vocabulary through extensive reading

CHAPTER   I


INTRODUCTION


  This chapter consists of the following five parts which offer a general
outline of the study: Background to the study to give information about
vocabulary  improvement  of  students  in  general;  Statement  of  the
problem; Aim and Scope of the Study; Hypotheses; and as the last part,
the Definition of Terms for a better understanding of the research.  
1.1.  Background to the Study 

  Hill and Holden (1990: 91) define reading as the most useful skill for
students to develop the feeling of satisfaction in understanding a text in
many ways.  Krashen and Terrell (1989: 131)  state that reading  is an
important  source  of  comprehensible  input  and  can  make  a  significant
contribution to  competence in a foreign language.  Krashen (cited in Hill
and  Holden,  1990:  92)  also  explains  that  the  research  shows    students
who do more pleasure reading are better readers, better writers and have
a greater vocabulary and  grammatical competence.     He also suggests
that  "free voluntary reading" may be a powerful way of improving reading
ability,  vocabulary  and  grammatical  competence. Krashen  further
emphasizes  that  students  may  make  better  progress  in  reading
comprehension  and  vocabulary  development  through  extensive  reading
than  in  traditional  instructional  reading  if  they  are  encouraged  to  read
whatever they want  in  "self-selected reading".

  Therefore,  encouraging  students  to  be  involved  in  their    foreign
language through extensive reading provides the possibility of learning the
language,  motivation,  and  this  also  reinforces    points    that  they  have
learnt  without  pressure.        Goodman  and  Burke  (cited  in  Tierney,
Readence and Disher 1985: 335) agree on extensive reading stating that 
the  readers  are  encouraged  to  make  judgements  in  natural  reading
situations.    They  also  add  that  pleasure  reading  helps  to  develop  their
awareness of effective reading from easy to difficult material.  Therefore,
readers may become familiar with the unknown words.