Vocabulary Mastery
It can be said that vocabulary mastery is a complete skill to understand the stock of words and their meanings of a particular language.
The steps of teaching vocabulary Step 1: Presenting Vocabulary Step 2: Checking Vocabulary Step 3: Practicing Vocabulary 3. Methodology
The study was conducted in the researcher’s class with the participation of 25 cadets at class 56K who participated in vocabulary lessons using language games. They were all first-year cadets and at the age of 28 to 40 with different backgrounds.There was a great variety of participants’ English proficiency level because they come from different backgrounds. Therefore their opportunities and abilities of using English are not the same.
I this study, I used an action research design.
The main data collection instruments used during the research were pre-test and post-test, interviews and questionnaire.
4. Findings and Discussion
9 Cadet 9 14 4.6
10 Cadet 10 18 6.0
11 Cadet 11 26 8.6
12 Cadet 12 13 4.3
13 Cadet 13 24 8.0
14 Cadet 14 18 6.0
15 Cadet 15 23 7.6
16 Cadet 16 18 6.0
17 Cadet 17 18 6.0
18 Cadet 18 18 6.0
19 Cadet 19 23 7.6
20 Cadet 20 18 6.0
21 Cadet 21 18 6.0
22 Cadet 22 14 4.6
23 Cadet 23 18 6.0
24 Cadet 24 23 7.6
25 Cadet 25 19 6.3
∑ (total score) 151.92
Mean 6.0768
From table 3.1, it can be seen the highest score of cadets is 8.6 and the lowest score is 4.3. Besides, this shows that the mean score of cadet’s score in pre-test is 6.0768 (see table 4). To calculate the mean score of cadets’ correct answers, the research calculated it by using SPSS version 2.0. The result can be presented of pre-test, the data showed that there were 72% or 18 cadets who had passed the criterion minimum of completeness.
Findings from the post-test Table 2. Post-test results
No Cadet’s code Total of correct answer Test Score
1 Cadet 1 27 9.0
2 Cadet 2 21 7.0
3 Cadet 3 21 7.0
5 Cadet 5 16 5.3
6 Cadet 6 17 5.6
7 Cadet 7 17 5.6
8 Cadet 8 17 5.6
9 Cadet 9 16 5.3
10 Cadet 10 21 7.0
11 Cadet 11 28 9.3
12 Cadet 12 16 5.3
13 Cadet 13 26 8.6
14 Cadet 14 22 7.3
15 Cadet 15 24 8.0
16 Cadet 16 22 7.3
17 Cadet 17 23 7.6
18 Cadet 18 23 7.6
19 Cadet 19 25 8.3
20 Cadet 20 22 7.3
21 Cadet 21 22 7.3
22 Cadet 22 17 5.6
23 Cadet 23 22 7.3
24 Cadet 24 25 8.3
25 Cadet 25 23 7.6
∑ (total score) 177.91
Mean 7.1164
The researcher calculated the average cadets’ score as well as the number of cadets who met the minimum mastery criterion. From the result of post-test, the data showed the mean score of the post-test was 7.11. There were 25 cadets or 100% who had passed the criterion minimum of completeness.
Table 3. Cadets’ score of the post-test and the pre-test
No Cadet’s code Pre-test Post-test
1 Cadet 1 8.6 9.0
2 Cadet 2 6.0 7.0
3 Cadet 3 5.3 7.0
4 Cadet 4 6.0 7.0
5 Cadet 5 4.6 5.3
6 Cadet 6 4.6 5.6
7 Cadet 7 4.6 5.6
8 Cadet 8 4.3 5.6
9 Cadet 9 4.6 5.3
10 Cadet 10 6.0 7.0
11 Cadet 11 8.6 9.3
12 Cadet 12 4.3 5.3
13 Cadet 13 8.0 8.6
14 Cadet 14 6.0 7.3
15 Cadet 15 7.6 8.0
16 Cadet 16 6.0 7.3
17 Cadet 17 6.0 7.6
18 Cadet 18 6.0 7.6
19 Cadet 19 7.6 8.3
20 Cadet 20 6.0 7.3
21 Cadet 21 6.0 7.3
22 Cadet 22 4.6 5.6
23 Cadet 23 6.0 7.3
24 Cadet 24 7.6 8.3
25 Cadet 25 6.3 7.6
∑ (total score) 151.92 177.91
Mean 6.0768 7.1164
From table 3, it can be seen that the highest score of cadets is 9.3 and the lowest score is 5.3. Besides, this shows that the mean score of cadets in post-test is 7.1164. After displaying the mean score in the vocabulary tests of the cadets, in this study, the researcher will also display the cadets' scores on the pre-test and post-test, the total mean score on the pre-test and post-test, and then compare the two. The results are presented in table form and descriptive statistics can be seen in table 4.
Descriptive statistics
The results from both tests have been applied to and evaluated. The descriptive data primarily include statistics such as minimum, maximum, and mean scores.
The results and descriptive data from the pre and post-test can be seen in Table 4.
Therefore, there were substantial variations in absolute and minimum, maximum and mean scores between the two tests.
Table 4. Descriptive Statistics of pre-test and post-test
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
Pre-test 25 4.3 8.6 6.0768 1.313141018
Post-test 25 5.3 9.3 7.1164 1.18645087
Paired Samples Test
Test statistics from the 2-Sample Paired have been used to analyze whether or not the average variations in before and after tests were meaningful. Paired samples technique for data processing for statistics was used by SPSS version 2.0. Table 3.5 shows the results of the SPSS version 2.0 data analysis tool.
Sig 2-tailed was 0.000 (< 0.05) much lower than 0.05 (coefficient α), with a 95%
confidence interval, it has been inferred those discrepancies were made between 2 variable groups, that is, pre-test and post-test results. In addition, this value demonstrates a trust and importance of the paired samples test. Second, the average pre-test scoring value was 6.07, as can be seen in Table 3.4 while one post-test results was 7.11.
The overall post-test scoring is clearly significantly higher statistically than the previous test scoring by 1.04 points.
Table 5. Paired Sample Test Paired Differences
t df
Sig.
Mean Std.
Deviation
Std. Error Mean
95% confidence Interval of the Difference
Lower Upper Pair 1
Pre-test-Post-test
-103960 .38592 .07718 -1.19890 -88030 -13.469 24 .000
The result from the calculation by using SPSS version 2.0 showed that the mean score of pre-test result was 6.07 while in the post-test was 7.11 in which the gain was 1.04 points.
The sig 2-tailed was 0.000 (<0.05) which was lower than 0.05. This could be interpreted that it was at least 95% confident that the mean score of the post-test was statistically significantly higher than that of the pre-test and that the chances for the mean score to be higher by chance was smaller than 5%. It suggests that there is an improvement of cadets’
vocabulary mastery achievement from pre-test after being taught by language games.
Findings from the questionnaire
According to the result of the survey, cadets are keen on watching video, playing games like Bingo, Find someone who…., looking at pictures/Flashcards during the class. They feel comfortable, cheerful and love to use English. Games are also attractive to the cadets very much. Taking part in the language games makes them find English useful and interesting, so they try to learn it better. Language games carried out in pair-work or group-work also help the cadets be closer and want to share their ideas with each others. Brainstorming basing on the given subject is also an activity that draws attention of many cadets. These are subjects using
“network”, so the cadets are fantasy to exploit them.
Findings from interview
From the results of the interview, it can be seen that the cadets' attitude towards learning vocabulary has changed after applying the language games. It is detailed as follows:
Firstly, Cadets have stated that they have become more interested in their studies.
Because they realized how vital it is to learn vocabulary, many of them became more attentive, confident, and engaged in doing so.
Secondly, Cadets remarked openly that the language games had many benifits for them, particularly that their learning had become more effective.
Thirdly, the connection between the teacher and the cadets, as well as among the cadets with one another, improved. Cadets said that having more positive support from their teacher and classmates made them more engaged in learning.
Discussion
The first part, the writer discussed the result of the cadet’s attitudes toward language games. The data that have been analyzed above can be discussed in the scope of this research as follows:
The result of questionnaire and interview reveals that Cadets expressed that they become more participation in learning vocabulay. Many of them got more attentive, more confident and more interested in learning vocabulary because they found that learning vocabulary is very important. There are 17 cadets (68%) denoted that language games should be applied with other classes/grades. 4 cadets (16%) agreed that it is may be to practiced in other classes/grades. There were 4 cadets (16%) agreed that it is just practiced in grade 56K. These figures prove that the cadets need their teacher to use good methods and activities during the lesson. As a research
prove, 12 cadets (48%) express their interest in language games employed by the teachers in the class. Even 44% cadets showed their high excitement with language games when saying that they like language games, 2 cadets (8%) keep the neutral position when feeling normal when language games done. It can be drawn out that language games helps cadets feel relaxed and interested in the lesson. Cadets can join the activities and enjoy it, which is very important to create a language learning environment.
The second part, the writer discussed the result of the cadet’s vocabulary mastery. The data that has been analyzed above can be discussed as follows:
The result of data analysis showed that there was significance different between pre-test and post-test. It was based on the fact that the average scores of cadets in the pre-test and post-test were different. Post-test was greater than pre-test. For pre-test acquired means score 6.07. In the post-test increased to 7.11. Then, the improvement is 1.104 The result was proved. The treatment that is given was successful. It can be concluded that the application of LG can improve the cadets’ vocabulary mastery.
The mean score of the cadets obtain had high achievement in learning vocabulary by using language games. Thus, based the mean score, it can be inferred that LG was effective to improve the cadets’ vocabulary mastery of the first year of PA.
In the matter of improving the cadets’ vocabulary mastery of the first year of PA, by using LG, it can be inferred that LG was effective to use to improve the cadets’ vocabulary mastery of the first year of PA. This was proved by that that LG was given to the cadets were interested in learning vocabulary by using LG.