Teaching Vocabulary

Definition of Vocabulary
There are some definitions about vocabulary appeared. Vocabulary is defined as the body of words used in a particular language or in a particular environment of activity (oxford software dictionary). Vocabulary is a list of words with brief explanations of their meanings for distributing communication with other people. Vocabulary is used in
both oral and written language, also both in receptive and productive language form. It usually used to refer kind of words that student have to know to increase their ability in language.

The Importance of Vocabulary
Vocabulary is important. Do you agree with the statement? Vocabulary and the other language skills and language elements are important in learning language. But, actually, vocabulary is much more
than grammar. It is the key of everybody who want to learn language to understand what they heard and read. They can communicate with other people if they know vocabularies which are related to. By knowing vocabularies, we can easily communicate with other people. We can read and comprehend what we read, also we are able to express ideas.
So, it is very important if everybody wants to increase their “storage” of words. Some researches discover that there are a great relationship between knowing vocabulary and friendship, relationship, and achieving language school success. If somebody has much vocabulary, he or she can get new friend from overseas and he or she can build good relationship. Also, most of students who have great number of vocabulary can achieve their school success in language.

Aspects of a Vocabulary Item Should Be the Teacher Consider
•    Meaning
Vocabulary is considered to the meaning words. Every word has its own meaning even though there are words which have more than one meaning. Every meaning has its own place in the part of speech. Teacher should be consider to the meaning of vocabulary in order to the students understand the meaning of new word they have studied to.
•    Usage of word
Studying about vocabulary does not only know the meaning of word, but also you can use the word in sentences or in your speech. You have to apply vocabularies you know in appropriate context in order to communicate in the language of vocabulary you study to.
•    Form
It is important for the teacher to teach the form of vocabulary. It will make the students understand what the vocabulary they are study for. Students can identify what form of vocabulary so that they can use it in correct situation.

Ways to Remember Vocabulary
    Learning vocabulary is about remembering. Students are need to see, to say, and to write words in many times to remember the vocabularies before they can said to have learned them. Some people feel that memorizing is very bored. Comparing new word in target language and in native language is a good method to memorize vocabulary. However, vocabulary can not learned in only one time. It must be practiced in many times. There are some ways to memorize vocabulary easily. Teacher can used these ways to teach vocabulary. They are:
- Practising
- Reading
- Using media
- Developing sight seeing

When we have known and learned the vocabulary, the vocabulary will be easy. For example: “He is furious to my sister’s behavior.” If we have learned and known the meaning of furious and behavior, the sentences will be easy to understand. But when we never heard, seen and learned the vocabulary, the meaning of the sentence will be difficult to be understood. According to above example, it can be concluded as if we never heard about a vocabulary, it will be difficult to understand. However, if it ever heard and learned, it will be easy.
Besides when words are usually heard or use in daily, they will be easy to remember and understand. Example: sorry, welcome, thank you, milk, hello, drink, etc. in other hand, if words are seldom even almost never used, such as: abandon, paralyze, pictorial, etc, they are difficult to be understood and remembered.

Technique in Teaching Vocabulary
A good teacher must know and apply many techniques in teaching learning process. There are many techniques that teacher can use in teaching vocabulary such some following below:
a.    Antonyms/synonyms (Grammar Translation Method)
Students are purposed to know new vocabulary which is related to the synonym or antonym of word given.
b.    Fill-In-The-Blank (Grammar Translation Method)
Students have to fill in the blank the letter of word. So, they will add their vocabulary.
c.    Memorization (Grammar Translation Method)
By memorizing words in target and native language, student will easier to remember the vocabularies.
d.     Dictation (direct Method)
By giving dictation, students learn to listen vocabulary.
e.    Drill (Audio-Lingual Method)
Students are asked to answer teacher’s question about vocabulary as quickly as possible (consider to the meaning of word)
f.     Human Computer (Community Language Learning)
Student are able to know about vocabulary by teacher’s translation. 
And there are many techniques besides those ones. It depends on situation in the classroom and teaching learning process.

Besides, not only techniques that teacher can use in teaching vocabulary. Teacher also can use some ways such as through games, songs, real things, video and others. Games make students enjoy the learning process. By using real things, students being familiar and easier to memorize the vocabulary instead of imagine them. Songs can provide practice in pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation.

Conclusion
Knowing and learning vocabulary are very useful because through vocabulary, you will easier to have communication with others especially in English. So, keep improving your vocabularies!


Taken from multiple sources.
 compared in my paper in 6th semester of English Department, Seminar on TEFL lecture