STRATEGIES IN LEARNING ENGLISH VOCABULARY USE BY EIGHTH GRADERS OF SMP SATU ATAP NEGERI NUNHALA KEFAMENANU

Abstract

Learners need to master vocabulary as the basis of language learning. However, in Indonesia where English is taught as a foreign language, vocabulary is often taught incidentally and only given little priority. Due to the importance of vocabulary, strategy is needed in language learning. As the part of learning strategy, vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) will facilitate learners to develop their vocabulary. The purpose of this research is to know what are learning strategies used by eighth graders of SMPN Satu Atap Nunhala Kefamenanu in the academic year 2021/2022. The sub-questions are: (1) What are learning strategies used by students in learning vocabulary? (2) Why do students prefer use those strategies? The method used in this research is the descriptive qualitative method. The instruments in this research were open-ended questions and questionnaires. In this study, the writer used primary data collection from eighth-graders of SMP Satu Atap Negeri Nunhala, Kefamenenu. It consists of 86 students. They are divided into 3 classes, they are Class A, Class B, and Class C. The writer has chosen one class for this research. The primary data of this research is related to the students’ strategies for learning English vocabulary. The writer chose the eighth graders of SMP Satu Atap Negeri Nunhala as the data source because the writer intended to know the effectiveness of their English learning and also their learning strategies. The samples of the research were twenty-five students. The results of the study showed that there were some strategies faced by the students.  The writer analyzed the strategies and divided them into five  strategies, such determination strategies, social strategies, memory strategies, cognitive strategies, and metacognitive strategies.