Types of Vocabulary
Vocabulary is an
essential component of language learning. As stated above vocabulary is the
words which have meanings and functions of a language being learned, thought or
used in daily conversation so that they become part of today's living language.
Learning English means
learn four language skills namely listening and reading as receptive skills
while writing and speaking as productive skills. That is why we classify
vocabulary into two types. They are receptive and productive vocabulary.
Receptive vocabulary refers to the words which can be recognized and
comprehended in the context of listening and reading, while productive
vocabulary refers to the words which we recall and use appropriately in writing
and speaking.
Vocabulary teaching and
learning is central to the theory and particle of ELT, words have a central
place in culture and many as the main task in learning another language is
learning words. Interest in vocabulary from researcher teachers and research is
likely continued to grow apace. The professional teacher active learning will
improve the teaching of vocabulary. The following questions are constantly
asked by teachers and students when teaching and learning vocabulary.
1)
How many words provide a working
vocabulary in foreign language?
2)
What are the best words to learn first?
3)
Are some words more difficult to learn
than the others?
Harmer (1991, p. 159) divided
vocabulary into types as follows:
1)
Active vocabulary refers to words that
students have learned which they expect to be able to use.
2)
Passive vocabulary refers to the words
which students will recognize when they meet them but which they will probably
not to be able to produce.
While Schail (1967) in
Rosmawati (2001, p. 1) states that every person has three types of vocabulary,
as follows:
1)
Active. These are words one customarily
uses in speaking active vocabulary probably runs from 5.000 to 10.000 words.
2)
Reserve. These are the words knows but
rarely if ever use in ordinary speech one uses them in writing a letter. When
he has time to consider or when he is searching for a synonym
3)
Passive. The words one recognizes
vaguely but is not sure of the meanings. He never uses them in either writing
or speech.
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