The background of the study in this research is the students still have difficulties in remembering new vocabulary and confused of understanding the vocabulary. The teacher still uses conventional methods; the teacher only translates the words and monotonous, so the students are easy to get bored. To improve young learner’s understanding, teacher can use the external motivators in teaching vocabulary. They need motivators to learn English consistently.
The study is aimed at responding the following questions:
1. How is the implementation of external motivators in teaching vocabulary at the first grade of SD Alam Islam Terpadu Auliya Kendal?
2. How can the external motivators improve students’ vocabulary?.
The topic is discussed through the field research in first grade students of SD Alam Islam Terpadu Auliya Kendal in the academic year of 2010/2011. The school is used as the data source to accomplish the research about the implementation of using external motivators in teaching vocabulary.
The data was gathered through the evaluation test score, the observation note, and documentation study. All data then were analyzed using the quantitative and qualitative approach and the descriptive analysis.
The first result of the study shows that the use of external motivators can improve students’ vocabulary. It was seen from the comparative result of the test in each cycle. The improvement of students’ vocabulary was indicated by their score in test. It can be seen from the result of cycle 1 to the third cycle, where in pre-cycle students’ mean on mastery vocabulary was only 67.5; it increased 4.2 became 71.7 in cycle 1. In cycle 2 it increased from 71.7 to 75. And in the cycle 3 increased up to 15 became 90. The second result of the research that the implementation of the using external motivators in teaching vocabulary was done by giving punishment and praise to the students. The result of giving punishment and praise were the students pay more attention to the topic that was being given.
The second implementation was by giving the appreciation and feedback to the students as the reinforcement. And the third implementation of another kind of external motivators was by giving the reward and game competition to find the hidden words around the class. Students were more active and enthusiastic in doing this activity and more motivated to remember the vocabulary that was given.
Base on the results of the research, it could be concluded that using external motivator could improve students’ vocabulary. And it is hoped that it can be valuable information resource for students, teachers, and the researcher himself