CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Problem

Vocabulary is a list of words. Vocabulary generally defines vocabulary as
the knowledge of vocabulary meanings (Alizadeh, 2016). In other words, students
cannot use a language without having vocabulary knowledge of the language. To
get the meaning from the words in foreign language, the people should have known
much vocabulary. Students need to mastered vocabulary, because vocabulary is
component available for arranging to make a sentence has meaning.
There is no doubt that vocabulary plays important roles in the field of foreign
language learning and teaching. By mastering it, students can communicate using
English. In the sphere of second language learning, vocabulary is an indispensable
part of the four language skills (Boonkongsaen and Intaraprasert, 2014, p.1). It
means that, vocabulary play important roles that cannot be separate with four
language skills. In speaking, students who lack vocabulary may get to be harder to
find the right words to communicate in English. In writing, students cannot
produce writing without have rich vocabulary. In reading, without vocabulary
students cannot understand the text. Also in listening, vocabulary plays important
role to help students understand the speaker’s utterance.
As one of the components in learning a language, mastering vocabulary is
getting important for students to be success in English. Vocabulary knowledge is
generally assumed to be a good predictor of language proficiency in a second or a
foreign language (Stæhr in Boonkongsaen and Intaraprasert, 2014, p.59). By
mastering it, help students to reach English proficiency. English proficiency has
been found to be closely related to vocabulary knowledge. This strong relationship
can be explained by the role of vocabulary in language learning. Vocabulary is
considered as a very essential component of any languages. To be able to achieve

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high language performance, learners need large and rich vocabulary to use
language effectively.
Vocabulary is the most important things students must learn. English
vocabulary are the basic building blocks of the language (Susanto and Halim,
2017). Without vocabulary, we cannot master the language. Grammar is important,
but vocabulary is much more important. In the case of language learning, students
need to be educated with the strategies which can help the learners acquiring the
meaning of words. Vocabulary is considered as a very essential component of any
languages. The mastery of vocabulary is getting important for students as
vocabulary can support them when they communicate in the target language.
Students who lack vocabulary knowledge may get to be harder to find the right
words to communicate in the target language.
Mastering vocabulary is one of the most challenging tasks that any learner
faces while acquiring another language. Acquiring vocabulary is not easy for
students. For acquiring it, they will face some problems in learning vocabulary is
one of the major challenges that foreign language learners face during the process
of learning a language (Ghazal in Boonkongsaen and Intaraprasert, 2014, p.1). It
is a continual process of find new vocabulary items in meaningful and
comprehensible language contexts. Further, it is a more complex process than
simply memorizing the meanings of words because it encompasses seeing, hearing
and using words in meaningful contexts.
To deal with vocabulary learning problems especially, there are strategies to
learn English vocabulary to enhance language students’ effectiveness. They are
Vocabulary Learning Strategies. Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) are the
way that students do to help themselves understands and memorize vocabulary
items (Cameron, 2001, p.92). It means VLS is the action to assist students more
easy in learning vocabulary, especially when students want to understand
vocabulary and also memorizing vocabulary items.
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VLS defines as the mechanism used by the students to learn vocabulary as

well as action or way 1) to find out the meaning of unknown words, 2) to hold
them in long-term memory, 3) to pull out them at will and 4) to use them in oral
and written mode Schmitt in (Nirattisai, 2014, p. 275). It can be said that, VLS are
a unit step to assist students in learning vocabulary, especially to getting know the
meaning of words, retain the words stay long-lasting in memory, recall the words
when we need it and help us easy to use the words while oral and written.
In VLS taxonomy, there are two main types of strategies: discovery
strategies and consolidation strategies Determination strategies and social
strategies are in the discovery group; cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies,
memory strategies and social strategies are in the consolidation group. Since social
strategies can be used in both groups, they are included in both (Schmitt in Baskin,
Iscan, Karagoz and Birol, 2017). Each one of these two classes is further divided
into sub-strategies. Discovery strategies include: a) determination strategies which
involve analyzing the unknown word, its constituent elements, and its surrounding
context, checking its L1 cognate, or consulting the dictionary to determine
meaning. b) Social strategies maintain working with others (mainly teachers and
classmates) to arrive at word definition. For Consolidation strategies, on the other
hand, involve four sub-strategies: a) Social strategies: which indicate working with
others (such as L2 native speakers, teachers, and classmates) in studying and
developing one's vocabulary. b) Memory strategies: they are the ones learners
manipulate to aid recall of vocabulary like using images of the word meaning or
form, connecting the word to its synonym or antonym, paying attention to the word
spelling or pronunciation, memorizing affixes and roots, and learning the word
part of speech. c) Cognitive strategies: they are seen to be similar to the memory
strategies, but they tend to focus more on the mechanical aspects of vocabulary
learning like keeping a vocabulary notebook, repeating the word either orally or in
written form, taking notes and highlighting words, and labeling physical objects.
d) Metacognitive strategies: they are related to how the learners can evaluate their
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own learning in order to be able to improve it most efficiently. These strategies

include studying the word repeatedly, paying attention to the words used in L2
media, and testing oneself with vocabulary tests regularly.
In related with the vocabulary strategy in overcoming their problems in
learning vocabulary. The researcher read some article from journal. The first
journal, the tittle is a study on students’ difficulties in learning vocabulary. The
journal explain about the difficulties faced by the students’ were almost all of the
students have difficulties in pronouncing words, how to write and spell, the
different grammatical form of a word known as inflection. In addition, the students
found difficulties in choosing the appropriate meaning of the words and also still
confuse in using the word based on the context. The last, the students are also still
confuse when they found words or expression that are idiomatic. There are so
many problems that students faced when they are learning vocabulary.
Second, the tittle is strategies for dealing with vocabulary learning problems
by Thai university students. The journal explain about various emergent strategies
were reported to be employed to cope with vocabulary learning problems. In this
situation, the students relied on different strategies to handle the problems. The
strategies are using a dictionary and guessing from the context’ were common
strategies which were reported to be employed by all sixty three research subjects
when encountered vocabulary difficulties. The next strategies are watching an
English-speaking film’ and listening to English songs were other reported
strategies by a few students to remember newly learnt words. Next, regarding
reading novels, newspapers, short stories, magazines, or something from internet,
etc. The last, trying to use newly learned words in conversation with friends and
teachers.
Based on the preliminary research which was done to two of nine Thailand
students who study at IAIN Batusangkar by doing interview, the researcher knew
that from the first informant that when he was in Senior high school in Krabi,
Thailand. He learned English five times a week. He said that in the class, his
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teacher taught vocabulary by giving few vocabulary then students asked to write
it. Then, students should memorize all the words. Then, students come in front of
the class and mention all the vocabulary that had been memorized. In this activity.
Informant said that he got problem when he remember the vocabulary. It is difficult
for him to pronounce new word that he never know before and also he did not
know the meaning of words. But, he tried to solve his problem by using dictionary
to find the meaning. He asked his teacher how to pronounce words.
Next, the second informant explained that when he was in Senior high
school. He learned about part of speech, grammar, 5W + 1H question form. His
teacher taught vocabulary by asking the students to memorize ten vocabulary every
meeting and V1, V2 and V3 forms. Then, all the students will perform what are
they had been memorize before. He got problems in this activity. He did not know
the meaning, how to write, how to pronounce and difficult for him to remember
the new vocabulary. But he tried to ask his teacher when he did not know to
pronounce words. He tried to get meaning in dictionary (English – Thailand).
Based on the background above, the researcher was interested in conducting
a research entitled An Analysis of Thai Students Strategies in Overcoming Their
Problems in Learning Vocabulary of Thai Students of Prathepsatsana Islamic
School 2019/2020 Academic Year”

B. Focus and Question of the Research

Based on the background of the problem above, the researcher focused her
research on Thai students’ strategies in overcoming their problems in learning
vocabulary. Based on the focus of research, the question of this research was
formulated as follows: “What are Thai Students strategies in solving their
problems in learning vocabulary?”
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C. Definition of Key Term

To avoid misunderstanding and ambiguity about this research, the key terms
were defined as follows:
1. Thai students are students in Prathepsatsana Islamic School, Nakhon Sri
Thammarat, Thailand that already success in overcoming their problem
in learning vocabulary and have rich vocabulary mastery.
2. Strategies are specific actions, steps, behaviors,or techniques that applied
by students in Thailand to overcome their problem in learning
vocabulary. Vocabulary learning strategies which used by the students
in secondary school in Nakhon Sri Thammarat,Thailand in
Prathepsatsana Islamic school.
3. Learning Vocabulary is a process of acquiring the new words, the
meaning of words and also how words and also about how to use the
vocabulary into correct usage inside and outside of the class.

D. Purpose of the Research

Based on the question of research, the main purpose of this research was to
describe Thai students’ strategies in overcoming their problems in learning
vocabulary.

E. Significance of the Research

By conducting this research, the researcher hoped that the result of this
research was expected to be able to give good contribution and information for all
people. Theoretically, this study enrich the theory about Thai students’ strategies
in solving their problems in learning vocabulary. Practically, this research is expect
to be useful for:
1. English Students
By doing this research, it hopes to give information to students
especially Thailand students who were chosen as research informants of
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this research about kind of strategies that can help them to solve their
problems in learning strategy. So, they can apply the strategies to solve
their problems in learning vocabulary.
2. English Teacher
The result of this research was expected to give significant
information related to the strategy in learning vocabulary. Teacher can
ask the students to apply the strategy to solve students’ problems in
learning vocabulary.
3. The researcher herself
This research was hoped to enrich researcher’ understanding about
Thai students’ strategies in overcoming their problem in learning
vocabulary. Then, to explore herself knowledge and experience about
Thai students’ strategies in solving their problem in learning vocabulary.
Next, She knows the variants of Thai students’ strategies in solving their
problem in learning vocabulary. In addition, this research is as a
requirement to get Bachelor degree (S1) at IAIN Batusangkar.