From Words to Understanding: Tracing the Path from Vocabulary to Comprehension

Abstract

This study aimed to determine students' mastery of English vocabulary and reading comprehension levels, as well as the correlation between these two variables. This study employed a quantitative approach, which involved both descriptive and correlational analyses. The instrument of this study was a test adapted from Ratnawati (2006). The study's respondents were 108 grade 7 students from a public junior high school. The results showed that the level of students’ English vocabulary mastery was poor (M = 38.39). It means that the students have limited mastery of vocabulary. Additionally, the results showed that the level of students’ reading comprehension was fair (M = 48.93). It means that students somehow still struggle to comprehend reading texts. Finally, this study found a significant positive correlation between students’ English vocabulary mastery and their reading comprehension, as indicated by a p-value of 0.000 and an R-value of 0.471. Therefore, students must develop an awareness of improving their vocabulary mastery by memorizing words and attempting to find the meaning of unfamiliar words in reading texts so that they can enhance not only their English vocabulary mastery but also their reading comprehension.