The Relationship Between Indonesian Efl Learners’ Vocabulary Knowledge And English Competencies

Abstract

Mastering vocabulary is considered important in the Indonesian educational system; the latest curriculum targets 4000-5000 vocabulary sizes to be achieved by high school graduates. However, the actual number is still below the target. It becomes a concern whether the low vocabulary knowledge has correlation with students' general English skills. Thus, the current study investigated the relationship between Indonesian EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge and English competencies. A total of 108 Indonesian high school students completed a productive vocabulary test (Lex 30). The data for English competence was taken from the final English score published by the teacher. The Lex30 result and final English scores were then tested using Pearson correlation. The finding of this study shows that learners’ vocabulary knowledge and students' English competencies have positive correlation. Though there is no specific measurement of the vocabulary size from the lex30 score, it is still relevant to measure students’ vocabulary knowledge required for their performance in general English skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). Thus, the positive correlation between vocabulary knowledge and general English competence indicates that students who have good vocabulary knowledge (high lex30 score) will also have good English scores.