USING WORD GAMES TO IMPROVE
VOCABULARY MASTERY OF XI
TEKNIK GAMBAR
BANGUNAN A
STUDENTS IN SMKN 2 DEPOK
A SARJANA PENDIDIKANTHESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana PendidikanDegree
in English Language Education
By
Made Desya Somasari Student Number: 081214002
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
i
USING WORD GAMES TO IMPROVE
VOCABULARY MASTERY OF XI
TEKNIK GAMBAR
BANGUNAN A
STUDENTS IN SMKN 2 DEPOK
A SARJANA PENDIDIKANTHESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana PendidikanDegree
in English Language Education
By
Made Desya Somasari
Student Number: 081214002
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA
vii
ABSTRACT
Somasari, Made Desya. (2012). Using Word Games to Improve Vocabulary Mastery of XI Teknik Gambar Bangunan AStudents in SMKN 2 Depok. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
In order to function well in the language being learned, it is important to understand the meanings and functions of adequate numbers of words and be able to use them appropriately. However, most of the students of XI Teknik Gambar Bangunan A (TGBA) class in SMKN 2 Depok found it difficult to deal with English because of their limited vocabulary. The observation results showed that they did not perform well in their test because they did not know the meanings of some words. They also did not know that similar words could carry different meanings or could be categorized into different parts of speech.
The research aimed to overcome the problem related to the limited vocabulary of XI TGBA students. Word games were chosen as the solution to the problem since they suited the learners’ characteristics. Word games were intended to help the students to acquire and recognize English words and their meanings as well as to categorize the words into the correct parts of speech. The problem that the researcher tried to answer was how word games helped XI TGBA students of SMKN 2 Depok improve their vocabulary mastery.
This research used Class Action Research (CAR) method. The research participants were 31 students of XI TGBA class in SMKN 2 Depok, Sleman, Yogyakarta in the 2011/2012 academic year. There were three cycles in this research; each cycle was completed in one meeting. The instruments used to gather data were students’ personal pre-implementation and post-implementation vocabulary list, observation checklist, field notes, questionnaire and interview.
From the data analysis, it was found that word games motivated the students to participate actively in the learning process and to grow interest in learning English. The number of students writing correct words, meanings, and parts of speech after the implementation of the games increased. The percentage of correct number of words, meanings, and parts of speech written in their vocabulary list also increased. Teachers are encouraged to use word games to add variety to the lesson and adapt the most suitable procedures to be implemented in their classroom.
viii
ABSTRAK
Somasari, Made Desya. (2012). Using Word Games to Improve Vocabulary Mastery of XI Teknik Gambar Bangunan AStudents in SMKN 2 Depok. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Agar dapat mempergunakan bahasa dengan baik, seseorang harus memiliki penguasaan arti dan jenis kata yang cukup memadai serta mempergunakannya sesuai makna dan fungsinya. Namun sebagian besar siswa XI Teknik Gambar Bangunan A (TGBA) di SMKN 2 Depok menemukan kesulitan dalam mempelajari Bahasa Inggris karena terbatasnya kosakata Bahasa Inggris yang mereka miliki. Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan rendahnya nilai ujian siswa karena mereka kurang memahami makna dan jenis kata. Mereka juga tidak mengetahui bahwa kata yang sama dapat memiliki arti berbeda atau diklasifikasikan ke dalam jenis kata berbeda.
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengatasi permasalahan terkait keterbatasan kosakata siswa XI TGBA. Permainan kata dipilih sebagai solusi karena sesuai dengan karakteristik siswa. Permainan kata bertujuan untuk membantu siswa mengenal dan menyerap kata-kata Bahasa Inggris beserta artinya dan membantu menggolongkan kata secara tepat. Permasalahan yang ingin dijawab oleh peneliti adalah bagaimana permainan kata dapat membantu siswa XI TGBA di SMKN 2 Depok meningkatkan penguasaan kosakata mereka.
Penelitian ini menggunakan metode Penelitian Tindakan Kelas. Responden penelitian ini adalah 31 orang siswa XI TGBA di SMKN 2 Depok, Sleman, Yogyakarta tahun ajaran 2011/2012. Penelitian ini terdiri dari tiga siklus. Tiap siklus diselesaikan dalam satu pertemuan. Instrumen penelitian yang digunakan untuk mengumpulkan data yaitu daftar kosakata pribadi siswa sebelum dan sesudah implementasi, lembar observasi, catatan lapangan, kuesioner dan wawancara.
Permainan kata membantu memotivasi siswa untuk berpartisipasi aktif dalam proses pembelajaran dan menumbuhkan minat siswa belajar Bahasa Inggris. Jumlah siswa yang menuliskan kata, arti, dan jenis kata setelah permainan dilakukan mengalami peningkatan. Jumlah kata, arti, dan jenis kata yang ditulis dengan benar juga meningkat. Para guru disarankan untuk menggunakan permainan kata guna memberi variasi dalam metode pembelajaran, serta mengadaptasi prosedur yang paling cocok untuk diterapkan di kelas mereka.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I send my deepest gratitude to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa. I believe that His blessings have guided me to the path where I am now.
I am greatly indebted to my parents, I Wayan Kartu Hendradiyasaand Dwi Ratmini, for their love, trust, and endless support. I thank my sister, Ni Wayan Shanti Devi Mahaswari, S.S., for her advices, and for being there when no one else was, and V. Jarot Budi W.for his kindness and support.
It is an honor for me to thank all PBI lecturers who have shared their knowledge, wisdom, and life stories. I address my deepest gratitude to my advisor,
Made Frida Yulia, S.Pd., M.Pd., for her advice, friendship, and patience during the completion of this thesis. I also thank my academic counselor, Dr. Retno Muljani, M.Pd., for her time and precious advice.
I am also indebted to the teachers and staff of SMKN 2 Depok for their hospitality and help when I was doing my research. I personally thank Endang Listyandari, S.Pd. for her patience and encouragement, and Yuliana Sri Wahyundari, S.Pd., M.Hum. for giving me the chance to conduct the research in her class.
For my dearest friends and loyal supporters—Bella, Clara, Delis, Pita, Rei, Siwi, Okta, Kristin, Sr. Klarina, Ayu, Putri—thank you for the great experiences I have had during my college years, and beyond. I also appreciate the support and
companionship of all friends, seniors,and juniorsin PBI and other study programs. I am really grateful for my lovely Thai friends and talented table tennis
athletes—Benz, Max, Biew, Palm, Bright, Aam, Mo—for showing me that every drop of sweat is the beginning of a hope. I thank Dr. Tanin Santiwattanatarmand his wife, Maneeratana, for teaching me a lot of things in such a short time. Lastly, I thank everyone whom I cannot mention one by one for their help and support.
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3. Review of Related Studies ………...……… 14
B. Theoretical Framework ……… 17
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A. Research Method ………. 21
B. Research Setting ……….. 22
C. Research Participants ………... 23
D. Instruments and Data Gathering Technique ……… 23
E. Data Analysis Technique ………. 28
F. Research Procedure ……….. 29
CHAPTER IV. RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION A. The Description of the Implementation of Word Games ……… 31
1. The Implementation of Word Games in Cycle One ...………. 32
2. The Implementation of Word Games in Cycle Two ...………. 37
3. The Implementation of Word Games in Cycle Three .………. 41
B. Contribution of Word Games to the Improvement of Students’ Vocabulary Mastery ...………..… 45
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Conclusions ………. 57
B. Recommendations ……….… 58
REFERENCES ……… 60
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
Table 4.1 Students’ Scores and Word Frequency in Cycle One
(Pre-Implementation)………..…. 33
Table 4.2 Students’ Scores and Word Frequency in Cycle One
(Post-Implementation)………..… 36
Table 4.3 Students’ Scores in Cycle Two (Pre-Implementation &
Post-Implementation) ………..… 40
Table 4.4 Students’ Scores in Cycle Three (Pre-Implementation &
Post-Implementation) ………..… 43
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
Figure 2.1 Theoretical Framework ………. 18
Figure 4.1 Number of Students Writing ≥50% of Words, Meanings, and Parts of
Speech Correctly in Cycle One …...……….…. 46
Figure 4.2 Number of Students Writing ≥50% of Words, Meanings, and Parts of
Speech Correctly in Cycle Two ……….…... 48
Figure 4.3 Number of Students Writing ≥50% of Words, Meanings, and Parts of
Speech Correctly in Cycle Three ……….…. 49
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LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Letters of Permission ……… 63
Appendix 2 Lesson Plan and Teaching Instruments of Cycle One ………. 66
Appendix 3 Lesson Plan and Teaching Instruments of Cycle Two ………. 71
Appendix 4 Lesson Plan and Teaching Instruments of Cycle Three ….………. 76
Appendix 5 Samples of Students’ Worksheets in Cycle One …….………….… 81
Appendix 6 Samples of Students’ Worksheets in Cycle Two ……….… 88
Appendix 7 Samples of Students’ Worksheets in Cycle Three ……...………… 94
Appendix 8 Samples of Students’ Questionnaire ……… 99
Appendix 9 Questionnaire Raw Data ………..……… 104
Appendix 10 Interview Guide ………..………. 107
Appendix 11 Interview Transcript ……….……… 109
Appendix 12 Observation Checklist ……….……… 113
1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, the researcher presents the research background, problem
formulation, problem limitation, the objective and benefits of the research, and the
definition of terms.
A. Research Background
As a means of communication, language provides language learners with
various aspects to acquire. By learning English as a second language, many learners
in different parts of the world whose mother tongues are not English are expected to
be able to use English appropriately for written and oral purposes. In order to have
broad knowledge on English, they need to possess the linguistic knowledge of
English; among them are lexical, grammar, and discourse knowledge (Grabe and
Stoller, 2002, p. 42).
Lexical knowledge is closely related to vocabulary. Vocabulary is one of the
main aspects that learners have to master in order to be able to read, write, speak, and
listen well in the language being learned. Mastering the meanings and functions of
adequate numbers of words and being able to use them accurately are basically the
However, most of the learners, in this case the students of XI Teknik Gambar
Bangunan A(TGBA) class in SMKN 2 Depok, admitted that they found it difficult to
deal with English because they had very limited vocabulary. When the researcher
asked them the synonym of ‘hunger’, they could not mention any other words to
substitute it. It was their first time hearing the words ‘starvation’ and ‘famine.’ They
also did not know that the word ‘swallow’ could also function as a verb; they only
knew that the word ‘swallow’ was a noun representing the name of a bird.
The results of their progress test showed that none of them scored above the
passing grade, which was 80. When they were discussing the answers with the
teacher, it was found that the students had difficulties in describing some words
although the words had been discussed in the previous meeting, e.g. the words
‘hardworking’ and ‘reliable.’ They also failed in distinguishing words with similar
meanings such as ‘horrible’ and ‘terrible.’ Some of their answers were incorrect
because they did not understand the meanings of some words. Even though they were
able to use the correct form of conditional sentence, the sentence that they should
have related correctly carried illogical sense of meaning because they did not know
the meaning of some key words used in the questions.
This kind of limitation rooting from the lack of vocabulary can be
discouraging, which may lead to students’ failure in other areas of English mastery as
mentioned above, namely grammar and discourse knowledge. This problem had also
conduct a class action research. This type of class action research conducted by the
researcher was directed to improve XI TGBA students’ vocabulary mastery.
A number of research had been conducted to introduce games as a means of
vocabulary learning. Games, if the instructions and rules are explained clearly, can
encourage students to use the language they learn in a meaningful way (Nguyen and
Khuat, 2003). Nguyen and Khuat (2003) add that “games contribute to vocabulary
learning if they give students a chance to learn, practice and to review the English
language in a pleasant atmosphere.” Games are intended to keep the students relaxed,
interested, and active at the same time. Some games may also allow the students to
experience real-world tasks as they contain activities and language forms often used
for communicative purposes. Lewis and Bedson (1999) explain the advantage of
using games in the following statement.
Games add variation to a lesson and increase motivation by providing a plausible incentive to use the target language. The game context makes the foreign language immediately useful to the children. It brings the language to life (p. 5)
The games used in this class action research were word games aiming to
encourage students’ participation. The games mainly focused on building and
reviewing students’ vocabulary. The students were asked to work in groups when
they were doing the games.
The games were used to introduce new words as well as to review the words
introduce new words, the games aimed to assess the students’ existing knowledge of
certain words. Meanwhile, when the words were reviewed, the games aimed to
develop the students’ understanding on several words they had learned before and
how the words should be categorized into the correct parts of speech.
This research becomes important due to the fact that most of the XI TGBA
students in SMKN 2 Depok are still unaware of the importance of recognizing and
categorizing English words into the correct parts of speech. To be able to use the
words appropriately, they need to understand that words have their own meanings
and functions. It is important for them to understand how a noun, verb, adjective, or
adverb can function effectively to deliver a message in the target language. In order to
be able to do this, it is important for them to refine their English skills, including their
understanding of English vocabulary. It is an essential part which will influence other
skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
By taking part in this research, the students would also be accustomed to
learning new words and establishing the words they had learned in their mind. The
use of games in this research was intended to increase their motivation and
participation, especially because of the characteristics of games which allow students
to be involved directly in the classroom activities as they work with their peers.
Games also offer a more pleasant classroom atmosphere which suits the students’
active and responsive characteristics. As a solution to their problem, an action
research aiming to improve vocabulary mastery of XI TGBA students in SMKN 2
B. Research Problem
To present the research, the analysis will be based on the following question.
How do word games help XITeknik Gambar Bangunan Astudents in SMKN
2 Depok to improve their vocabulary mastery?
C. Problem Limitation
The research of using word games to improve XI TGBA students’ vocabulary
mastery is categorized into class action research. Kemmis and McTaggart (1988)
explain that action research conducted to overcome problems appearing in a
classroom occurs through a dynamic and complementary process consisting of four
essential moments of planning, action, observation, and reflection (p. 32). In this
research, all of the aforementioned stages were applied in the setting of XI TGBA
classroom.
The participants of this research were the students of XI TGBA in SMKN 2
Depok, Yogyakarta, 2011/2012 academic year. This research focused on the use of
word games to improve XI TGBA students’ vocabulary mastery. Games were chosen
in order to create a livelier atmosphere of learning which was expected to increase
students’ participation and encourage their understanding of English words. Seeing
that the students were active, enthusiastic and responsive, games were considered to
suit the students’ characteristics. Therefore, this research was limited to a study of
D. Research Objective
The objective of this research is to overcome the problems related to the
limited vocabulary of XI TGBA students. By using games, it is expected that the
students will be able to easily acquire and recognize English words and their
meanings as well as to categorize the words into their correct parts of speech.
E. Research Benefits
There are several benefits which can be obtained from this research. The
benefits of the research are described as follows.
1. The Students of XI TGBA in SMKN 2 Depok, Yogyakarta
By participating in the games conducted by the researcher, students will be
able to improve their vocabulary mastery. The games are expected to aid the students
in learning new words and their meanings easily by giving them a clearer concept of
how the words are supposed to be used for various purposes. The use of word games
are aimed to make the learning activities more fun and exciting for the students.
2. The Teachers in SMKN 2 Depok, Yogyakarta
The benefit of this research for the teachers is that they will be able to help the
students improve their vocabulary mastery by conducting learning activities in a
lively atmosphere.
3. Other Researchers
Other researchers who are interested in investigating a topic similar to that of
research in accordance with the use of games to improve vocabulary mastery of
English as a Second Language (ESL) learners.
F. Definition of Terms
To provide a better understanding of the content of the research, some terms
used in the study are defined as follows.
1. Word Games
Games in general are activities in which a visible set of rules guides the
actions of the participants and an element of strategy is present (Maley, 1999). In this
research, word games are used to assist XI TGBA students in SMKN 2 Depok in
mastering vocabulary by finding their meanings and identifying their correct parts of
speech. Word games require the students to participate in the activities focusing on
introducing and establishing words discussed in the meetings conducted by the
researcher.
2. Vocabulary Mastery
Nguyen and Khuat (2003) explain that “in order to communicate well in a
foreign language, students should acquire an adequate number of words and should
know how to use them accurately.” In this research, vocabulary mastery implies a
condition in which XI TGBA students in SMKN 2 Depok as language learners are
able to know the meaning of a word and categorize them based on their correct parts
3. XI TGBA Students of SMKN 2 Depok
XI TGBA is one of the classes in SMKN 2 Depok. The students in this class
usually deal with drawing and architecture. The observation done as a preliminary
action in this class revealed that they found difficulties in learning English since they
had limited vocabularies. They also found memorizing words and formulas to
construct English sentences difficult; therefore, games which would help them to
9
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
In this chapter, the researcher presents the theoretical description and
theoretical framework of the research.
A. Theoretical Description
There are three main points to be described in this section, i.e. vocabulary
mastery, word games, and research studies which are relevant to the topic of using
word games to improve vocabulary mastery.
1. Vocabulary Mastery
In order to understand the concept of vocabulary mastery, definition of words
and vocabulary knowledge are described as follows.
a. Definition of Words
Read describes words as “the basic building block of language, the units of
meaning from which larger structure such as sentences, paragraphs and whole texts
are formed” (2000, p. 1). In order to avoid confusion, Read also makes a clear
distinction between words and lexical phrases. He describes lexical phrases as a unit
consisting of groups of words which resemble a grammatical structure but “operate as
units with a particular function in spoken or written discourse” (Nattinger and
Words in English can be classified into a number of parts of speech. The
number of parts of speech into which words are classified may differ from one
another. However, the majority of experts make clear categorization consisting of
eight parts of speech, i.e. nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions,
conjuctions, and interjections. Knowing which parts of speech a word belongs to may
help to understand how the word functions in a sentence. Since some words can be
classified into several parts of speech, most of the time it is important to look at how
a word functions in a sentence before determining which part of speech it belongs to.
Related to the level of difficulty of each part of speech, Rodgers (as cited in
Read, 2000, p. 40) explains that nouns and adjectives are the easiest ones to learn,
while verbs and adverbs are the most difficult ones. His statement is supported by the
findings of Ellis and Beaton (as cited in Read, 2000, p. 40) which elaborate the reason
why nouns are the easiest one. They explain that it is because most learners are able
to quickly form mental images of nouns and relate them to the target words.
b. Vocabulary Knowledge
Nation (2000, p. 31) lists a description of knowing a word into having various
receptive and productive knowledge of a word. Receptive knowledge involves the
ability of understanding the words through reading or listening activities, while
productive knowledge involves the ability of using and spelling the words
meaningfully and correctly in writing or speaking activities. The list provided by
receptive and productive knowledge on words form, meaning, and use should be
P How is the word written and spelled? word parts R What parts are recognizable in this word?
P What word parts are needed to express this meaning?
Meaning
form and meaning R What meaning does this word form signal?
P What word form can be used to express this meaning?
concept and R What is included in the concept? referents P What items can the concept refer to?
associations R What other words does this make us think of? P What other words could we use instead of this one? Use
grammatical R In what patterns does the word occur? functions P In what patterns must we use this word?
collocations R What words or types of words occur with this one? P What words or types of words must we use with this
lexical knowledge comprises various kinds of word knowledge that cannot be
mastered all at once. As a consequence, the process of learning a word should be
incremental. Words need to be met, stored, and used for several times to be fully
mastered.
Nation (2000, p. 6) also underlines the importance of increasing and
establishing vocabulary in teaching vocabulary. If teaching and learning activities are
directed to increase learners’ vocabulary, then they have to be introduced to new
words that they have not known before. This process signifies the beginning of their
learning. On the other hand, establishing vocabulary means to encourage their
knowledge of particular words. When their vocabulary is established, the knowledge
will develop and expand. Establishing vocabulary also means to build on and
strengthen the initial knowledge they have, possibly from the process of increasing
vocabulary.
2. Word Games
Games in general are “activities in which a visible set of rules guides the
actions of the participants and an element of strategy is present” (Maley, 1999). The
participants are required to obey the rules of the games and avoid violating them in
order to be able to play fairly. Strategy is an important part of games since it guides
the process of carrying out the games with the purpose to win.
Based on Lee and McCallum’s categorization of games in language teaching
language learning can be classified into the five major groups. They are vocabulary
games, structure games, writing games, reading games, and games for developing
speaking and listening skills. In this research, the games used are vocabulary games.
This type of games serves the purpose of helping the learners work with words.
Related to language learning, Prasad explains that games can be used to
”introduce an element of competition into language-building activities, which
provides valuable stimulus to a purposeful use of language” (as cited in Chen, 2005).
Games, therefore, allow the use of language in context. Almost similar to Prasad’s
explanation, Lewis and Bedson (1999) explain that games “add variation to a lesson
and increase motivation by providing a plausible incentive to use the target language”
(p. 5). Based on their opinion, games can be used to avoid monotonous activities in
teaching language by encouraging the learners to take part in the games actively.
Furthermore, Bradley (as cited in Luu, 2012) elaborates beneficial
characteristics of games when used to teach language. The first one is that it allows
all students to be engaged in the learning process. Working with other students in a
group requires them to “recognize and appreciate the contributions of others and use
team-building skills” (as cited in Luu, 2012). This characteristic leads to the second
one which explains that students will work together to reach the common goal, i.e.
winning the game; as they work together, peer tutoring may take place. The last one
is that games create fun and enjoyable learning atmosphere, which eventually will
Uberman (as cited in Luu, 2012) explains the relationship between students’
motivation in vocabulary learning and the nature of games. He states that games can
be helpful for maintaining students’ motivation because they are “amusing and
interesting.” The entertaining and pleasant atmosphere created by employing games
to facilitate vocabulary learning can help students to memorize the words faster and
better. Related to how the kinds of games affect students’ motivation, Byrne (as cited
in Luu, 2012) underlines that “the more different games are used, the more motivated
students become.”
3. Review of Related Studies
A number of studies had been conducted to introduce games as a means of
vocabulary learning. One of them is a recent experimental study conducted by Luu
Trong Tuan (2012). His research aimed to examine the effectiveness of using games
to reinforce vocabulary recollection of young learners in Way Ahead classes at Ngoi
Nha Thong Thai Elementary School, Vietnam. He selected two random classes and
assigned the classes into experimental group and control group. The experimental
group was exposed to games in recollecting vocabulary, while the control group was
involved in exercises without using games. Luu used pretest and two posttests to
compare the mean scores of the research participants. The results he obtained
indicated that although both groups did not differ significantly in their pretest scores,
the experimental group scored better than the control one in the posttests. This
using games, the experimental group performed better in the posttests. Luu concludes
that games can be used once in a while to motivate learners to study English.
Teachers must also choose the games well in order to allow learners to grow their
interest in learning vocabulary and increase their participation as they are involved in
the learning process.
Almost similar to the study conducted by Luu was the one conducted by
Al-Aliyani (n.d.). She conducted her research in four months to investigate the issue
regarding the effectiveness of using games in teaching vocabulary. Al-Aliyani
divided the classes she taught into experimental group and control group. The groups
consisted of 9 to 10 year-old boys and girls of Third Grade Basic Education classes.
She administered various vocabulary games and four comprehension tests, then
compared the results to draw conclusions. The results of her findings showed that the
experimental group exposed to vocabulary games scored better in the tests compared
to the control group. She also found that most of the learners were motivated by the
games to work on their vocabulary.
One of the most well-known studies was the one conducted by Nguyen and
Khuat in 2003. Games, if the instructions and rules were explained clearly, could
encourage students to use the language they learn in a meaningful way (Nguyen &
Khuat, 2003). Nguyen and Khuat (2003) added that “games contribute to vocabulary
learning if they give students a chance to learn, practice and to review the English
language in a pleasant atmosphere.” DeCarrico (as cited in Nguyen & Khuat, 2003)
understanding.” In addition, Nation (as cited in Nguyen & Khuat, 2003) stated that
“learning new words is a cumulative process, with words enriched and established as
they are met again.” The statements emphasize the importance of repetition in
vocabulary learning.
The research was conducted in Vietnam at the Distance Education Center
(DEC) for a period of two weeks. This research involved 20 students. Nguyen and
Khuat noticed that most Vietnamese students learned vocabulary passively. They
were simply asked to take note of some words and their meanings. The words they
learned mostly came from their text book. They stopped when they knew the
meanings of the words and were discouraged to learn to use the words in context.
Considering those factors, Nguyen and Khuat wanted to see how the students would
react to the use of games in teaching English and if games could help improve their
existing vocabulary. They emphasized the use of as many games as possible to elicit
their students’ response and to understand how the students would progress and react,
as well as to see if unanticipated problems would arise from the use of games. They
did an oral interview to understand their expectations, problems, and progress in their
process of learning vocabulary and conducted post-class survey by distributing
questionnaire to elicit their personal feelings and their own experiences in learning
vocabulary. They also observed the class and reflected the results of their observation
on their previous journal to compare the results.
Based on the results, there were several factors which should be taken into
number of students, proficiency level, cultural context, timing, learning topic, and
classroom setting. By taking those factors into account, finding the suitable games in
order to be able to obtain the desired results would be an easier task to do.
B. Theoretical Framework
This section reviews the relationship between the research conducted by the
researcher and the related theories.
Words play an important role in language learning because they have a
particular function in both spoken and written discourse. Language learners must
possess the understanding of word meanings and how words contribute to the
formation of sentences, paragraphs and texts in order to be able to use the language to
communicate effectively. It is important to make the learners engaged in meaningful
learning activities which will help them refine their language skills.
Figure 2.1 illustrates the theoretical framework of the research. Considering
the students’ problems as well as the major characteristics of XI TGBA students,
word games were chosen as the solution. As word games were used to help the
students learn vocabulary, several important aspects of vocabulary learning related to
this research were also taken into consideration. The implementation of word games
as the solution to the problems faced by the students was directed to help the students
Students’ Problems Students’ Characteristics Limited vocabulary Active, enthusiastic, responsive Tense classroom situation
Vocabulary Learning
The process of increasing and establishing vocabulary Word knowledge mastered gradually
Avoid excessive learning pressure
Problem Solution Word Games
(Implementation of word games focuses on form and meaning aspects of word knowledge)
Desired Results
Students participate actively in learning activities Students are motivated to learn vocabulary actively Students learn vocabulary in a pleasant atmosphere
Students’ masteryof word knowledge improves
Figure 2.1 Theoretical Framework
As a means of language learning, games involve language-building activities
which can increase learners’ motivation and participation in the process of language
learning. Learning parts of speech with different levels of difficulty might be stressful
for students. Games give them a chance to use the language to gain the desired results
as well as to practice and review the language in an enjoyable atmosphere, lessening
the burden of learning. This atmosphere will help the learners to internalize a word by
mastering its meaning and its parts of speech progressively, especially because
Based on Lewis & Bedson’s explanation (1999), games are expected to
encourage students to be involved in a variety of activities. In this research, the
students of XI TGBA class were motivated to participate in the games as a member of
a group. Games were chosen to improve vocabulary mastery because, as mentioned
by Nguyen and Khuat (2003), the students were given a chance to learn, practice and
review the target language in a pleasant atmosphere. A pleasant atmosphere was
helpful in motivating the students to take part in the games so that they would not feel
bored and learn vocabulary actively. Assigning them into groups would require them
to work together to achieve a goal and allow them to learn from and respect each
other.
When applying games, the researcher referred to the factors which should be
taken into account as proposed by Nguyen and Khuat (2003). The researcher
constructed the instructions and steps by considering the number of students,
proficiency level, cultural context, timing, learning topic, and classroom setting in
order to find the most appropriate game for each meeting. The activities were
intended to increase and establish vocabulary to support the students’ vocabulary
mastery. They would be exposed to some words they might never have encountered
before, and it would signify the start of their learning. However, when they had
already had a clue on the words taught, they might as well develop and expand their
vocabulary knowledge. Some aspects of word knowledge as explained by Nation
(2000, p. 27) were also taken into consideration. They were explored in the
activities would be focusing more on building the students’ knowledge on word
meanings and parts of speech. Nevertheless, word knowledge should not be learned
in a rush. As Schmitt (n.d.) explains, the overall word knowledge cannot be achieved
all at once. They can only be learned one step at a time, allowing learners to expand
their knowledge incrementally.
It is also important to consider the advantages of using games to motivate the
students and increase their participation. Although Al-Aliyani (n.d.) explains that the
degree of participation and motivation differs across learners, their reaction and
attitude toward the implementation of games itself are worth observing. If they react
positively, it means that games help them encounter the target vocabulary in a
meaningful way. As they learn with high motivation and willingness to participate, it
will be easier for them to learn new words, expand their knowledge on words they
have known, store them, and recall them whenever they need to. This will eventually
21 CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter describes the research method, research participants and setting,
research instruments, technique of data gathering and data analysis, and research
procedure.
A. Research Method
This research was conducted to find out how word games help improve
vocabulary mastery of XI TGBA students in SMK N 2 Depok. In order to answer the
research question, a class action research (CAR) was conducted. According to Lewin
(1946), a theory of action research can be developed “as a spiral of steps involving
planning, fact-finding (or reconnaisance) and execution” (as cited in McNiff &
Whitehead, 2002, p. 41). Those steps are generally understood as “an
action-reflection cycle of planning, acting, observing and reflecting.” (p. 41) If the cycle
continues, it shows that there is a change in thinking and a change in action.
Lewin’s idea is further developed by Stephen Kemmis (1986, as cited in
McNiff & Whitehead, 2002, p. 44). His work shows a “self-reflective spiral of
planning, acting, observing, reflecting and re-planning.” This spiral of steps promotes
Generally, every cycle in this research consists of the steps of planning,
acting, observing, and reflecting. The planning stage involves the identification of the
students’ problem and the selection of the solution to the problem. Word games were
chosen as the solution because they have several advantages appropriate for the
students’ needs. They include the demand of a vocabulary building which encourages
the students’ active participation in a classroom with carefree atmosphere.
The acting and observing stages were carried out simultaneously. They
included the implementation of the solution and data gathering. The researcher took
an action to overcome the problem and recorded everything in the observation
checklist and field notes.
The last stage was the reflecting stage. In this stage, the researcher reflected
on how the implementation had been carried out. This step was important because it
helped the researcher to decide whether or not the chosen solution could really help
the students improve their vocabulary mastery.
B. Research Setting
This research was conducted on May 7th, 12th, and 14th, 2012, in XI Teknik
Gambar Bangunan A (TGBA) class in SMK N 2 Depok, Sleman, Yogyakarta in the
2011/2012 academic year. This research was conducted in three meetings. Each
C. Research Participants
The participants of the research were XITeknik Gambar Bangunan A (TGBA)
students in SMK N 2 Depok in the 2011/2012 academic year. There were 31 students
in total. All of them participated in the research.
D. Instruments and Data Gathering Technique
To conduct the research, a number of instruments to gather data are used. The
instruments are divided into two types. They are the research instruments used before
the implementation and the research instruments used during the implementation.
1. The Research Instruments Used before the Implementation
The instruments used before the implementation are field notes, informal
interview, and students’ test results.
a. Field Notes
Field notes are “the methods of reporting observations of and reflections
about classroom problems and the teachers’ own reaction to them” (Kemmis &
McTaggart, 1982, p. 197). Before the implementation, field notes helped the
researcher to find out the problem that the students had prior to the research.
b. Informal Interview
Informal interview was aimed to give the researcher a clear illustration of the
students’ real problem by having a face-to-face interaction. The informal interview
the students in XI TGBA class. Although not all of the students were present when
the researcher informally interviewed the students, the results of the interview
showed that the students found difficulties in learning English because of their lack of
vocabularies.
2. The Research Instruments Used during the Implementation
The instruments used during the implementation are observation checklist,
field notes, and students’ personal vocabulary notes.
a. Observation Checklist
Observation had a significant role in giving the researcher an illustration of
the real situation of the class being observed. This also helped the researcher to
understand the characteristics of the students in the class as well as to choose the
most appropriate solution to the problem that the students had. The checklist was
completed by an observer who was not involved directly in the research. The
observer merely observed the whole activities done in the class and pointed out things
which were important for the research.
b. Field Notes
During the implementation, field notes were used to record the events
happening in the classroom. The researcher then could examine what had gone well
and what things needed to be improved. The field notes were written by the observers
c. Questionnaire
The questionnaire distributed to the students consisted of two parts. The first
part contained ten closed-ended questions, while the second part contained three open
questions. The questionnaire aimed to understand how the students responded to the
purposes of the games implemented and how they would evaluate the games. The
questionnaire would also help the researcher to find out how the students perceived
the implementation of the games as well as whether or not they felt that they
benefited from the carried out research.
d. Semi-structured Interview
The participants of the semi-structured interview were chosen randomly. The
questions aimed to find out the students’ perception on how they had progressed
throughout the research. The interview also aimed to clarify the students’ answers in
the questionnaire given to them.
e. Students’ Personal Vocabulary List
This list aimed to record every single word that the students encountered in
every meeting. The students were asked to take note of the words of which the
meanings and parts of speech they did not know before the game began. Then, they
were asked to write down the meanings along with the parts of speech after the game
was done. This list should function as a reliable source which would point out the
students’ improvement. It would help the researcher to monitor the improvement that
A sequence of steps was done in order to gather the data needed for further
analysis. First of all, the researcher asked the students to fill in their
pre-implementation vocabulary list. The scores gathered from the list were the ones
illustrating the students’ vocabulary level before the implementation was done.
Pre-implementation vocabulary list was given in each meeting before the Pre-implementation
of the game. This list consisted of vocabulary items which were selected based on the
games used in a particular meeting. These words were adapted from the sources that
included words which were often encountered by English learners in general. The
researcher used the words adapted from Bauman and Culligan’s General Service List
(1995) as well as Seal’s American Vocabulary Builder 1 (1990). The students were
required to find the meanings of the words and categorize the words into the correct
parts of speech through doing a selected game.
The games used in the meetings were always varied in order to avoid
boredom. The rule of selecting the appropriate game was that the game used in a
particular meeting was not supposed to be similar to the one used in the previous
meeting. The games used in all of the meetings were the games which were intended
to enhance the students’ participation during the implementation. Each game would
require all students to take part in playing it. The other criterion was that the games
lasted for about 20 minutes at the maximum. The procedure of implementing the
games was adjusted to fit the students’ characteristics and time allocation. There were
three games used in this research. The first game, “Word-Web”, aimed to encourage
game, “Find the Answers!”, intended to help the students recognize adverbs. The last
game, “The Bingo Race”, aimed to review words they had known and introduce new
words.
At the end of each game, the researcher asked the students to rewrite the
meanings and the parts of speech of the words given in their personal vocabulary
lists. This step aimed to keep track of the students’ progress as well as to find out the
effectiveness of the game used in that particular meeting. After that, the researcher
gathered each student’s vocabulary list and calculated the score. Then, the researcher
compared the scores of the students’ vocabulary list completed after the
implementation with the previous scores gathered prior to the implementation of the
games. It was aimed to see whether there was an improvement or not according to the
scores that the students had.
The researcher also distributed a questionnaire to gather the data related to the
students’ perception on the implementation of the games. As follow-ups, informal
interview was conducted in order to clarify their answers and obtain additional
information. The results of the questionnaire distributed to the students and the
interview would help the researcher to find out whether or not the students felt that
they benefited from the implementation of the games.
During the teaching and learning activity conducted by the researcher, a help
from an observer was required in order to observe the real implementation of the
games objectively. The researcher decided to ask for help from different observers for
implementation in the field notes. This step aimed to fill the information gaps which
were created by the researcher’s involvement in the implementation.
After the first cycle ended, the researcher reflected on how the
implementation had been done. This aimed to find out whether or not the games
which had been used to develop the students’ vocabulary mastery were really
effective. Through the reflection, the researcher was able to discover the things which
needed improvement so that the solution could be effective. At the end of the second
cycle, the researcher reflected on the results and decided that one more meeting had
to be conducted to conclude how word games could help the students improve their
vocabulary mastery.
E. Data Analysis Technique
The data gathered throughout the research were analyzed to find out whether
or not the games used in the meetings could effectively help the students improve
their vocabulary mastery. After every meeting, the researcher gathered the students’
vocabulary notes, which consisted of the notes before the implementation and the
notes after the implementation of the games. These notes were scored, and the results
were compared in order to find out how the students’ vocabulary mastery had
progressed throughout the learning process. The other data of the students’
improvement were recorded in the worksheets which they did during the
speech in the form of word web (see Appendix 5) and the list of adverbs they found
in the text they had read (see Appendix 6).
The questionnaire distributed to the students, the results of the interviews, the
field notes and the observation checklist were analyzed by summarizing them into a
form of separate descriptions. Each of the descriptions would help the researcher to
determine the relationship among the results of the students’ compared vocabulary
notes, the students’ perception on the implementation, and what happened in the
classroom during the implementation. This relationship would be the basis on which
the final conclusion was derived from.
In order to stop the cycle, criteria of success were determined. There were two
criteria of success. The first one was that the number of students who correctly
rewrote the meanings and the parts of speech of the words in their personal
vocabulary lists increased. The second criterion was that more than 75% of the
students participating in the research were able to correctly write equal to or more
than 50% of the meanings and the parts of speech of the words in their personal
vocabulary lists after the implementation.
F. Research Procedure
There are seven steps which were conducted throughout the research.
1. Observing XI TGBA Class in SMK N 2 Depok
The researcher observed XI TGBA class in SMK N 2 Depok on April 23rdand
2. Planning the Research
After observing and analyzing the result of the observations, the researcher
planned the research strategy which would be conducted to overcome the problem.
3. Asking permission from Dinas Perijinan
After planning the research, the researcher asked permission to conduct the
research from Dinas Perijinanon March 19th, 2012.
4. Preparing the Instruments
During this step, the researcher prepared all instruments which would be used
in the research.
5. Collecting the Data
The researcher collected the data on May 7th, 12th, and 14th, 2012. The
researcher taught the class and collected the data by taking notes of everything
happening in the classroom during the implementation of the games, distributing the
questionnaire to the students and conducting the interview.
6. Analyzing the Data
The next step was analyzing the data. From the data collected, the researcher
analyzed and interpreted them to obtain the results.
7. Reporting
After completing the data analysis, the researcher wrote a report about the
31
CHAPTER IV
RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This research was conducted in three cycles. Each cycle consisted of planning,
acting, observing and reflecting. Each cycle was completed in one meeting. The first
meeting was conducted on May 7th, 2012. The second meeting was conducted on
May 12th, 2012, and the third meeting was conducted on May 14th, 2012. After all
meetings were conducted, the researcher distributed the questionnaire and conducted
the interview to a few students. The results of both were analyzed to corroborate the
results taken from the students’ vocabulary list scores and group works.
A. The Description of the Implementation of Word Games
This section is divided into three parts, i.e. the implementation of word games
in Cycle One, the implementation of word games in Cycle Two, and the
implementation of word games in Cycle Three. Each cycle was completed in one
meeting. The duration of each meeting was set to sixty minutes despite the fact that
the contact hour for every subject in SMKN 2 Depok was 45 minutes.
In the beginning, every meeting was planned to be conducted in one contact
hour in order to give the students the chance to review the lesson as a mid-term test
preparation in the remaining 45 minutes. Nevertheless, after the first meeting, the
the real classroom teacher about the time allocation and finally decided to set a
60-minute meeting. By doing so, the students would still have thirty 60-minutes left to
review their lesson.
1. The Implementation of Word Games in Cycle One
During Cycle One, the researcher identified the students’ problem by looking
at the results of the observation which was done prior to the meeting. The problem
that the researcher found was that the students had difficulties in understanding the
content of their progress test, especially the multiple choice questions. They
misinterpreted the options because they did not know the meaning of some words, for
example they did not know that the words ‘terrible’, ‘horrible’, and ‘bad’ were within
the same semantic field. They also admitted that the English class they normally had
always involved answering the teacher’s questions and listening to the teacher’s
explanation. Considering the characteristics of the students who were active and
responsive, the researcher chose games as the solution to the problem. The researcher
assumed that games would be able to give the students new experience in learning
English, particularly related to vocabulary learning.
During the acting stage, the researcher asked the students to fill in their
vocabulary list before the implementation of the game. The first vocabulary list
required the students to provide twenty words, including their meanings and the parts
of speech. In ten minutes, they were asked to recall and write any English words they
Table 4.1 Students’ Scores and Words Frequency in Cycle One (Pre-Implementation)
The results showed that they scored the lowest in the parts of speech. Most of
the students did not understand how the words should have been categorized. They
were able to provide the correct meanings of the words, but not the parts of speech.
They also wrote down nouns at the most, and adverbs were rarely found. As seen in
Table 4.1, the students managed to write down 290 nouns (similar nouns, and other
parts of speech, written by different students were counted according to how many
times they showed up), but only 12 adverbs. Most of the adverbs were adverbs of
time such as ‘yesterday’, ‘tomorrow’, and ‘today.’ The most noticeable error that they
made in categorizing words into adverb was that they thought names of places such
as ‘house’, ‘hospital’, and ‘school’ could be simply categorized into adverb of place.
Seeing that what they had written reflected the words which they had
mastered and/or which had to be reviewed further, the researcher used these results as
the baseline of the study. After gathering the results of the pre-implementation
vocabulary list as presented in Table 4.1, the researcher implemented the game which
was chosen as the solution to the problem. In the first meeting, the researcher divided
the students into seven groups. Each group consisted of four to five people. The game
that was used was the one called “Word-Web” (see Appendix 5). In this game, the
students were asked to draw a web and write down the words they had known
according to the parts of speech given, i.e. noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. They
obtained one point for each correctly written and categorized word. One group
managed to obtain 134 correctly written and categorized English words. The other
After they completed writing the words for fifteen minutes, the students were
asked to exchange their works so that each group would be able to see what the other
group had written. Then, they were asked to study the words and write down what the
other group had written on their word-web. They were allowed to discuss the material
in their own groups, allowing peer tutoring to take place. They had to copy the words
in the other group’s word-web, and were encouraged to supply the correct parts of
speech if they thought that what they saw in the list was incorrect. The purpose of this
step was to enrich the students’ vocabulary as they wrote down what the other
students made.
After analyzing the post-implementation vocabulary list of the students, the
researcher found that many of the students made good progress on the correct number
of the parts of speech. Table 4.2 illustrates the students’ improvement in their average
score and the distribution of parts of speech. Compared to the results presented in
Table 4.1, the average score of the number of words that they wrote correctly
increased from 18.1 points to 19.4 points. The score for meaning part remained the
same, while the score of the parts of speech increased from 15.9 points to 17.7 points.
The average score that the students made also increased from 17.5 points to 18.4
points. The words frequency column in Table 4.2 illustrates that the words they
wrote also became more various in terms of their parts of speech. They wrote fewer
nouns and more adjectives, verbs, and adverbs in their post-implementation
Table 4.2 Students’ Scores and Words Frequency in Cycle One (Post-Implementation)
Reflecting on the findings in the first meeting, the researcher found that
adverb was the part of speech that required more attention than the other parts of
speech which were more familiar to the students. The familiarity was shown by the
fact that they wrote higher number of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. The adverb was
limited to a small number of adverbs of time, such as ‘yesterday’, ‘tonight’, and
‘tomorrow.’ It was clear that adverb had higher level of difficulty for most of the
students. Based on this reflection, the researcher decided to focus more on teaching
adverb in the following meeting.
In addition, the field notes written by the observer showed that the students
were eager to join the activities provided by the researcher. They were enthusiastic
and welcoming. The real classroom teacher did not observe the activities.
2. The Implementation of Word Games in Cycle Two
The second meeting was conducted on May 14th, 2012. Having planned the
meeting based on the reflection on the previous meeting, the researcher focused more
on introducing as well as establishing the kinds of adverb and the words or phrases
which could be categorized into adverbs. First of all, the researcher asked the students
to write down the adverbs that they could recall on their vocabulary list. After
gathering the pre-implementation vocabulary list, the researcher tried to elicit the
students’ responses on the kinds of adverb they had known. The researcher asked the
students about what kinds of adverb they knew and wrote down the results on the
could be categorized into adverb of manner, adverb of time, adverb of place, and
adverb of frequency. These adverbs were the ones that the students were mostly
aware of.
The researcher then divided the class into seven groups. Each group consisted
of four to five people. The game used in this meeting was called “Find the Answers!”
(see Appendix 6). In this game, the students had to identify several adverbs which
could be found in a reading passage entitled “My Family’s Story” (see Appendix 6).
Then, the researcher distributed a reading passage to each group and asked the
students to identify the adverbs they could find in the reading in fifteen minutes. This
type of game was chosen to make the students feel more relaxed because the meeting
was conducted on the last course hour. At this time, based on the preliminary
observation, the students had difficulties in focusing on the lesson because they
wanted to go home as quickly as possible. To solve this problem, the researcher chose
the game which was short and less energy-consuming.
After fifteen minutes, the students were asked to write down the adverbs they
had found in the reading passage. They were not asked to exchange their work or
check the other group’s work as they did previously, so that they would have more
chances to study and establish the adverbs that they had found themselves. After
finishing the group work, they had to write down the adverbs they found in their
personal vocabulary list given after the implementation of the game. This technique
required the students to repeat writing the adverbs, which would help them memorize
Reflecting on the results that the researcher had gathered, the students were
able to find more adverbs and score better, but the average score for the meaning part
was lower. The researcher found that some students chose not to write down anything
in the meaning column because they wanted to go home sooner. Even though the
researcher did not allow them to go home before the regulated time, some students
still insisted that they wanted to go home earlier than usual.
In order to avoid bias, the researcher had asked for help from another
observer, different from the one observing in the first meeting. The observer had to
record the activities as well as the students’ responses and behavior during the
implementation. The real classroom teacher decided that she would not observe the
teaching and learning activities because she assumed that the students would not act
naturally if they realized that they were being observed by their own teacher.
The results in Table 4.3 show that even though the mean score which the
students achieved after the implementation of the game was higher compared to the
pre-implementation score, they scored lower in the meaning part after the
implementation. The words that they mistook the most were adjectives such as
‘unhappy’, ‘angry’, and ‘funny.’ However, they improved in getting used to
supplying prepositions preceding nouns to form adverbs, such as ‘for my parents’,
‘with the neighbor’s children’, and ‘in a certain way.’ These types of adverbs could
be easily found in the text. It explains why the score for the words section as
Table 4.3 Students’ Scores in Cycle Two (Pre-Implementation & Post-Implementation)
