Vocabulary Acquisition

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Vocabulary acquisition is identified as involving the progressive development

of learners' mental Lexicon. It has been recognized as a complicated process since the

complete mastery of a word requires the encyclopedic understanding of a word. That is

different aspects of word knowledge need to be acquired before complete mastery is

achieved. Although there seems to be a graving acceptance among researchers that

Vocabulary is a crucial component of overall communicative competence, it is still an

area that is often neglected both in and outside the classroom. Leaners may acquire the

spoken and written forms of a word before or after acquiring the word meaning. For the

meaning aspect they tend to learn a single meaning in a certain context; with the

increasing exposure to the word they will consolidate the learned sense and gradually

pick up other meanings.

In fact, Vocabulary is necessary as grammar. Grammar is knowing how to say;

Vocabulary is knowing what to say. They are both tools and plays an important role in

the aspect of communication. A wide intact of vocabulary is necessary to become fluent

in English.

Furthermore, vocabulary acquisition is crucial to students' traditional language

skills: reading, writing and listening. Without enough vocabulary, listening, reading

comprehension and writing are inefficient. Besides ," without grammar very little can be

conveyed; with vocabulary nothing can be conveyed" ( Wilson, 1986. So Vocabulary is

essential to language acquisition.

With enhancement of the status of vocabulary in language learning, research

into vocabulary acquisition become focus of research at present. Instructors and leaners

have always tried to find out ways in which instructional materials might best foster the

acquisition of vocabulary. This