CORRELATION BETWEEN VOCABULARY MASTERY AND READING COMPREHENSION

English is an international language used to communicate with people from other countries. English is one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide, whether as a first, second, or foreign language. In Indonesia, English is taught as a subject in elementary schools through universities. English language subjects in Indonesian schools aim to develop oral and written communication skills (Depdikbud, 2004:6). This means that students can also develop their writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills in English, but in today’s world, reading is the most important skill for English language learners.

Komiyama (2009:32) says that reading is an essential ability for English language learners in today’s environment since it aids in the development of overall competency and offers access to critical information at work and school. Students can obtain and add information about a variety of subjects by reading, and reading also brings them enjoyment. According to Ostrov (2001:61), reading is a continuous process of seeing and comprehending new words in the context of what you already know. Additionally, Grimes (2006:95) tells that reading is a dynamic, ongoing process in which new information is processed and comprehension is refined. In other words, reading is a process of comprehending what we read; when we discover an explanation for a word, we gain new knowledge. Edge (2002:108) says that reading is a fun way to escape into another world allow the words to create sounds and images in your mind as you read. It means that when we read and understand what you read, you can describe and feel what the researcher conveyed in a text. In conclusion reading is a process to gain information from a text.

Willis (2008:122) says that vocabulary is an important aspect of studying a language, and it is most closely related to implicit vocabulary learning through reading. It suggests that mastering vocabulary is crucial to learning a new language. For example, if someone masters a large number of words in English, he or she will have a greater understanding and comprehension of the language. Spratt (2020:11) says that the thing you can do to increase your reading score is to expand your vocabulary. Hiebert and Kamil (2005:3) say that a person’s vocabulary is the set of words to which they can assign meanings when listening or reading. In conclusion a person’s vocabulary is the set of words to which they can assign meanings when reading.