Lexical Learning to Enhance Vocabulary Knowledge Among Different Age Group of Students

Abstract

In Indonesian context, there is a very popular non-formal school named community learning center (PKBM) which is greatly utilized as an alternative school by those who do not take formal school. The students at PKBM are varied in terms of their educational background, age, gender, etc. The most appeared difference is in the range of the students’ age. In one classroom, the range of the students’ age is strictly different, but they have the same goal in learning that is to be able to take computer-based national exam (UNBK). Since the variety of students’ age is an important factor to determine teaching strategy, this study is aimed at investigating the current issue of how lexical learning can enhance the students’ vocabulary knowledge. Forty-one students of Paket B (equal to Junior High School level) of PKBM Bahtera Dua Kota Blitar are exposed to the lexical learning experience as teaching strategy to enhance their vocabulary knowledge. They are given a pre-test and post-test before and after being treated using lexical learning strategy. The result of pre-test, then, is compared to the result of post-test by using paired t-Test statistical procedure. From the result, it appears that lexical learning could be considered as an effective teaching strategy to enhance the students’ vocabulary knowledge. Accordingly, it is recommended that English teacher considers lexical learning as teaching strategy to help the students to acquire rich vocabularies which will ease them in learning English subject.