A. Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) of medical students at First year students of X1 Keperawatan in SMK Kesehatan Poltekkes Kendari B.

Background of the study Language learning strategies have played a very significant role in language learning for many years and a number of studies have been carried out on this topic. Oxford (1994) believes that learning strategies as specific actions, behaviors, steps, or techniques students use often to improve their progress in apprehending, internalizing, and using the L2. According to Oxford (1990) these strategies can make learning easier, faster, more enjoyable, self directed, effective, and transferable to new situations it means that language learning strategies are mental activities that must include in action, a goal and learning situation. So, strategy is the part of learner awareness. If foreign language students are ready with such strategies, they can be more successful language learners because vocabulary learning strategies develop the independence of the students by allowing self-directed involvement, helping them gain control of their learning (Oxford, 1990). The learner should have the ability to build the responsibility of their learning. In Applying the strategies help learners to improve their skills and language learning. In addition the number of language learner will increase and they will build the power of their own strategies. The independent attitude of the learners in teaching learning process suitable with the need of the students on what they want to learn. According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), by emphasizing the central importance of the learners and their attitudes to learning will give contribute to the rise of ESP, the students have different needs and interests and that will have influence on their learning strategies. The study will conduct in SMK Kesehatan Poltekkes

Kendari, vocabulary is the important thing to know on the learners in SMK based on their major in school, so they need strategies of learning to cover the vocabulary by themselves. C. Research question This is study design to investigate the use of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (herein after VLS) among students at SMK Kesehatan Poltekkes Kendari who study English as a foreign language. There are challenges to find answers to the following research questions: 1. What effective VLS do students at SMK Kesehatan Poltekkes Kendari use? And 2. Are there any differences in vocabulary strategies use according to gender? D. Objectives of the study The objectives of the study are to find out what the effective learning strategies are used by students in learning English vocabulary in SMK and to find out whether there are any differences in vocabulary strategies use according to gender. E. Significant of the study Investigating the VSL of students at SMK Kesehatan Poltekkes Kendari can make clear show on their individual differences in vocabulary learning, so it making our EFL teachers and curriculum designers more aware of their roles in designing the materials and activities to help the learners especially in SMK improve their vocabulary learning. Furthermore, as the candidate of teacher will increase the awareness and match of classroom methodology and lesson planning concerning vocabulary learning. For the learner will develop the strategies to become learners that are independent.

F. Scope of the study This study will limited on strategies the learners use in learn English vocabulary in SMK namely dictionary strategies, guessing strategies, study preferences, memory strategies, autonomy, note-taking strategies, selective attention, and social strategies and the differences in VLS use according to gender. G. Literature review VLS (Vocabulary Learning Strategies) One approach of facilitating vocabulary learning that has attracted increasing attention is VLS. Many learners do use strategies for learning vocabulary, especially when compared to language tasks that integrate several linguistic skills. Commonly used VLS seem to be simple memorization, repetition, and taking notes on vocabulary. VLS are often use concurrently. This means that active management of strategy use is important. Good learners do things such as use a variety of strategies, structure their vocabulary learning, review and practice target words, and they are aware of the semantic relationships between new and previously learned L2 words; that is, they are conscious of their learning and take steps to regulate it. poor learners generally lacked this awareness and control (Schmitt, 1997). Types of VLS Although various VLS classification systems have been proposed by different researchers (Oxford, 1990), there is not one agreeable system for all situations. Schmitt (1997, 2000) presents two dimensions of VLS: discovery and consolidation strategies. Discovery strategies include determination and social strategies while consolidation strategies are

subdivided into social, memory, cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies. Based on Oxford (1990) taxonomy of language learning strategies are consisting of social, memory, cognitive and meta-cognitive, affective, and compensation strategies. The VLS classification system used in this study is the categorization employed. According to this system, strategies are classified as dictionary strategies, guessing strategies, study preferences, memory strategies, autonomy, note-taking strategies, selective attention, and social strategies. Proficient students use dictionary strategies more often than less proficient ones, bilingual dictionaries are preferred to monolingual ones. Study preferences indicate the way learners prefer to study vocabulary. Memory strategies are different strategies used by learners to recall the vocabulary. Autonomy is closely link to motivation and even presupposes some amount of it, for example reading extensively. Note taking strategies are actually examples of cognitive strategies focusing on the mechanical aspects of learning vocabulary. Selective attention belongs to meta-cognitive strategies involving planning, monitoring, evaluating and organizing ones own learning. And finally social strategies are those that a learner chooses to undertake for the purpose of interacting with other learners or native speakers such as trying to speak with native English speaker. H. Methodology a. Design of the study The study will apply a qualitative approach and quantitative approach, case study will use as a research design of this study. Case study is use to investigate a specific phenomenon such as a program, an event, a person, a process or a social group and strengthen someones understanding of a complex issue that is already known through

previous research. Moreover, it can be used to test a theory or to build a theory (Yin, 1984). Qualitative approach will consider to be used because it allows the researcher to describe, analyze, and interpret the gained information. Furthermore, this study more explore the activities in the classroom without interfering the activities developed by the teacher and the researcher will be an observer who did not get involved in the whole activities. Therefore, the qualitative approach will consider to be used in this study. Quantitative approach will use to analyze the data statistically. b. Participants The participants in this study are 30 students at SMK Kesehatan Poltekkes Kendari. 15 students for female and 15 students for male. c. Instrument The instrument utilized in this research is the one employed by Oxford (1990). The questionnaire consisted of 41 items related to the students approach to vocabulary learning. The items will classify under eight sections as dictionary strategies, guessing strategies, study preferences, memory strategies, autonomy, note-taking strategies, selective attention, and social strategies. d. Marking scheme The participants will ask to answer each item with a 5 point Likert-style frequency scale based on Oxford (1990) as follows: 1) I never or almost never do this, 2)

I dont usually do this, 3) I sometime do this, 4) I usually do this and 5) I always or almost always do this. e. Procedure of collecting data The data will collect from several sources including questionnaire, classroom observation, and interview. The questionnaires A close-ended questionnaire will give to all respondents prior to conducting the observation of learning process. According to Labaw (1980:131), the close-ended questionnaires allow the respondents to choose the alternative answer best represents their feeling, beliefs, attitudes, opinions, behavior, or knowledge of a situation. The questionnaire will administer mainly to find out their strategies in the learning practices of students, the students will allow asking questions during data collection. They will ensure that their responses would not affect their grades and not to mention their names and just specify their gender. They will also ask to complete the questionnaire honestly. Classroom observations Several classroom observations will conduct by the researcher, it will be nine times of classroom visitations by observing the students activity in the class, every class will conduct in three times. The researcher will be non-participant observer who carried out the observation during the process of students activity in learning English in the classroom. To obtain the data, the researcher will sit at the back and take notes about what carry out by the students in the classroom teaching learning process, particularly

dealing with the teaching of vocabulary (Alwasilah, 2008: 220, van Lier : 1998, Allwright, 1988, Frankel & Walker, 1993:384). f. Data analysis The collected data will analyze using SPSS, version 20. Descriptive statistics will apply to explore the participants vocabulary strategy use. For each item on the survey, the frequencies of the responses will calculate in percentages. In addition, the means and standard deviations will determine for the 41 strategies list in the questionnaire. ANOVA will carry out to see whether the differences among the mean percentage scores of the eight strategies are statistically significant or not. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be employing to analyze the data according to gender.