IMPROVING THE STUDENTS ENGLISH VOCABULARY MASTERY THROUGH PUZZLE GAME AT THE SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SDN 1 SODONG GUNUNGHALU

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1 IMPROVING THE STUDENTS ENGLISH VOCABULARY MASTERY THROUGH PUZZLE GAME AT THE SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS OF SDN 1 SODONG GUNUNGHALU ABDUL ROSMAN rosman_28@yahoo.co.id English Education Study Program Language And Arts Department Sekolah Tinggi Keguruan Dan Ilmu Pendidikan (STKIP) Siliwangi Bandung ABSTRACT The objective of this study entitled Improving The Students English Vocabulary Mastery Through Puzzle Game at the Sixth Grade Students of SDN 1 Sodong Gununghalu were to find out whether or not teaching vocabulary mastery by using Puzzle Game could improve students English vocabulary mastery. The study used quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent control group design and quantitative method. The population of the study was 80 of sixth grade students and the sample of the research was entire population divided into experimental and control group. Each of them consisted of 40 students,the data of this research was collected by giving the pretest and posttest to the students sample. The collected data were analyzed using t-test formula. The results of the data analysis showed that mean score of pretest in experimental group was 68,62 and mean score of posttest in experimental group After analyzing the data of pretest and posttest in experimental group, the t-observed was 16.12and the t-critical value with the degree of freedom (df) 78 and the significance level at 5% (0,05) was Based on the data analysis above the alternative hypothesis was accepted because the t obs was higher than the t-critical values (16.12>1,66). To more convince the effectiveness or influence of the technique, the writer conducted the second t-test by analyzing the data between pretest and posttest in experimental group. Then found the results of t obs was 12,89 the t-table with degree of freedom 78 and the significance level at 0.05 (5%) was Based on the data analysis above the alternative hypothesis was accepted because the t obs was higher than the t-critical values (17.82>1,66). It also meant that teaching vocabulary by using puzzle game was effetive to improving students English vocabulary mastery of the sixth grade at SDN 1 Sodong Gununghalu. Key words: Vocabulary, Technique, puzzle game. A. BACKGROUND The increasing need used by developing era has demanded the global society to enhance their human resources qualities in order to compete with the other countries. In responding to this situation, the rule of communication has become a part that could not be separated from this condition. As English had become a very powerful language in the world, it is one of international languages, most global community used it as a media of communication with another. Unlike Singapore, Bangkok, Malaysia, and India. They put English as their language of communication while Indonesia puts English as its foreign language. It is used as an instrument of utilizing modern sciences and technology for nation development and it was also used as a means communication when Indonesiams want to communicate with people overseas. No doubt that only few Indonesians mastered it, most of them tended to ignore it. They used to think that foreign language was not something useful for 1 their daily life and learned of it would only be a waste of time. The objectve of the study is to give meaning of game in teaching vocabulary to young learner and explain the use of game (puzzle Game) in improving students mastery in vocabulary. 1. To help understand improving studentsenglish vocabulary mastery using puzzle Game. 2. To describe the techniques of teaching vocabulary mastery using puzzle Game. 3. To help the students expand their competence in learning English vocabulary. B.THEORETICAL FOUNDATION 1.The definition of vocabulary Suyanto (2007:43) stated that, Vocabulary is the collection of words which is possessed by language and gives the meaning if we use that language. Hornby (1995:1331) also says that Vocabulary is the total number of words in a language. So vocabulary is the most important part of language. Without knowing the

2 vocabulary, we can do nothing to the language. Actually we can still read a text book or everything, listen to English speaker but we don t know the meaning it is same as useless. 2. Types of Vocabulary a. Reading vocabulary A person s reading vocabulary is all the words he or she can recognize when reading. This is the largest type of vocabulary simply because it includes the other three. b. Listening vocabulary A person s Listening vocabulary is all the words he or she can recognize when listening to speech. This vocabulary is aided in size by context and tone of voice. c. Writing vocabulary A person s Writing vocabulary is all the words he or she can employ in writing. Comtrary to the previous two vocabulary types, the writing vocabulary is stimulated by its user. d. Speaking vocabulary A person s speaking vocabulary is all the words he or she can use in speech. Due to the spontaneous nature of the speaking vocabulary, words are often misused. This misused trough slight and unintentional may be compensated by fasial expressions, tone of voice, or hand gestures. 3. Teaching English Vocabulary Using Puzzles The English basic course outline states that teaching English as a foreign language covers the teaching of four skills: i.e. Listening, Reading, and Writing, whereas it is objective is to make the students be able to comprehend English texbook when they continue their study at universities or other higher education institutions. However, they should have sufficient knowledge ofvocabulary to read an English texbook. Paulston and Bruder (1976) indicate that what most interferes the students reading is their poor vocabulary mastery. 4. The Strengths and Weaknesses of Teaching English Vocabulary Through Puzzles According to Piaget in Labinowicz (1980:23): Children at 7 to 12 years old generally like playing very much, playing is part of their lives. What kinds of child does not like to play? Through playing they try to socialize with others, to recognize their own strength and weakness, to adopt their feeling, to learn to rules and last but no less important is to have fun and satisfaction. So based on Piaget above, Using Puzzles as the method in teaching English vocabulary is the right choice because this method gives the happiness for student while doing the game (Puzzles). Beside the strength, this method also has the weakness. The weakness in using this this method is the teacher needs an extra time or money in presenting it. For example, when the teacher is using cross words puzzle it needs more time to draw the board in the white board or need extra money to copy a piece of paper. C. RESEARCH METHOD Research is an investigation while method is a way, so, research method was a way of investigation. That is a simple definition of research method. Based on the statement above, we should choose a very appropiate method for our research. Based on the objectiveness and the problem dealing with the writer s study, he used experimental method. The population of this research is the sixth grade student of SDN 1 Sodong Gununghalu which was group into two classes. Each class consist of 40 students of 6-A and 40 student of 6-B, so the total population was 85 students. In this research the writer took all student Of 6- A as a sample from the population, which consist 40 students. According to Hornby (1989:437) instrument is something used in performing an action e.g. in scientific work. The instrument for this research is test. The writer distributed pre-test and post- Test to the sample to find out their progress during the research. Media of the study is used on this research was book for elementary school. The writer used experimental method, and the reseach design use in the research was experimental with pretest-posttest control design, and the writer took one group, the group was given treatment mastery vocabulary through puzzles and in the last meeting the group was given post test. The design of study as follows: O 1 X O 2 O 1 = Pretest X = Treatment by using puzzles O 2 = Posttest In the study the writer collected the data by using the vocabulary test. In other word the scores of the achievement test become the data: 1. To give pretest 2. To give treatment teaching using puzzles 3. To give posttest 2

3 E. Research Finding In this study the writer collects the data by using achievement test, in other words the score of the achievement test comprising data. D. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS A. Research Findings 1. Pretest After administering the achievement test, the writer obtained the data of students score of the control and experimental groups as follow: Table 4.1 The score of pretest for experimental group No. Respondents pretest X 2 1 Student ,225 2 Student ,900 3 Student ,600 4 Student ,625 5 Student ,225 6 Student ,900 7 Student ,600 8 Student ,400 9 Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student ,600 3 Total 2, ,375 Average Score 68,62 Then the writer continued to further computation, as follow: Mean is average of students score. It is simply the sum of score ( ) divided by number of students (n). The result was: a. Mean pretest experimental group According to Crowl (1996:135) the mean is the most frequently used measure of central tendency in research, the mean is the arithmetic average of a set score. The formula for calculating the mean is: = 2,745 : 40 = 68,62 So, the mean pretest of experimental group was 68,62 Table 4.1 The scores of pretest for controlled group No. Respondents Pretest X 2 1 Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student

4 34 Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Total 2, Average Score 56.5 b. Mean pretest control group = 2260 : 40 = 56.5 So, the mean pretest of control group was 56.5 c.the relationship between two means (t-test) In this research the writer used t-test for independent means. t-test for independent means is used to determine if the means of two groups differ significantly when the groups contain different members crowl, (1996:1993) To see the significance of the mean difference, t- test compultation with level of sig = 0.05 were conducted. The formula of t-test for independent is as follows: From applying the t test the writer obtained the t observed 0.05 with 80 degree of freedom and level significance = 0.05 is.it means that t observed (t-test) is lower than t-critical (t-table). In order words, the null hyphothesis (H o ) was accepted and the alternative hypothesis (H a ) was rejected. d. Degree of freedom df = (n1-1) + (n2-1) = (40-1) +(40 1) = = Posttest Table 4.3 The score of posttest for experimental group No. Respondents posttest X 2 1 Student ,225 2 Student ,225 3 Student ,625 4 Student ,400 5 Student ,900 6 Student ,025 7 Student ,900 8 Student ,025 9 Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student , Student ,225 Total 3, ,625 Average Score 85,12 a. Mean posttest experimental group Accprding to crowl (1996:135) the mean is the most frequently used measure of central tendency in research. The mean is the arithmetic average of a set of score. The formulating the mean is: = 3405 : 40 = So, the mean posttest of experimental group was Table 4.4 The score posttest for controlled group No. Respondents Posttest X 2 1 Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student

5 9 Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Student Total Average Score 73 b. Mean posttest control group = 2920 : 40 = 73 So, the mean posttest of control group was 73 c. The relationship between two means (ttest) In this research the writer used t-test for independent means. t-test for independent means is used to determine if the means of two groups differ significantly when the groups contain different members crowl (1996:193) To see the significance of the mean difference, t-test computation with level of sig =0.05 were conducted. The formula of t-test for indefendent is as follows: B. The Result of the Prettest -Experimental Class 1. To calculate the Mean = = = To calculate Standard Deviation = ( ) 1 = = = = To calculate Degree of Freedom = ( 1 2) 2 = ( ) 2 = 80 2 = 78 -Control Class 1. To calculate the Mean = = = To calculate Standard Deviation = ( ) 1 = = = 73 = To calculate Degree of Freedom = ( 1 + 2) 2 = ( ) 2 = 80 2 = 78 5

6 - To calculate T-Observed ( ) = = = C. Discussion The experimental and the control group, at the begining of the research, had similar background, and this was considered as a potential intervening variable. The experimental and the control groups were analyzed differently. The experimental group was observed directly by the writer to know their progree in the program. The students score of posttest and pretest were compared to gain the students achievment on the improving English vocabulary mastery. The calculation of improvement shows that the control group is lower than the experimental group. It means that the control group could not improve their English vocabulary mastery better than the experimental group. influenced significantly the students vocabulary mastery. b. For the other researcher, if you wish to use topics try to increase by modifying the method based on your creativity. E. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hornby, As. (1995). Oxford Advanced Learner s Dictionary of Current English.Oxford Univesity Press. Labinowicz, ED. (1980). The Piaget Primer Thinking Learning Teaching. USA: Addison Wesly Publishing Company. Sudjana, et al. (1989). Penelitian dan Penilaian Pendidikan. Bandung: Sinar Baru. Suyanto, G and Bedson. (2007). Game for Children. New York:Oxford University Press. D. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 1. Conclusions a. The teacher played an important role in teaching and learning process because s/he was as a source of information, motivation, and a good model for the students. b. The data analysis showed that: 1). Mean score of pre test was ). Mean score of post test was ). df was 83 4). The t-observed was ). The t-critical value was 1.67 Based on these data, alternative hypothesis was accepted, because the t-observed was higher then the t-critical value (12.89 > 1.67) It also meant that teaching vocabulary by using puzzles will improve the students vocabulary masteryof six grade at SDN 1 Sodong Gununghalu. 2. Suggestions a. It is advisable for English Teacher to teach vocabulary using puzzles game. Because the result of this research showed that teaching vocabulary using puzzles 6