AN ANALYSIS OF TEACHER’S TECHNIQUES IN TEACHING VOCABULARY

TO YOUNG LEARNERS AT TK AISYIYAH KARANGASEM SURAKARTA

DIAH AYUNI ARIAWAN

MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF SURAKARTA
EMAIL: diahayuniar06@gmail.com
ABSTRACT

This study aims to reveal the effective techniques taught by teachers in

teaching vocabulary to young learner at Aisyiyah Karangasem Surakarta. the data
were collected through observation. The result of this study figured out that there are
4 techniques that use by the teacher, namely; 1) using illustration and pictures; (2)
repetition; (3) mime, expression and gesture and (4) sing songs. Based on the
conclusion, the techniques used by the teacher are not compatible with Brewster
theory.

Keywords : techniques, teaching vocabulary, young learners

A. INTRODUCTION

Children listen to adult conversations then imitate it. They imitate what adults talk
about. Then try to find out the meaning of adult speech. This is how children learn languages
naturally through the environment. In relation to children’s characteristics above, Nation
(2001) asserted that in language learning, vocabulary is the first aspect to be taught before
teaching the other aspects of language for every language learner, especially children. In
learning a foreign, communication will be damaged by not getting the message to be
delivered or commonly called a misunderstanding. Vocabulary knowledge influences
students' understanding of reading and listening, while also influencing the way students
convey their ideas into writing and speaking. Therefore, mastery of vocabulary must be
trained early.

In Tk Aisyiyah Karangasem Surakarta, the researcher found that teachers taught

students to use songs and pictures. The participants were 29 students and 3 teachers who
taught alternately and divided each session. while in class, the teacher is too serious. The
teacher also looks unfriendly when teaching so students seem to not pay attention to the
teacher. As a result, students are easily bored and the material is not delivered perfectly to
students. Teaching English seems to be a common problem that is often found. Teaching
English to young learner is not easy. Teaching small children is different from teaching
adults. The teacher must understand the character of students and use the right techniques
and make students want to learn happily.

Based on the phenomenon found. This study tries to find out the answer whether
techniques used by the teacher in teaching vocabulary are effective at TK Aisyiyah
Karangasem Surakarta based on Brewster’s (1992) theory.

B. RESULT AND OBSERVATION

This study uses qualitative design. Taken in Tk Aisyiyah Karangasem
Surakarta. The participants were class group A3 which is small group TK (4-5 years
old) and teach by 2 students in pre-teaching then a teacher in while teaching. The
data were taken use observations. The observations were conducted to reveal the
activities done in English language teaching during the class. The researcher writing
the process of teaching, recording the data and taking a picture in the class. During
the class, the procedures contains in three sections:
Pre-teaching
1) Greeting (Assalamualaiku warahmatullahi wabarakatu)
2) Prayer before learning
3) Review the material yesterday
Teacher asking the students about the song
Teacher ask students to singing together
4) Taking attendance (teacher and students singing together)
Break

While teaching

1) Teacher giving materials about writing calendar (date, month, year), name of
days and objects in the space (moon, stars, sky, clouds, rain and rainbow).
2) Teacher giving the materials by using songs and pictures related to the materials.
3) Teacher asking students to spell the vocabularies.
4) Students imitates the vocabularies said by teacher
Listen to me
 Repeat after me
Say these words (moon, stars, sky, clouds, and rainbow)
5) Teacher giving instructions to students to cut and stick apple picture in students’
handbook.
6) Teacher asks and guides students to cut carefully, following the lines in the
pictures.

Post Teaching

1) Teacher giving feedback (by say good, very good, nice picture, etc.)
2) Teacher reviewing materials by mention again the materials.
3) Closing (by saying hamdalah)

C. DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

On the basis of the observation, the teacher tended to use singing songs and
using pictures, repetition, mime, expression and gesture techniques. According to
Cameron (2007: 15), young students are easily distracted; they cannot focus on one
thing. Children will immediately ask the teacher to do other activities after they are
bored with what they do. Thus, variations in the technique are a must. While teaching
process in TK Aisyiyah Karangasem, teacher use several techniques, namely:
1. Using pictures
Uses image to clarify vocabularies is a good technique because students easily
understand and the learning will be fun. Brewster (1992) states in teaching
vocabularies, teachers do not only use songs and objects but also can use gesture
and expression. For example, in the A3 class of TK Aisyiah Karangasem
Surakarta. The teacher uses songs with the lyrics of the moon, stars, sun, clouds,
rain and rainbows and the teacher uses gestures to follow the shapes of the objects
studied. This proves that the teacher uses visualization in shaping objects learned.
Brown (2007: 103) all five sense stimulated states. The activities that should be
carried out to go well are beyond auditory and the visual mode.

2. Repetition

Beside that the teacher also uses the Listens-repeat technique or repetition in
teaching vocabulary. While teaching, in introducing the teacher object use a
 picture and mention one by one vocabulary about object in the sky and ask
students to listen and repeat the vocabulary again. It aims to make students
indirectly get used to it and memorize it by themselves. And also, by following
the teacher's words students will know how to correctly pronounce the
vocabulary.

3. Using songs
The use of songs as one of the teacher's techniques to make students enjoy the
learning process. Student don't need to memorize vocabulary with difficulty,
because with songs students can memorize easily because they keep being
repeated. As in Tk Karangasem Surakarta, the teacher introduces vocabulary by
using images related to the object of vocabulary. The teacher shows clouds, stars,
rain, moon, rainbows and sun images and mentions the vocabularies by using
songs and singing together. The teacher uses the technique of singing songs in
order to make students not easily bored because Kindergarten students easily feel
bored and will ask the teacher to change or look for something new to eliminate
students' boredom.
4. Mime, expressions and gestures
Teaching procedures will be very fun and easy to accept if the teacher brings the
material actively. The teacher can use gestures, mime and expressions when
teaching. For example, in Tk Aisyiyah Karangasem Surakarta, the teacher was
seen using his hands when demonstrating the object being depicted. the teacher
forms rain by hand, describes the plane by hand. So, students know if the plane
flies in the air.
Therefore, from the sixth techniques that proposed by Brewster (1992), the
teacher only use fourth techniques. Meanwhile, according to Brewster (1992)
proposed some techniques in teaching vocabulary: (1.) using objects; (2.) using
illustration and pictures; (3.) repetition; (4.) mime, expression, and gesture; (5.)
guessing from context; and (6.) practicing and checking vocabulary. The use of
illustration or picture can help the students to understand the meaning of words.

D. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

In teaching process, teachers are required to have a variety of techniques. This
is because teaching to young learner is not only about how the material reaches by
 students but also to make them remember the material well. During the observation,
the researcher found the technique used by the teacher in teaching at TK Aisyiyah
Karangasem Surakarta using only three techniques based on six techniques delivered
by Brewster. And there are three techniques that are not used by the teachers in
teaching vocabulary to young learners. The technique used in teaching at TK
Aisyiyah Karangasem Surakarta is not in accordance with the technique according
to Brewster. Instead, the teacher had another technique in teaching vocabulary
through songs.
Teachers who are interested in English for young learners must enrich
themselves with the development of issues. The teacher must have careful
consideration in choosing techniques according to the characteristics and interests of
the children. for further researchers, it is suggested to conduct the research that
examine techniques are more effective in teaching vocabularies that can make
students not saturated in learning.

E. REFERENCES
Brewster, J., Ellis, G., & Girard, D. 1992. The Primary English Teacher Guide.
London: Penguin (16-26).
Brown, D. 2007. The Third Edition Teaching by Principles; Interactive Approach to
Language Pedagogy. San Francisco State University. New York: Pearson Longman.
Cameron, L. 2007. Teaching Languages to Young Learners. Cambridge: University
Press.
Nation, I.S.P. (2001). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.