CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Giyoto (2006: 48) states that language is surely the most important
tool of communication that individuals have at their disposal. According to
Webster (1974: 536), language is a system of communication between humans
through written and vocal symbol; speech peculiar to an ethnic, national, or
cultural group; words esp. employed in any art, branch of knowledge, or
profession; a persons characteristic mode of speech; diction; linguistics; by
extension, the articulate or inarticulate expression of thought and feeling by
living creatures.
Language is the media for us to communicate with the others. We
communicate to others directly or indirectly in the society. Language is
composed of words, written signs or spoken expressions but, whatever the
form, language is expressed by artificial, human symbols that generate feelings
and bring out images and ideas. Language and human being cannot be
separated from each other. As a means of communication, it is used to
formulate thoughts and ideas and to communicate these to other people n the
civilized world. Language also acts as the means of establishing and
maintaining relationship among people.
The English language is important to people in many parts of the
world because it is international language. France (1963: 1-2) states English
has become a world language. it means that English is an international
language which has a significant role in the various fields of activities, and has

wide influences in the world. In our country, English is as the first foreign
language. As an international language, English has been adopted as a
compulsory subject in Indonesia. The ministry of National Education has
decided that English is the first foreign language which has to be taught in
Indonesia.
In English, there are language skills and language components that are
taught together in the functional skill form and its communicative expression.
The language skills are reading, listening, speaking and writing. The four
language components are vocabulary, structure (grammar), pronunciation and
spelling.
Reading skill is very crucial thing. There are many materials which
are found in reading text, the teacher can teach many materials from reading
text, such as teach grammar through text, teach vocabulary trough text, teach
writing through text, etc. Reading skill is also important to help student to
understand tests which most of the question are in the form of reading text.
Besides, by reading text students can get some information and knowledge.
Through reading test student can increase their vocabulary and in the same
time can learn the form of grammar and form the text.
Reading texts provide opportunities to study language: vocabulary,
grammar, punctuation, and the way we construct sentences, paragraphs and
texts. Lastly, good reading texts can introduce interesting topics, stimulate
discussion, excite imaginative responses and be the springboard for wellrounded, fascinating lessons. (Harmer, 2005: 68)
Reading is also plays an important role for language acquisition.
When students are provided with comprehensible linguistic inputs, some of the

language will stick in their minds as part of the language acquisition process.
When reading texts are very interesting and engaging, the acquisition process
will be more successful. (Fauziati, 2010: 32)
Hidi (2001: 195) said that interest has a strong positive influence on
readers comprehension and recall and consider the factors that have been
found to increase readers situational interest. Besides that, Ryan et al in Hidi
(2001) concluded that interest leads to more elaborate and deeper processing of
expository texts.
Students who have a high interesting of reading a text, they will have
more capability to read a text. Reading interest is very needed by students to
know the text well. When the students do not have the interesting to read, they
will get a low score of their reading test.
Mudjiono (1993: 83) states that vocabulary in English as foreign
language is taught at school for purpose of providing the students language
skills. They are listening, speaking and writing. Some general statements say
that the techniques of teaching reading comprehension and others (listening,
speaking, reading, and writing) are vouched on vocabulary.
Vocabulary is very important to be understood and used in English
basic sentence patterns in extended forms. It is one of the important
components of language, because it is to achieve means of conducting
communication. Only by having reservoir of words at our command we can
communicate effectively. We cannot deny the statement because all
components of language indeed contain words.
Sabrony (1986: 1) states vocabulary enrichment should
be provided at all levels of English Learningare it elementary or
advanced. Especially in our case, where the ultimate goal is

the reading skill. It is assumed that there is a close correlation

between the size of ones vocabulary with the intelligence one
possesses. To stop increasing your vocabulary is to stop
intellectual growth. You will wish, I am sure, to continue
growing intellectually so long as you remain alive. Studies
have also shown that the size of a students vocabulary is one
of the best indicators of his general intelligence, as well as his
ability to read comprehensively. It is not strange accordingly to
find both reading and intelligence test containing vocabulary
items. If you want to keep growing intellectually, socially,
professionally, if you want to succeed in whatever line of
endeavor you choose your lifes work, you will have to increase
your vocabulary continually.
Students reading ability at seventh grade students in MTsN
Gondangrejo is still low. There are many factors influencing the students
reading ability. Vocabulary mastery and students reading interest may be
including to those factors. Based on the interview to the teacher and the
observation at seventh grade in MTsN Gondangrejo, the students have a low
vocabulary. The teacher usually teaches with Indonesian language. When the
teacher spoke in English language, they did not care anymore perhaps they did
not understand the meaning. When the students were asked to do the test about
descriptive text, they seemed get difficulties. It indicates that their vocabulary
is low and it influences their ability in reading.

One of the texts which are usually read by the students at the seventh
grade of junior high school is descriptive text. Descriptive text is a text which
has function to describe someone, things or place. The interesting to read an
English text of the students is also low. They seemed so lazy reading a
descriptive text. When they were asked how often they read English text, they
said that rarely did they read English text. It can be concluded that the students
reading interest at seventh grade students of MTs N Gondangrejo is still low
and it influences their reading ability.
According to the background of the study, the writer is interested in
carrying out a research dealing with vocabulary mastery, reading interest and
the ability of reading descriptive text. Because of that, the writer takes courage
to write a thesis with the title A CORRELATIONAL STUDY BETWEEN
VOCABULARY MASTERY AND STUDENTS READING INTEREST
TOWARD THE ABILITY OF READING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT AT THE
SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF MTSN GONDANGREJO IN THE
ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2013/2014.
B. The Identification of the Problem
Based on the background of the study, the researcher finds some
problems as follow:
1. How is the students reading ability of descriptive text in MTsN
2.
3.
4.
5.

Gondangrejo?
How is the students vocabulary mastery?
How is the students interesting to read a text?
What factors can influence the students ability of reading descriptive text?
Whether students vocabulary mastery is important toward students reading

ability of descriptive text?

6. Whether students interesting to read a text is important toward students
reading ability of descriptive text?

C. Limitation of the Study

The study is stressed on three variables correlation, those are:
correlation between vocabulary mastery and the ability of reading descriptive
text, correlation between the students reading interest and the ability of
reading descriptive text, and correlation between vocabulary mastery and
students reading interest toward the ability of reading descriptive text.
There are many grades of the junior high school in Gondangrejo. So,
to avoid to large study, the research focuses only on seventh grade students of
MTsN Gondangrejo.
D. Problem Statement
Based on the explanation of background of the study, the identification
of the problem and limitation of the study, the researcher formulates the
research problem as follows:
1. Is there any positive significant correlation between vocabulary mastery and
the ability of reading descriptive text at the seventh grade students of MTsN
Gondangrejo in the academic year of 2013/2014?
2. Is there any positive significant correlation between students reading
interest and the ability of reading descriptive text at the seventh grade
students of MTsN Gondangrejo in the academic year of 2013/2014?
3. Is there any positive significant correlation between vocabulary mastery and
students reading interest toward the ability of reading descriptive text at the
seventh grade students of MTsN Gondangrejo in the academic year of
2013/2014?
E. Objectives of the Study
According to the formulation of the problem, the researcher
formulates the objective of the study as follows:

1. To know whether or not there is any positive significant correlation between

vocabulary mastery and the ability of reading descriptive text at the seventh
grade students of MTsN Gondangrejo in the academic year of 2013/2014.
2. To know whether or not there is any positive significant correlation between
students reading interest and the ability of reading descriptive text at the
seventh grade students of MTsN Gondangrejo in the academic year of
2013/2014.
3. To know whether or not there is any positive significant correlation between
vocabulary mastery and students reading interest toward the ability of
reading descriptive text at the seventh grade students of MTsN Gondangrejo
in the academic year of 2013/2014
F. Benefits of the Study
The researcher expects some benefits from his study as follows:
1. Theoretical benefits
a. The result of research can be used as input in teaching English learning
process.
b. For other researcher, the result of the study provides information to lead
studies about vocabulary, reading interest and reading descriptive text.
2. Practical benefits
a. This research gives input for English teacher and learners about
vocabulary, reading interest and reading descriptive text.
b. It can help the students learn the English language easily in context.
G. Previous Study
Some researchers have conducted the research concerning on
vocabulary and reading which can be the reference for the researcher doing the
research. What are mentioned and will they explained about the finding of the
research conducted are concerning on the vocabulary and reading. One of them
is a research with the topic A Correlational Study between Reading Habit,
Vocabulary Mastery, and Reading Comprehension of the Eleventh Grade

Science Class Students of MAN 1 Surakarta in the Academic Year of

2011/2012. This research is conducted by Elliyina from IAIN Surakarta in
2012. This research was carried out at MAN 1 Surakarta in May 2012. The
population of this research was the eleventh grade students of Science Class in
the academic year of 2011/2012. The sample of this study is all students in the
Science Class; consist of 90 students, 34 students to be the subject of try-out
and 56 students to be the subject of research. The sampling technique used is
simple random sampling. The instruments in collecting the data were
questionnaire and test. The technique used analyze the data was single and
multiple regression and correlation. The result of the analysis shows that (1)
there is no correlation between students reading habit and reading
comprehension (2) there is a positive correlation between students vocabulary
mastery and reading comprehension (3) there is a positive correlation between
students reading habit and students vocabulary mastery toward reading
comprehension.
The second research is A Correlational Study on Reading Interest,
Schemata and Reading Comprehension of the Eighth Semester Students of
English Departement of Teacher Training and Education Faculty in the
Academic Year 2006/2007. This research is conducted by Yudha Pambudi
Wibowo from Sebelas Maret University in 2007. The objective of the study is
to know whether there is a positive correlation between (1) reading interest and
reading comprehension; (2) schemata and reading comprehension; (3) reading
interest, schemata simultaneously and reading comprehension. In this
researcher, the researcher used the correlational method. This research was

carried out in May 2007. The population of the research was the Eight semester
students of english department of teacher training and education faculty in
academic year 2006/2007. The number of population was 81 students. Out of
the whole population, 30 students were taken as the sample. The sampling
technique use was simple random sampling. In collecting the data, the
researcher used questionnaire for reading interest, and test for schemata and
reading comprehension. The form of the questionnaire was close type
questionnaire. Meanwhile, the forms of the tests were mutiple choices for
schemata and reading comprehension. The tehniques of analyzing data in this
researh were simple and multiple linear regression and correlation. From the
result of the study, it can be concluded that (1) there is a positive correlation
between reading interest and schemata, (2) there is a positive correlation
between schemata and reading comprehension, (3) there is a positive
correlation between reading interest, schemata simultaneously, and reading
comprehension. This research can be the reference for the researcher of this
research.
H. Definition of the Key Term
1. Vocabulary is central to language and of critical importance to typical
language learner. (Fauziati, 2010: 60)
2. Reading interest is not only driven by the individual preferences for the text
itself, but also can be elicited by external manipulations that alter the
context in which reading occurs. (Schraw and Dennison in Hidi, 2001: 7)
3. Reading is one of the language skills which needed be taught in language
classroom. (Fauziati, 2010: 32)
4. Descriptive text is a text that describes a particular person, place or thing.
(ZaidaNur, 2009)

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5. Hasan (2004-8), correlational study is a study done to correlate two or more

variables. Through this study, it will be built a theory which can be used to
explain, to predict, and to control a phenomenon. This study uses more than
one sample.