COMPUTER-BASED ENGLISH TEACHING AS A METHOD FOR INCREASING STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY MASTERY

Abstract

Teaching English to young learners like Elementary School students is different from teaching English to adult learners. Teacher is demanded to certain media and various learning activities to make the students interesting in learning English. The media like computer aquipted with LCD can present the teaching materials in interesting way. This reason interest the researchers to conduct research on this topic.

In this study the reseacher aims to find out whether the use of computer-based English teaching can improve the students’ vocabulary mastery or not to the fifth class of SD Kaliboto in the academic year 2012/2013. The population of the research was the fifth fifth class of SD Kaliboto in the academic year 2012/2013. The total number of population is 19 students. The researchers took all students as the sample. The instrument used in the research was vocabulary test which consists of 30 items: 15 completion and 15 multiple choice. The data were analyzed through descriptive analysis and inferential analysis.

Based on the analysis of the data, the testing of the hypothesis and the discussion in previous chapter, the conclusion can be drawn that the use of computer-based English teaching can improve the students’ vocabulary mastery or not to the fifth class of SD Kaliboto in the academic year 2012/2013. It can be proved from the mean score of post-test is higher than pre-test. The mean score of pre-test is 70.9. While the mean score of post-test is 81.2. Moreover the result of t-test is higher than critical value. The result of t-test is 2.443 and the critical value on the table is 1.734.

Key word: computer-based, improve, vocabulary.

A. INTRODUCTION

English teaching has received greater improvement today since the government issued that English is an International language which has to be mastered by graduates. It means the graduates are expected to be able to communicate in English for the purposes of getting better career. To achieve this, through the department of national education English teaching has been instructed to start from the early education like primary school. It is assumed when English learning is started from the earlier age the achievement will be better.

However, English teaching to Indonesian learners is not an easy task. Since English is hardly spoken in our society or our family environment. It is considered an exclusive thing to communicate in English in our daily routine. So, it becomes our task of English teachers to uncover the society’s image that English is not an exclusive thing anymore. To do this, we need media which is able to presents English daily exposure to be brought in our homes (Indonesian English learners). This exposure is very important because it can presents the language as if it were there in our society.

Young learners is characteristic with active creatures that we- teachers cannot make them just listen without any physical movements. We need to consider that they are in playing period. So our teaching media and materials must be relevan to the students’ need. Government should provide school with media if the we expect to improve learning outcome.With media the students will be more motivated to take a part in the learning process. It is important for teacher to make the learners involve completely and provide them with joyful learning.

Teaching media is increasingly important especially to the young learners. Through the teaching media the learners become motivated to learn new things, in this case English language. The question is what is the teaching media that is able to attract the young learners to learn a new language? In this case, audio visual media can be the choice.

The audio visual media such as the use of computer in teaching English is able to motivate the young learners to explore the things that they just learned and broaden their knowledge. Through computer teacher may provide them with the better laerning atmosphere. They can provide exposure that cannot be found through manual taeching. Teacher may present simplied films or video clips that students as if they in English speaking community.

Through computes we can prepare teaching materials that can attract the students’ interest to learn English. Teaching materials may includes pictures, music, songs, games dan some quizes. With various materials students will not easily bored to learn English and through the media the learning materials will be more easily understood y the students as a result it will be improve on the learning outcome.

The researcher believes that computer-based for English teaching to young learners is able to motivate them to learn English and they will achieve a good result. The objective of the study namely (1) to know the students’ vocabulary mastery or not through computer-based English teaching; (2) to know weather computer-based English teaching is effective or not for improving students’ vocabulary mastery.