The Students’ Vocabulary Mastery in Writing Recount Texts of Eleventh Grade Students (A Descriptive Qualitative Research at the Grade Student 11th of MA KH Syafi’I Pekalongan)

Abstract

Vocabulary mastery plays an important role in developing students’ writing ability, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. This research aims to analyze students’ vocabulary mastery in writing recount texts and to identify the difficulties faced by students when using vocabulary during the writing process. This study employed a descriptive qualitative research design. The research was conducted at MA KH Syafi’i Pekalongan with eleventh grade students as the participants. The data were collected through observation, document analysis of students’ recount texts, and interviews with several students. The collected data were analyzed using the interactive model proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that students demonstrate different levels of vocabulary mastery in writing recount texts. Some students were able to use varied vocabulary and temporal connectors to organize events chronologically. However, many students still showed limited vocabulary use, repetition of simple words, and first language interference. The study also reveals that limited vocabulary knowledge, difficulty selecting appropriate words, lack of confidence, and limited exposure to English influence students’ vocabulary use in writing. Therefore, integrating vocabulary learning with writing practice is essential to improve students’ writing ability.