THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING VOCABULARY BY USING

PICTURES OF COMUNICATION AT STATE PRIMARY SCHOOL

023905 BINJE UTARA

By:

Siti Rakiyah, S.Pd., M.Hum

Dosen PGSD Universitas Quality

Abstract

English is noticed as one of international languages which is very common to be used by

people from different region and country to communicate each other. Nevertheless, the ability
to use this language should de developed during age of children at primary school. Students
are often trapped by the very old-fashioned way of learning. They get bored even when they
are not learning it. It makes students find that English is more difficult than it actually is.
Vocabulary is one of the language components that have to be taught to the students in
learning as a foreign language. To improvethe students’ vocabulary, the teacher can use
many media. By using picture as media, the student can learn easily and interestingly.The
aim of this research is to find out whether there is a significant effect of teaching vocabulary
using picture to improve students’ vocabulary. In this research, the writer took 30 students of
the fifth-grade of State Primary School 023905 Binje Utara in the academic year 2016/2017
as the sample. For collecting the data, the instruments were used quantitative data
(vocabulary test) and qualitative data. Based on the data, it was found that the students
vocabulary score improved from orientation test, cycle I test, and cycle II test. In the
orientation test, the mean of the students’score was 60%, in cycle I test, the mean of the
students’score was 75%, and in cycle II test, the mean of the students’score was 89.28%. it
was found that teaching speking through picture can improve the students interest in
vocabulary. It can be concluded that teaching vocabulary through picture is effective in
teaching vocabulary and English teachers should try this strategy.The teacher uses the
variety of teaching methods in teaching learning process in order to get the higher
achievement of the students

Keywords: Vocabulary,Picture, and Content Words

A. Introduction
There are many, many reasons why learning a new language is a good idea. It allows
you to communicate with new people. It helps you to see things from a different perspective,
or get a deeper understanding of another culture. It helps you to become a better listener. It
even has health benefits, as studies have shown that people who speak two or more languages
have more active minds later in life.400 million people around the world speak English as
their first language. Not only that, but English is listed as one of the official languages in
more than a quarter of the countries in the world. That’s a lot of new people you can
communicate with just by improving one language.
In this era, the importance of English can not be ignored since English is the most
common language spoken everwhere. With the help of developing technology, English has
been playing a main role in many sectorsincluding medicine, engineering, and education,

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which, in my opinion, is the most important arena where English is needed. Consequently,
English is very important for Indonesian student for the following three reasons: Easy to find
a high-quality job, communicating with the international world, and accessing scientific
sources in the student’s major field, (Andi:2013).
Of course, there are few difficulties in Vocabulary Learning. Vocabulary is the most
comprehensive and most difficult aspect of English for foreign learners to master thoroughly.
They should concentrate first on learning the most frequently used and therefore most
important English vocabulary for their practical real life needs.

Multiple sense English words and synonyms (words with a similar meaning) present
special difficulty for foreign learners. Other difficulties with learning and using English
vocabulary include fixed word collocations, phrasal verbs, idioms, proverbs and regional
differences in vocabulary usage. There are differences in English usage in English-speaking
countries in terms of spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. I know some
specialised books dealing with British and American English differences.
English usage can also be formal and informal. Formal English is the language of the mass
media, education, business, economy, commerce, technology, science, etc.
Informal English includes colloquial, slang and dialect usage. It is harder for foreign
learners to master informal than formal English vocabulary. Thematic general English
dictionaries combined with English synonym dictionaries are a valuable tool for mastering
English vocabulary logically, comprehensively and intensively for real life needs of learners.
Extensive reading on a variety of topics is another effective method for expanding English
vocabulary, (Shelby:2014).

Vocabulary represents one of most important skills necessary for teaching and
learning a foreign language. It is the basis for the development of all the other skills: reading
comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling and pronunciation.
Vocabulary is the main tool for the students in their attempt to use English effectively. When
confronted with a native English speaker, when watching a movie without subtitle or when
listening to a favorite English song, when reading a text or when writing a letter to a friend,
students will always need to operate with words. In what follows, the focus of this
introductory chapter will be on why vocabulary is important, on what makes words difficult,
on the main reasons for which students often forget the words they learn and on some
techniques which help them remember the vocabulary, (Wilkins:2003).
Media can be a component of active learning strategies such as group discussions or
case studies. Media could be a a film clip, a song you hear on the radio, podcast of a lecture
or newspaper article. Students can also create their own media. For example, student video
projects can be a powerful learning experience.The use of media to enhance teaching and
learning complements traditional approaches to learning. Effective instruction builds bridges
between students' knowledge and the learning objectives of the course. Using media engages
students, aids student retention of knowledge, motivates interest in the subject matter, and
illustrates the relevance of many concepts.Media – like all other teaching techniques – should
be used judiciously in the learning process. Media can be used to motivate discussions or lock
in concepts. However, there are a number of important considerations for faculty before they
integrate media or ask their students to use or develop media in their courses. This section
explores tips for effectively using media, notes a number of common mistakes to be avoided
and describes how to involve students in creating media on their own, (Mateer, Ghent, at
all:2014).
The presentation of pictures is interesting enough for the students of Primary School,
especially technical program as stated by Allen (1983: 33) as follows:

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 Pictures of vocabulary teaching come from many sources. In addition to those
drawing by the students (or by teacher) there are attractive set which are intended for school.
Pictures which have been cut of magazines and newspapers are useful.

Based on the background of study above, many problems arise. The writer identifies
the problem as follows:
1. The technique of teaching learning process is boring for the students.
2. The students tend to be passive in finding out the meaning of the words.
3. The students feel difficult to find out the meaning of the words in dictionary.
In this study, the writer limits the problem on: whether using objects in the
environment of the students life (animals, fruits, public places, and simple tools) can improve
the students vocabulary mastery, whether it can motivate the students in learning vocabulary,
and whether it can make them easy to find out the meaning of words.
The writer does research in State Primary School 023905, Binje Utara and also wants
to know the ability of the students in vocabulary. In the process of teaching and learning
English in Primary School, mastery vocabulary is important. It is suitable the statement of
Langan (1992:422) he said that a good vocabulary, more than any other factor, was common
to people enjoying successful careers in life. Besides that, it is hoped that they will have more
vocabulary (because they are easier to catch new vocabularies) and will help them in studying
English in the next level of school. So that they can use their English in order to communicate
to other people from other countries later.
The English teacher needs to provide appropriate media. The availability of teaching
media makes the teacher able to create the acceptable learning atmosphere. The media help
the students understand the teaching materials easily. According to Anyakoha cited in
Asokhia (2009:81), the involvement of teachers and learners in improving materials gives
students and teachers the opportunity to concretize their creativity, resourcefulness, and
imaginative skills. In addition, it helps the teacher manage the class situation to attract the
students’ attention during the teaching-learning process. In brief, the use of the appropriate
media in teaching vocabulary may help to achieve the learning objectives better.
Based on the reasons above, the writer chooses descriptive text as the lesson topic to
make the direct vocabulary based on the text and context. Therefore, in this research, the
writer try to investigate “The Effectiveness of Teaching Vocabulary by Using Pictures at
State Primary School 023905 Binje Utara”.
Based on the background of the study, the problem of this study is formulated in the
form of question as stated: In conducting this writing, the writer states the problem as follow:
Is there any significant effect of teaching vocabulary of content words using pictures for the
fifth-grade students of State Primay School 023905 Binje Utara in the academic year
2016/2017?

This study is considered practically, the teachers can get the experience of trying out
whatever that they enlight their problem in the process of transferring the knowledge. So, the
teaching-learning of vocabulary would be well-managed in order to achieve the intended
outcome.
Theoretically, the teacherscan explain vocabularyits practical use in every day life.
They also aim to highlight the importance of motivation in teaching practice and the
techniques and approaches used to enhance students´ desire to improve their vocabulary as a
foreign language. While dealing with communicative activities, they focus on distinguishing
them either as accuracy or fluency activities and provided definitions of these terms. The role

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of a teacher is also discussed suggesting useful ideas to make the vocabulary lesson as
effective as possible.

B. Review of Literature
1. Concept of Vocabulary
Vocabulary is about words – where they come from, how they change, how they
relate to each other and how we use them to view the world (Bauer: 2001:34). Vocabulary is
one of language components and no language exists without words. Napa (1991: 10) states
that words are signs or symbols for ideas. They are the means by which people exchange
their thought.
Vocabulary contains of words which make up a language. It is clear then that
vocabulary is very important in foreign language acquisition. Hornby (2000: 1506) states that
vocabulary is the total number of words that make up a language, or words known to a
person, or used in a particular book or subject, or list of words with their meaning, especially
one which accompanies a textbook in a foreign language.
Vocabulary is the most important material in foreign language teaching for learners.
Therefore, the teaching of English vocabulary has a very essential role in enabling Indonesian
students to master English as their foreign language. English vocabulary mastery, in fact, has
become a big problem for most Indonesian students. If one does not have sufficient number
of vocabulary, he will not be able to communicate with his surroundings.
Schmitt (1997: 40) states that vocabulary is a basis of a language. It is important to be
mastered first. We cannot speak well and understand written materials if we do not master
vocabulary. Schmitt (1997:41) also states that no matter how successfully the sound of the
foreign language is mastered without words to express the wider range of meanings,
communication in a foreign language just cannot happen in any meaningful way.
The followings are the classification of basic vocabulary as classified by Tarigan
(1991: 10-11):
a. The family term : grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, child, etc
b. Parts of body : head, eye, ear, nose, hand, foot, etc.
c. Number : cardinal numbers (one, two, three, and etc);
ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc)
d. Verb : go, sleep, read, write, drink, eat, walk, etc.
e. Noun : car, shirt, table, pencil, pilot, etc
f. Adjective : handsome, beautiful, ugly, good, pretty, etc.
g. Universal things : land, sky, moon, sun, water, etc.
2. Vocabulary Mastery
Vocabulary mastery can be defined as a number of vocabulary (words) ina
language which contains information about its meaning, form, and usage in context of
communication. It is the basic knowledge that students should master first before
mastering English. As Chen and Li (2009) acknowledge,
vocabulary learning is a principal issue for English learning because it comprises the
basic building blocks of English sentences.
The students cannot do well in comprehension without large vocabulary, for the
passages and questions involve a range of words much wider than thatof daily conversation.
To make the discussion clearer, Harmer‟s opinion canbeadded. In his book,
Harmer (2001: 16) says that there are some aspects that have to be discussed in
vocabulary, namely: word meaning (synonym, antonym, connotation, and
denotation), extending word use such as idioms, word combinationor collocation, and the
grammar of words which comprises noun, verb, adjective, and adverb.
3. Pictures as A Media

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 Pictures are needed in the teaching of English vocabulary at Junior High School. A
teacher of Junior High School needs a special technique in order to promote the students
mastery of the lesson. In the teaching of English vocabulary, for example teachers sometimes
finds difficulties to present new materials since the objects frequently cannot be taken into
classroom. These difficulties arise because the students will be hard to understand the lesson
if they only listen what their teachers says. They need to know, the meaning of object
directly. Natawijaya (in Dian, 2003:13) summarizes some functions of picture cards in the
teaching, they are :
1. To attract the students interest
2. To stimulate and motivation children to learn
3. To introduce new ideas which are not know yet, and
4. To strengthen the students memory of a stimulus.
It is clear, then that pictures play an important roles in face-lifting the teaching and
learning process.
According to Butterfield (2003:183) media is a substance which has a particular effect
or can be used for particular purpose.Examples of instructional media include traditional
means of delivering instruction (chalkboards, textbooks, overhead projectors, and teachers),
mass media used for education (newspapers, movies, radio, and television), and the newer
"electronic" instructional media (computers, interactive video, and multimedia systems).
Media can “inform, amuse, startle, anger, entertain, thrill, but very seldom leave
anyone untouched” (Biagy, 2005:349). Media provides huge information, they motivate
students to speak and help them integrate listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills
through various kinds of activities. To improve the vocabulary of the students, media hould
be used, so that, the class is not monotonuous.
Pictures, as media for learning a language, have long been extensively used and
regarded as useful tools to assist teachers in delivering a topic in their teaching practices.
Media is one thing that is offered by many experts as a tool to increase the interest and
motivations to study. Therefore, the ability to use teaching media is competence skill that
every teacher must have. Picture is one of media which is suggested for helping the success
of teaching-learning (Putra, 2012:24).

I. Research Method
This research was aclass action research since it fulfilledthe criteria mentioned by
some experts above,that this research was done to find out the solution to real problem of
the researcher about students’vocabulary mastery.
Action research is aimed towards improvements (Kember, 2000:335). Action research
is a process of systematic inquiry that enables people to find effective solutions to real
problems encountered in daily life (Ferrance, 2000:108-112). Through repeated cycles of
planning, observing, and reflecting, individuals and groups engaged in action research can
implement changes required for social improvement (Hine, 2013:151-163).

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 Figure 3.1
The Action Research Cycles
The subject of this research are Grade V State Primary School 023905, Binje Utara.
There are two parallel class. Therefore, one class V, class is taken as the subject of this
research. The number of students in that class are 30 students. The writer choosed this class
because in this school only this class that have the large number or in other this is bigger than
the other class.
In scoring, the writer used the ranging score by counting the correct answer and apply
this formula:

Where:
S = the scores
T = the number of the correct answer
Tt = the number of the test items.
The writer interpreted the data by giving some information based on the facts and the data.
̅=

Where:
̅ = the score
= the number of the students
= frequency
II. The Result of Study
In the orientation test the mean was only 60%, in Cycle I, the mean was improved and
become 75%, and then in the Cycle II test, the mean was improved again and became
89.28%. It proves that the students’ vocabulary score was improved after the students were
taught by picture.

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 4.1 Data Frequency Distribution for Score of Orientation Test
NO Aspek Yang Di Observasi Penilaian
1 Opening the lesson 60
2 Delivering learning materials and learning objectives
systematically

60
3 Provide explanations with simple and clear language.

60
4 Class control 60
5 Implementing the learning process in a systematic manner
according to the lesson plan

60
6 Media usage 60
7 Motivate students to actively ask questions

60
8 Giving judgment 60
9 Create a summary in accordance with the method / model
applied.

60
10 Closing the lesson 60
Total 600
Percentage 60%
Category Cukup

Table 2. Data Frequency Distribution for Score of Cycle I Test

Ref. Cycle I
Results %
Number of
completed
students 21 75%

Number of
uncompleted
students 7 25%

Total 28 100%

Table 3. The Average Score of Cycle I

Score f X fx
i i i i

38,75-46,74 1 42,7 42,7

46,75-54,74 2 50,7 101,49

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54,75-62,74 4 58,7 234,98
62,75-70,74 10 66,7 667,45
70,75-78,74 7 74,7 523,22
78,75-86,74 4 82,7 330,98
∑ 28 376,5 1900,86

Table 4. Data Frequency Distribution for Score of Cycle II Test

Ref. Cycle II
Results %
Numberof
completed
students 25 89.28%

Number of
uncompleted
students 3 10.71%

Total 28 100%

Table 5. Average Score of Cycle II

No Nilai Siswa
1 52,94-59,93 1 56,4 56,4
2 59,94-66,93 2 63,4 126,87
3 66,94-73,93 5 70,4 352,18
4 73,94-80,93 9 77,4 696,92
5 80,94-87,93 7 84,4 591,92
6 87,94-94,93 4 91,4 365,74
∑ 28 443,6 2489,18
Table 6. Students Activity Observation of Cycle I-II
No Cycle Score Value Criteria

1 Cycle 31 62 Enough
I
2 Cycle 38 76 Good
II
The results shows the intensifying of students speaking from orientation test to cycle I and
cycle II test. In cycle II test which was conducted to the students in cycle I of the action
research, there were 89.28% or 25 studennts who got the good score. It means that there was
an improvement of students in vocabulary about 75% compared in cycle I test. So, the use of
picture to improve students’ vocabulary can be said to have achieve its target objective.

III. Conclusion
Considering what has been discussed in this research, the researcher draws a
conclusion about the effectiveness of picture media for teaching vocabulary on the fifth-grade
of State Primary School 023905, Binje Utara. The conclusions of this study are concerned
with the summary of the finding that has been discussed . Later, several points in the
effectiveness of picture media can be concluded as follows:

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1. The differences between teaching by using picture media and without using picture media
are:
a. The students can interest their English lesson
b. The students can stimulate and motivation to learn
c. The students can strengthen memory of a stimulus
d. The students can introduce new ideas which are not know yet
2.Picture can be effective for teaching vocabulary at the junior high school
To achive the standard passing score, according to the Departement Education
Criteria, teachers should try to apply some strategies. So that, the students are motivated and
interested in English.

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