in the

dictionary, it is surely wasting time. However the students which understand

morphological issues such as derivation will exactly know the meaning of the

word by recognizing prefix or suffixes of the words given.

H. The Hypothesis of the Research

The hypothesis of the research in writing this thesis is that there is a

positive and significant correlation of the students’ understanding derivational

morphology towards their achievement of English vocabulary.

I. Methodology of the Research

1. The Objective of the Research

The objective of the research in writing this thesis is to find out the students'

knowledge in understanding vocabulary and their ability in understanding

derivational morphology. Furthermore, the objective of this research will then

conclude whether there is a significant correlation of the students’ ability of

learning derivational morphology toward their achievement in English

vocabulary.

2. The Location and Time of the Research

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The location which the researcher is going to be observed is at SMP

PGRI Waled Cirebon and hopefully it will be held on March till April.

3. The Method of the Research

The method of the research of this thesis is descriptive by means of

quantitative approach. It means that the writer uses the formula of statistics

especially, by using the formula of product moment by personal. The data come

from some theoretical information which is later be described and from the final

result of examination of the test given to the students, this data which are later

be quantitatively counted.

4. The Variable of the Research

The variables of the research are as follows:

a. X variable : The Students’ knowledge in derivational morphology

b. Y variable : The students’ English vocabulary achievement

5. Population and Sample

a. The population

Population the research is needed to be the object of doing research.

Arikunto (2002:108) declares that population is the whole subject of

research.

Sugiyono (2000:55) defines that population is generalization area

that consists of; object or subject having quantity and certain characteristic

stated by researcher to be learned and then draw a conclusion.

In edition, Nawawi (1995:145) states that population is overall

research objects consisting of human beings, things, animals, plants,

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phenomena, test scores, or events as the source of data that have certain

characteristics in a research

The population of the research in writing this thesis is all of the

students of the eight years students at SMP PGRI Waled Cirebon.

b. Sample

Sample is taken from the population. Sugiyono (2000:56) defines that

sample is a part of number and characteristic owned by population.

According to Sudijono (2003:14) sample is the part of population, as

sample which is taken by using the certain ways.

Meanwhile, Riduwan (2006:56) explains that sample is a part of

population that has certain characteristic or condition which will be

researched.

Arikunto (1997:112) informs that for just estimation so if the

subject is less than 100 it is better to take all so the research is
supposed to be the population research. Furthermore, if the number
of the subject is big it can be taken between 10-15% and 20-25%
or more, depending on:
a. The researcher's ability seen from time, energy and
budget.
b. Narrow and large of supervise area from every subject,
because it relates to the most and least of the data.
c. Big and small risk being guaranteed by
researcher.
For the research having big risk, of course if the sample is big, the
result will be better.
The sample of the research is the whole population, that is 49

students. Because the seventh grade of SMP PGRI Waled Cirebon

contains less than 100 students, as Arikunto said, the whole population

should be taken.
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6. The Technique of Collecting Data

The techniques of collecting the data in writing this thesis are as

follows:

1. Observation

According to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current

English (1987:580) observation / observe is watch carefully: ~ the
behavior of birds. The accused man was ~ d to enter the bank /
trying to force the lock of the door. I have never ~d him do
otherwise. He ~ d that it had turned cloudy. He ~s keenly but says
little. 2 pay attention to (rules, etc); celebrate (festivals, birthdays,
anniversaries, etc): Do they ~ Christmas Day I that country. 3 say
by way of comment: He ~ d that we should probably have rain. ~r
n 1. one who ~s (1): an ~r of nature. 2 one who observes (2): an ~r
of the Sabbath. 3 person who attend a conference, etc to listen but
who does not otherwise take part. Ob-serv –ing adj quick to notice.
Ob-serv-ing-ly adv.

Margono (1997:158) declares that observation is defined as noticing

and recording the phenomena existing in the object of research.

To achieve the data concerning the school, the writer has observed the

objective condition of the school, the condition and the number of the

students, the staff, the facilities of the school, and the real process of teaching

and learning English to know the students' knowledge in simple past tense and

their competence in making a narrative essay.

2. Interview

Arikunto (2006:132) defines that interview is a dialog which is done

by an interviewer to get some information from interviewee.

3. Test
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According to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current

English (1995:123) test is a short examination of knowledge as ability

consisting of questions that must be answered or activities that must be carried

out.

Arikunto (2002:127) defines that test is a sequence of questions or

practices and the other tool which is used to measure the skill, knowledge,

intelligence, ability or talent possessed by individual or group.

7. The Analyses of the Data

To know the degree of correlation and the contribution of independent

variable, the writer has used the formula of product moment correlation. The

following formula is used for the computation as a part of data analysis. The

formula is

r xy = N∑XY– (∑X) (∑Y)

√ {∑N∑X2 – (∑X)2} {∑N∑Y2 – (∑Y)2}

Where

rxy = number of index correlation "r" product moment

N = number of cases

∑XY = sum of multiplication result between X score and Y score

∑X = sum of all X score

∑Y = sum of all Y score

(Sudijono, 2006:206)
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The result of correlative computation will then be referred to the

product moment interpretation below:

The number of index correlation

Value "r" product moment Interpretation

0.00-0.20 Between X variable and Y variable

there is course correlation but the

correlation is neglected (it is

considered that there is no

correlation between X variable and

Y variable)

0.20-0.040 Between X variable and Y variable

there is weak or low correlation

0.40-0.70 Between X variable and Y variable

there is an enough or sufficient

correlation

0.70-0.90 Between X variable and Y variable

there is a strong or high correlation

0.90-1.00 Between X variable and Y variable

there is a very strong or very high

correlation
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(Sudijono 2006:193)
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THE CORRELATION OF THE STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE IN

DERIVATIONAL MORPHOLOGY WITH THEIR ENGLISH
VOCABULARY ACHIEVEMENT AT THE SEVENTH GRADE
OF SMP PGRI WALED CIREBON

A Thesis Proposal

Submitted to The English Department of The Education Faculty

The State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Syekh Nurjati Cirebon

by:

Nasrullah

Reg. Number:

50540463

THE STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES (IAIN)

SYEKH NURJATI
CIREBON
2011
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- Finegan, Edward (2008), English, Comrie, Bernard (ed), The World's Major

Language (2nd Ed). Routledge. London and New York.

- Akmajian, Andrian et all, (2001) Linguistics, An Introduction to Language

and Communication (5ed), The MIT Press London England.

- Andrew Carstairs-McCarthy, 2002:4, An Introduction to English

Morphology: Words and Their Structure, Edinburg University Press.

- Minkova, Donka and Stockwell, Robert (2006:461), English Words, in Aarts,

Bas and McMahon, April, The Handbook of English Linguistics, Blackwell

Publishing Ltd.

- Leonard Bloomfield, 1973, Language, George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London.

- Arikunto, Suharsimi. Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pengantar. Jakarta; Rineka

Cipta, 2002.

- Arikunto, Suharsimi. 1997. Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktek.

Jakarta; Rineka Cipta.

- Margono, S. Metodologi Penelitian Pendidikan. Bandung; rineka cipta ,1997.

- Nawawi Hadari, Metode Penelitian Bidang Sosial, Gajah Mada University

Press, Yogyakarta, 1995.

- Hornby, As, 1995. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English,

Oxford University Press.