Teaching Vocabulary by Using
Crossword Puzzle
Andi
Aspian NA – 21200140000001
A.
Introduction
Vocabulary is one of the important language aspect in learning English. Having vocabulary, students are easier to understand teachers’ explanation and also help them in learning
four language skills namely
listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Turnbory (2002) argued without grammar very little can conveyed, without
vocabulary nothing can be conveyed. This indicated the vocabulary has an important role in communicates the
ideas. Students who have enough vocabulary are able
to write and
speak
well. Additionally, students
need to learn academic words list in understanding vocabulary. He
added a recently published academic word list consist
of 570 word families, covering a variety of disciplines – arts, commerce, law, and science – also includes such items as analyse,
concept, data and research. This is important because those academic words can help students in learning huge number
of vocabulary in the class.
In
teaching learning process, there are many
words that come from teachers’ explanation and students
as listeners need to understand the meaning of those words. That is why
students need to master vocabulary because vocabulary is very useful in their learning English language.
As a facilitator of teaching learning process, teachers need to find
appropriate way for teaching vocabulary to the students in order to make them involved in teaching learning process, such as giving various
types of
materials and exercise (Harmer, 2007). Besides,
a various and
up to date techniques of teaching and teachers’ ability
in delivering the material able to make students interested and
enjoy the teaching
and learning activities in the classroom (AlQhatani, 2015).
In
this case, the writer observed that crossword puzzle games to prove that it can increase students’ vocabulary mastery
is learning English. Crossword puzzle game has benefits that motivate
students in learning new vocabulary because crossword puzzle gives much opportunity for the
students to practice and repeat the sentences pattern and vocabulary. In completing
crossword puzzle, a students must be able to identify, analyze, and understand the terms being used particular context.
In addition crossword puzzle is simple easy and suitable for students
Junior High School. By
using crossword puzzle, writer hopes that students will gain interest and fun in learning
English. Therefore, writer conduct a study on the title “The Effectiveness of using Crossword Puzzle game In teaching Vocabulary”.
B.
Literature
Review
1.
Understanding
Vocabulary
a.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
has
an important role in language. We should know the vocabulary
when we are communicating or sharing ideas with other people.
Vocabulary is the
knowledge of meanings of words.
It means that vocabulary
is the total number of words that are needed to communicate ideas and express the speakers meaning. And that is the reason why
vocabulary is important to
learn (Hiebert & Kamil, 2005).
Hornby (1995) added vocabulary
is defined as a total number of words and language, all the words known to person or used, and it is list of words with their meaning. It means that vocabulary is collection of words
that can help students to
be able to speak and write something in
English.
Bauer (1998) presented vocabulary is about words with the origin, alteration, and relationship to other words so that people used in a
language
on the world. It means that vocabulary use for doing interaction
or tells something to other.
b.
Types of
Vocabulary
(Elfrieda & Kamil, 2005) produced there are many
classifications made by
the language experts about the types of
vocabulary. Divide the types
of vocabulary into:
1) Productive vocabulary
Productive vocabulary is the set of words that an individual can use in print or oral
language. They are words that are well-known,
familiar, and used frequently. It can be said that
productive vocabulary are those words that are produced in reference to any
suitable
perspective and those
words or those vocabulary should match the envisioned connotation
of the speaker.
2) Receptive vocabulary
Conversely, receptive, or recognition, vocabulary is that set of words for which an
individual can assign
meanings
when
listening or reading. It
means that receptive vocabulary
is those words or those vocabulary
which
we get to hear or which we receive from
somebody else in the language we are exposed to.
From
those explanations above, the words from productive vocabulary are often use in our
daily life. Otherwise, the
words from receptive vocabulary is the
vocabulary that
students
rare use frequently in
their
daily life.
c.
Teaching
Vocabulary
(Schmitt,
2000) argued that there is no best way to teach vocabulary. There are many factor that can affected best practice of teaching vocabulary such as: the type of student. The target of words that should be
mastered, and the
school system and curriculum. Meanwhile, Gairns mentioned that there are some techniques of teaching the new vocabulary,
such
as:
1) Visual techniques
These
includes flashcards, photographs, blackboard drawing, wall charts, and realia (for
example: objects themselves). Visual technique is a best way for teaching concrete items
of vocabulary such as food or furniture, and certain areas of vocabulary such as places,
professions, description of people,
actions and activities (such as sport and verbs movement). Mime and gesture often used to complement other ways of delivering meaning. Teacher can
use blackboard or gesture to
illustrate the words.
2) Verbal techniques.
a) Use
of illustrative situations (oral
or written)
Illustrative situation is very helpful to ensure students understanding if they found the abstract items.
b) Use
of synonym
and definition
Synonym can be used for low level students for restricting the length and complexity of students’ explanation. Sometimes definition cannot
express the meaning of the word itself,
so it needs brief examples to clarify the limits of the item.
c) Contrasts and opposites.
This is a technique which teacher often use in intermediate level students
for teaching the new words.
d) Scales
Scales can be used
for arranging the words
based on
its level, or use.
e) Examples of the
type
Visual aids can be used for showing the example of the type of the words. For example
you
may
show the picture of sofa, chair and bed
to describe the
names
of furniture.
3) Translation
Translation can be a very effective way of conveying meaning. It can save valuable time
that might otherwise be spent on a tortuous
and largely unsuccessful
explanation in
English, and it can
be a very quick way to dispose of low frequency items that may worry the students
but do not warrant significant attention.
2.
Crossword
Puzzle
As
the writer mentioned above that there is some games that can applied in classroom
to make learning activity more fun. Consider to some benefits that students could get in
using games as a strategy in learning
vocabulary, the writer tried to use crossword puzzle to
increase students’
vocabulary mastery. Now, the writer would like to discuss more about crossword puzzle.
a. The Understanding of Crossword Puzzle
Crossword Puzzle invented by Arthur Wynne as Liverpool journalist. He published the
first crossword puzzle in
The New York World on December
21, 1913. Crossword puzzle
defined by Claire
(2010) as word puzzle in a
grid of black and
white squares. The goal is
to write one letter in each white square to make the words given by
clues. The black squares tell
where the word ends. It
can be concluded that crossword puzzle is a game of words where the player
is given
a hint and the number of
letters. The player
then fills in a grid of boxes by
finding the right words. Crossword puzzle is ideal for students to increasing their vocabulary and spelling ability. Teachers also may give themes in every crossword puzzle
based
on the topic that discussed
in classroom.
b. The Benefit of Playing Crossword Puzzle
Holmes (2002) stated that there are several kinds of enjoyment and benefit derivable from crosswords. The first one is the satisfaction from solving a clue which looks unsolvable. Then, you will get the pleasure when
you
have complete a whole grid. Third, by the process of self-discovery, you will find enjoyment because you have gained your new
words, especially when you realize you have built up the answer correctly but the resulting word is unfamiliar.
In
addition, for maintaining and improving vocabulary mastery, speaking skills and knowledge of many things can be done by doing
crossword puzzle.
Many people argue that the ability of solving crossword puzzle can place them in what level their
socially and associated
with
their prestige (Moursund, 2006).
c. Teaching Vocabulary
Using
Crossword Puzzle
When teaching vocabulary using crossword puzzle, teacher should
give some various ways
to prevent students’
boredom of solving
crossword puzzle. According to Lee
(1980) the possible
procedures
that can use to teach
crossword puzzle are:
1) Teacher gives the same crossword puzzle for each students. They solve it individually with
the help of clues.
2) Teacher divides the class into groups. Then the teacher gives a different crossword for each group. Everyone in the group helps to solve it. However, if there
is a more active member in a group, they tend to do all work. In otherwise, if there is a more passive member
in one group, they will difficult to
do all the work.
3) Teacher
gives crossword puzzle for all
of students.
They do the
crossword puzzle individually. Then the teacher divides the class into groups and they work in group. The students can share their answer to finish their
crossword puzzle
in their group.
4) The
teacher posts crossword puzzle on the board, but no written clues. The teacher gives clues orally and then the students solve the crossword step by
step in conversation with the
class. Learners come to the board and print the words in one by one, each team using
differently colored marker. They can be written in on individual copies too. (Word-squares can also
be played thus.)
5)
Crossword relay. There are some ‘crossword’ frames consisting entirely of blank squares
on the board based
on the amount of the group in class.
Teacher
will
say
Go or Begin and a
learner from each team hurries out, write the letter one by one on the team crossword,
and
hands the chalk to the
second person in
the team, who adds another
letter, and so on.
All the members of each team do this, and try
to build up words. Scoring is based on the number of letters in the words which appear. There can also be a time limit, to encourage
speed. It is even better to have one crossword for each group. If there are five learners in
a group, there can still be, say 25 squares in ‘crossword’, and each player will go out and
add
a letter five times. The advantage of basing
the
game on groups rather than relatively large
teams is that it is easier for the members of impact group to consult one another
quickly on
what
to write in
next.
C. Methods
This research is aimed to describe the teachers’ problem
and students’ problem in teaching and learning crossword puzzle on seventh
grade of Mts.s Al-Ikhlas Lambuya. This research use descriptive qualitative
approach where qualitative was an approach in order to
describe comprehensively about activities that happened with the object of the
research.
The
instrument used of this approach is the researcher itself as this technique
conducting a sequence of activities of collecting the data and analyze started
from the relationship, activities, situations or material. Furthermore, this
research used purposive sampling technique.
Moreover,
The researcher was takes the English teacher and one class as a sample of this
research, it is appropriate with purposive sampling, that explain sampling is
based on a specific purpose such as to balance: focus on research, scientific
judgment, reason limited time, energy and money, and also students of this
class have various capability so that the sample represents the population, for
the students in this class have various ability.
The
sample was taken from class VII B which consist of 30 students that has been
chosen based on the preliminary research where their score was almost balance
between the number of the students with score more than or same as 70 as the
target score and with less score.
In
this research, observation was used to get data about process of teaching
learning vocabulary by using crossword puzzle, the teacher’s problem in
teaching vocabulary by using crossword puzzle and the student’s problem in
learning vocabulary by using crossword puzzle at the first semester of the
seventh grade students of Mts.s Al-Ikhlas Lambuya. In addition, after observing
their teaching learning process, the researcher was interviewing the teacher’s
problems in teaching vocabulary through crossword puzzle. Interview is a
conversation between two people (the interviewer and interviewee) where
questions will be asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the
interview. Then, this interview aim to make sure about the result of the
observation and to get more data related to this research.
The
researcher was given questionnaire to the students in order to know the further
opinions about the students’ problem in learning vocabulary by using crossword
puzzle at the first semester of the seventh grade students of MTs.s Al-Ikhlas Lambuya.
From the data
collection technique above, the researcher made an instrument:
Observation is the process of gathering open-ended, firsthand
information by observing people and places at a research sites. In this
research was used observation manual that the researcher prepared it before.
The aspects of teaching learning process are described as follows:
Table 1 Observation Guideline
|
No |
Component of Observation |
Pointer of Observation |
|
1 |
To know the process of teaching learning
vocabulary by using crossword puzzle |
Seven steps to apply
crossword puzzle |
|
|
|
Seven teacher’s problems |
|
2 |
To know the teacher’s
problems during the process while applying crossword puzzle |
in teaching vocabulary by using crossword |
|
|
|
puzzle |
|
3 |
To know the students’problems in learning vocabulary by using crossword puzzle |
Four student’s problems in learning vocabulary by
using crossword puzzle |
The research was used one to one type’s interview. The
researcher was interview an English teacher to obtain the data about the
teacher’s problems in teaching vocabulary. The guideline of interview can be
described as follows:
Table 2 Interview Guideline for
the Teacher
|
No. |
Component of Interview |
|
1. |
To know the general
process of English teaching learning activity, teaching learning vocabulary
and by using crossword puzzle. |
|
2. |
To know whether crossword
puzzle can improve the students’ vocabulary mastery. |
|
3. |
To know the teacher’s
problems during the process while applying crossword puzzle in teaching vocabulary. |
The researcher was used the questionnaire to get the
detail information of students’ problems in learning vocabulary through
crossword puzzle. The guideline of the questionnaire can be described as follows:
Table 3 Questionnaire Guideline for the Students
|
No. |
Component of Questionnaire |
|
1. |
To know the students’ motivation and interest in
learning vocabulary. |
|
2. |
To know the students’
improvement in learning vocabularyby using crossword puzzle. |
|
3. |
To know the students’
problem in learning vocabularyby using crossword puzzle. |
To obtain the accurate data, the researcher will
follow the procedures of research in the following steps based on Creswell’s,
Educational Research (7)
Figure 1 the procedure of research
Data analysis is the process of organizing the data in
order to obtain regularity of the pattern of form of the research. According to
Miles and Huberman there are three major phrases of data analysis: data
reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing or verification (1994). This
following figure illustrates the component of data analysis by Miles and
Huberman.
Figure 2 Interactive Model
It shows that qualitative data analysis is a
continuous. Issues of data reduction, of display, and of conclusion drawing/verification
come into figure successively as analysis episodes follow each other, but the
other two issues are always part of the ground. These are clear explanation
about data analysis process of this research.
References
AlQhatani, Mofareh. 2015.
The Importance of
Vocabulary in Language Learning
and How be
Bauer, Laurie.
1998. Vocabulary. United
State
of America:
Routledge.
Claire, Elizabeth. 2010.
Easy English Crossword Puzzles. America: Eardley Publications.
Harmer, Jeremy. 2007. The Practice of English Language Teaching, Four Edition. England: Pearson Education
Hiebert, Elfrieda H, Michael L. Kamil. 2005.
Teaching and Learning Vocabulary. New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
Holmes, B. J. 2002. Solving Cryptic Crosswords. London:
A&C
Black Publisher.
Hornby.
1995. Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Lee, W.R.
1980. Language Teaching Games and Contests:
2nd Edition. Great Britain: Oxford
University Press
Moursund, Dave. 2006. Introduction
to Using Games in Education:
A Guide for Teachers and
Parents Teacher Education.
College of
Education: University of Oregon.
Schmitt, Norbert. 2000. Vocabulary in Language Teaching. United States of America:
Cambridge University Press.
Turnbory,
Scott. 2002.
How to teach Vocabulary. Harlow: Pearson
Education. University Press.
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