A STUDY ON THE LEARNING VOCABULARY DIFFICULTIES AND STRATEGIES USED BY HIGH ACHIEVERS OF THE SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP

Abstract: This article aims at knowing the students’ difficulties in learning vocabulary and the strategies that used by the students to overcome their difficulties in learning vocabulary. Adequate vocabulary will help students in mastering four skills in English which cover listening, speaking, reading, and writing.The research design of this study was descriptive qualitative. The population of this study was the higher achievers in English subject at seventh-grade students at SMP Wahid Hasyim Malang. The instrument that used in this research was a questionnaire. The finding of the study showed that each student in the seventh grade of SMP Wahid Hasyim Malang has their own difficulties in learning vocabulary. However, the majority of the students have the same difficulties. They are the pronunciation of the word, the use of the word appropriately, understanding the meaning of the word, and the lack of their motivation in learning English. Each student also has their own strategies to overcome their difficulties in learning vocabulary. They are memorization strategy, note-taking strategy, learning media strategy, and the guessing strategyKeywords: Learning Vocabulary, Students, Difficulties, and Strategie