AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN VOCABULARY MASTERY AT ELEVENTH GRADE IN ONE OF MADRASAH ALIYAH NEGERI IN BATANG HARI

Abstract

Vocabulary is an essential part in foreign language learning that must be mastered well by the students, because vocabulary is an important factor that support the students ability in speaking, listening writing and reading. Students who master in vocabulary also have ability in understanding and using the words and meanings. Students who have difficulty in vocabulary will be agitated in understanding the English lessons. This research aimed to identify students' difficulties in mastering vocabulary and the factors that caused these difficulties. The research was qualitative and to collect the data, interviews were conducted using a phenomenological approach. The subjects of this research were one English teacher and six eleventh-grade students from class XI.1 at Madrasah Aliyah Batang Hari. The results of the study showed that there were six difficulties faced by the students in mastering vocabulary, including Difficult pronouncing the words, 2) Difficult in Spelling, 3) Length and complexity, 4) Grammatcal of words, 5) Meaning of words, 6) range, connotation and idiomaticity. There were four factors that caused students’ difficulties in mastering vocabulary. Students were reluctant to open the dictionaries. Students were also less interested in learning English. They did not practice speaking English regularly. Another factors were external factors such as Monotonous teaching methods make it difficult for students and Learning is less effective due to the minimal use of media.