CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

I.1. The Background of the Study

Language as a mean communication seems to have played an important role in

human life. Language and human beings can not be separated. Human life

perspicuity can run well because they use language to communicate something

one another. Through the language, people gain a better insight into human

relations. They use the language to express their ideas and thoughts. Meanwhile

language itself can survive and develop because people use it and teach to other

people. Whoever, whenever and wherever they are, language always accompanies

them. Even when one is silent, basically he still uses language it is a means used

to form thought and feeling, will and activity.

English has important role in the world. The different growth of languages

makes it the most popular among the other international languages. Nowadays,

there are no part of the world affairs know nothing about English. International

affairs such as education, economic, sport, science, medicine, and security, always

involve English as the medium. Besides, it must be realized that most scientific

books are written in English. Accordingly, in order to be able to comprehend the

books for getting knowledge, one must have mastery in English and so must the

Indonesian students.

For Indonesia, English is a foreign language. With this position, it does not

have social function as wide as a second language. English in academic field is

taught as a subject matter. By learning English the learners are hoped to be able to

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communicate about anything in English. It is in accordance with River’s statement

that the final aim of teaching a foreign language is to produce students who can

communicate about anything and everything in the foreign language.

To achieve the communicative function, we need general knowledge and skill

of English and language components. There are four language skills taught in

MTs. They are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Reading gets more

emphasis than the others. This emphasis is reasonable, as the graduates of MTs are

prepared to continue their study to university in which many reference books are

written in English. Furthermore, vocabulary knowledge is basic to and primarily

the prime ingredient in comprehension. Strategy for vocabulary development is

essential element of any reading program. The language components involve

vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. In fact, all language components are

important, but the most important one in language teaching is vocabulary.

Vocabulary is the most important component in language teaching. By having an

adequate mastery of vocabulary, students can learn language more easily. Besides,

there is a direct relationship between a successful career and large vocabulary.

Men and women who had achieved distinction in variety of field were proved to

have vocabularies larger than the average. It does not mean that a large vocabulary

can guarantee one to become a scientist. But it means that inadequate vocabulary

will minimize one’s chances for success; an effective vocabulary will increase

them.

When we talk about the process of mastering vocabulary, we have to deal with

the ways of enriching vocabulary. If the students could master and always

remember all the vocabularies learned at school, when they have graduated their

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vocabulary of English would be adequate enough. After they have finished their

study at MTs, however, it turns out that they just loose too many of their English

words, only a very limited number are remembered. This, of course, will not apply

to those who take the higher education of school. It is one of the phenomena

happening in the process of mastering vocabulary in MTs today.

The writer finds that one of language teaching methods to increase

student’s vocabulary in MTs by teaching old prose (Legend and Fable) as the

genres (Narrative) which is belong to English Syllabus/KTSP for MTs.

Story offered not only pleasure and fun of its content, but if we exposure

the language deeper we will meet lots of new vocabulary of complex grammatical

forms because language used in story is different from daily conversation. During

reading and writing story we will also meet the ability to know and learn new

words subconsciously because no attention is given to the target word before or

during the process.

Considering the explanation above the writer believes that learning

English by teaching old prose (legend and fable) will help language learners to

have more effective method in acquire vocabularies.

I.2. The Problem of The Study

To investigate whether or not there is an increase on students’ vocabulary

mastery by teaching old prose (legend and fable), the writer stated the problems of

the research as follows:

1. Does teaching English by using old prose (legend and fable)

increase student’s vocabulary?

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 2. How do students respond the program (teaching English by using

legend and fable as the genres belong to old prose)?

I.3. The Hypothesis of The Study

A hypothesis is the important statement in the research. It must be simple and

clear, so based on the research will be held, the writer takes the hypothesis as

follows :

1. There is a significant difference in student’s vocabulary before and

after the treatment (Teaching English by using Legend and Fable).

2. There is no a significant difference in student’s vocabulary before

and after the treatment (Teaching English by using Legend and Fable).

I.4. The Purpose of The Study

Considering the problem above, the research is oriented toward the following

purpose:

1. To obtain valid description of teaching English using old prose

(legend and fable) in increasing student’s vocabulary.

2. To find out how student respond the program.

I.5. Significance of the Study

In general, the aim of this study is to prove the effectiveness of teaching old

prose (legend and fable) to increase student’s vocabulary. This study is expected

to contribute a technique in delivering English materials and hoped to make the

situation of the study become familiar and joyful.

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I.6. Limitation of The Study

To keep the study is not too wide and also it can be directed, the writer

determines the limitation of problem as follow:

The study only focuses on narrative text (legend and fable) as one of the efforts

which is used to increase the student’s vocabulary at Islamic Boarding School

Sabiilunnaja Cipeundeuy MTs Grade.

A. Methodology of The Research

1. Research Design

The kind of research is experimental method. This research is done into

two groups. One is control group and another is an experimental group.

The control group is not taught by fable and legend but, the experimental

group is taught by using it. Then the result of two groups is proceeded by

comparing two means and counted using T-test formula that is used to

prove whether hypothesis is significant or not.

2. Population and Sample

The population of the research is first grade students at Islamic Boarding

School Sabiilunnaja Cipeundeuy MTs Grade.

The writer took only one class randomly as the sample. Then the class was

divided randomly into two groups; one as experimental group and other as

control group. The class division is based in their achievement from the

pretest. The groups consist of the same achievement ability.

3. Research Instrument

The instrument that is used to collect the data is test.

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 Test:

1) Pre-Test, two samples are given the same items of pre-test before

giving the treatment (cooperative learning).

2) Post-Test, two samples are given the same items of post-test but, in

learning process, the experimental group is taught by using Teaching

fable and legend and the control group is taught without it or

conventionally.

3) Questionnaire, first questionnaire distributed to both groups

(experimental and control groups) before treatments and the second

questionnaire distributed only to the experimental group at the end of

the whole treatments.

4. Data Analysis

Data analysis that is used to test the hypothesis in this research is T-

Test. It is used to test the significance of difference mean of two variables.

T-test is formulated as follow:

t= MX - M Y ___

∑x 2 + ∑y2 1+1
Nx + Ny – 2 Nx Ny

M = the mean of two groups of scores

N = the number of the sample
X = deviation every value of x2 and x1
Y = deviation every value of y2 and y1
(Arikunto: 1998)

H. Clarification of Terms

Increase

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  To become or to make something greater in number, quantity, size,

etc.

 (in something) an amount by which something increase.

Vocabulary

 Total number of words on language that one knows

 A collection or list of words with brief explanations of their

meaning.

 The range of language of particular person, class, profession or the

like.

 The sum of aggregate of words composing a language.

Old Prose

Ordinary spoken or written language without the rhytm or meter of poetry.

Spoken or written language without metrical structure, as distinguish from

poetry or verse

Legend

A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and

listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities

that give the tale verisimilitude.

Fable

A fable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, that features animals, plants,

inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given

human qualities), and that illustrates a moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at

the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.

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I. Organization of the Paper

The paper will be organized into five chapters:

Chapter 1

Introduction, which discusses background, statement of the problem, aim

of the study, assumption, method and procedure of the research, population

and sample, data collection, data analysis, organization of the paper, and

clarification of terms.

Chapter 2

Review of related literature that serves as a basis for investigating the

research problem.

Chapter 3

The method of the research that discusses the steps and procedures of the

research, the instruments of the research and the reason of choosing its

procedures.

Chapter 4

It reports the result of the study.

Chapter 5

Conclusion and suggestion, It contains the writing interpretations towards

the result in a form of the conclusion an implications or suggestion in

accordance with its research.

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