Comparison between Students’ Vocabulary Trough Crossword Puzzle and Riddle Game

Meisita Aidila, Cucu Sutarsyah, Huzairin
University of Lampung
Meisitaaidila16@gmail.com

Abstract
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menemukan (i) perbedaan kemampuan kosa kata siswa yang diajar dengan teknik, (ii) tanggapan siswa tentang teknik pengajaran tersebut dan materi yang diberikan. Subjek penelitian ini adalah 48 siswa di SMP. Hasil uji menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan kemampuan kosa kata siswa yang diajar dengan teknik crossword puzzle dan riddle game dengan tingkat signifikan 0.012<0.05. Para siswa setuju bahwa teknik crossword puzzle dan riddle game dapat meningkatkan kemampuan kosa kata mereka tetapi pada teknik riddle game lebih baik dari pada crossword puzzle dalam process pembelajaran. Berdasarkan hal ini, dapat disimpulkan bahwa teknik crossword puzzle dan riddle game adalah teknik yang efektif untuk meningkatkan kosa kata siswa dan kemampuan berbahasa inggris.
This study is aimed at finding out (i) whether there is statistically significant difference of the students’ achievement of vocabulary after the students were taught through crossword puzzle and riddle game, and (ii) the students’ appraisal of the techniques. The subjects were 48 students of junior high school. The result showed that there was a statistically significant difference of the students’ vocabulary achievement between crossword puzzle and riddle game with the significant level 0.012 < 0.05 and the result of students’ appraisal with the significant level 0.04 < 0.05. The students stated that the techniques could improve their vocabulary. This suggests that crossword puzzle and riddle games facilitate the students to improve their achievement in vocabulary.
Keywords: comparative, crossword puzzle, riddle game, vocabulary, appraisal.

INTRODUCTION
Vocabulary is one of complex elements of a language. Vocabulary also plays an important role in helping the learners to master their language they had to learn. (Shepherd, 1973) states that vocabulary is one of the most significant aspects of language development. It means that vocabulary is the one that must be taken into consideration in language development.
When students start to study English in their elementary school, the first kind of materials they have to learn is vocabulary. Vocabulary is the basic competence that might be reached by students in order to fulfill the qualifications of basic competencies in English like listening, speaking, reading and writing. For example are the students in second grade at SMP Swadhipa 1 Natar. Sometimes in speaking class, students could not spoke fluently because they are lack of vocabulary. The students speak only a few sentences because they could not find the appropriate vocabulary to be used in expressing their ideas. The similar problem is found in writing class that students could not write essays easily because they are lack of vocabulary.
A better strategy in teaching vocabulary should be used in order to make teaching vocabulary useful so that it enables the students to achieve as many words as they can. It is hope that vocabulary in students’ minds would work on over a longer period of time in their memories. The students are expected to learn word meaning, spelling, pronunciation and the use of vocabulary at a deeper level of understanding which can be considered as an important of sustaining vocabulary growth. In the teaching-learning process, the teacher managed the class well to the learning process. It would be more effective if the teacher uses tools or devices that could help the students caught the material easier. For those reasons, the researcher tried to observe some kinds of interesting media to improve student’s vocabulary. The media that can be applies in teaching vocabulary are crossword puzzle and riddle game. 
Crossword puzzle and riddle game are examples of teaching technique, which encouraged students to learn vocabulary. Crossword puzzle is a wonderful means of developing vocabulary, spelling, and language skills from childhood through adulthood. Crossword puzzle trained the learners to solve problems or answer questions then put the answer in the given boxes of the answer sheets. According to Evan (1957), riddle is the nouns  all  refer  to  something  baffling  or  confusing  which  is  to  be  solved. In general, riddle could be divided into two main sections namely enigmas and conundrums. The enigmas were a type of a question that was presented in a metaphorical language. These could be cracked or solved only after careful observation of the problem statement. 
Crossword puzzle and riddle game are two techniques that can improve the students’ vocabulary achievement. This statement is proven by Zunita’s finding result (2010), she finds out that crossword puzzle gives the positive effect in improving student’s vocabulary and student’s motivation in learning vocabulary. Another research conducted by Siska (2011) shows other findings. In this research she finds out that riddles can develop and motivate students in learning English, especially vocabulary.  
Based on some previous researches above, the researcher conducted the research in analyzing of teaching vocabulary by using crossword puzzle and riddle game. This research tried to find out the students appraisal between students who was  taught by crossword puzzle and students who were taught by riddle game. By conducting this research, the researcher made effective techniques that could be used by teacher in order to help students to improve their vocabulary in classroom. 

METHOD
The population of this research was the students in the second grade of second semester 2016/2017 academic year of SMP Swadhipa 1 Natar. The samples were class VIII A and class VIII B which consisted of 23 students for each class. VIII A class was given crossword puzzle as a technique and VIII B class, was given riddle game as a technique. 
The data were collected by giving two tests to the students. In the pretest the researcher asked the students to answer the vocabulary test which consists 40 items. In treatments, the researcher taught how to play crossword puzzle and how to make it. The researcher also asked the students to answer their crossword puzzle in pair group. In the post test, the students were asked to do the vocabulary test which consists 40 items same as pretest and filled the questionnaire.
The instruments of the research were vocabulary tests and questionnaire. Vocabulary tests are conducted in the first meeting and the last meeting. The tests were about asking the students to answer the question consist 40 items. Questionnaire was used to know the students’ appraisal about the teacher performance and the material in crossword puzzle and riddle game.
There were seven procedures of this research. First procedure was determining the population and selecting the samples. The second was selecting and arranging the materials to be taught as a pretest. The researcher chooses the material from the students’ handbook, based on the syllabus. Then, the third procedure was administering the pretest. Pretest was needed to know the achievement of the students’ vocabulary. After that, the forth procedure was conducting the treatments. In crossword puzzle, they were asked to make a crossword puzzle of 10 topics that give by the teacher then they were asked to write their puzzle in front of the class and asked the other group to answer the question to fill the box. In riddle game class, they are asked to make a riddle game of 10 topics that give by the teacher and asked the other group to answer the question. The fifth procedure is administering the post test and questionnaire. The questionnaire asked the students to answer the questions by putting a check (√) on the one of the answers based on their opinion. The last procedure was analyzing the data. The researcher scored the students final work from the pretest and posttest. After that the researcher analyze by seeing the comparison of two scores.
RESULTS
In order to find out the difference of students’ vocabulary achievement who were taught through crossword puzzle and riddle game, the researcher administered pretest and posttest. After the researcher obtained the data, the researcher analyzed them through SPSS 16 by compared posttest of crossword puzzle and posttest of riddle game. As the result, there was significant difference of students vocabulary taught through crossword puzzle and riddle game. The technique that improved the students’ vocabulary the most was riddle game. It could be seen from difference average of gain score of the test in the class A and class B after being treatment and before being treatment. In class A the student’s mean score before being treatment was 54.86 and the mean score after being treatment was 81.30. In this class the researcher find that the difference value of the average was 26.87. In class B the student’s mean score before being treatment was 41.65 and the mean score after being treatment was 73.04. In this class the researcher find that the difference value of the average was 31.39. This suggests that riddle game is better than crossword puzzle in teaching vocabulary. Furthermore, to find out the answer of first research question about the difference students’ vocabulary achievement taught through those techniques, it could be seen that t-value is 2.629, which the data significant based on t-table was at least 2.015 and 0.012 < 0.05. Therefore, for the hypothesis, the null hypothesis was rejected and the research hypothesis was accepted. It meant that there was difference of students’ vocabulary achivement taught through crossword puzzle  and riddle game in posttest of both classes
For the second research question, the researcher tried to find out the students appraisal that give better responses after implementing crosswrod puzzle and riddle game. The researcher analyzed the data by comparing the students’ score of student’s appraisal. The researcher administered questionnaires to investigate the students’ appraisal about the techniques  and teacher perfromance that were implementd in learning. The students were asked to choose one of choices in every question, they were strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, and strongly disagree. The questionnaires of crossword puzzle and riddle game are 20 items for each.  
The result of the students’ appraisal toward crossword puzzle showed that most of the students agreed that through those techniques helped them to study English better with the level of satisfaction was 40.43%. They also agreed that those techniques improved their vocabulary achievement to the level of satisfaction were 40.86%. The students also undecided that those techniques improved their vocabulary achievement with the level of satisfaction was 13.69%. and the last  4.99% said that they did not agree that those techniques improved their vocabulary achievement. Based on the result of the students’ appraisal toward crossword puzzle, it could be concluded that crossword puzzle was appropriate technique to be used in order to improve students’ vocabluary achievement. 
The result of the students’ perception toward riddle game showed that almost of the students agreed that through those techniques helped them to study English better with the level of satisfaction was 50.86%. They also agreed that those techniques improved their vocabulary with the level of satisfaction was 35.65% The students also undecided that those techniques improved their vocabulary achievement with the level of satisfaction was 11.73%. and the last  11.73% said that they did not agree that those techniques improved their vocabulary achievement. Based on the result of the students’ perception toward riddle game, it could be conclued that riddle game was appropriate technique to be used in order to improve students’ vocabulary . 
Based on the result the researcher found showed that there was a statistically significant difference of the students’ apparaisal between crossword puzzle and riddle game with the significance level 0.04<0.05. Therefore, for the hypothesis, the null hypothesis was rejected and the research hypothesis was accepted. It meant that there was a  difference of students’ appraisal both of the techniques.
DISCUSSION 
Based on the previous study, the researcher explains three previous study; first finding supports the result of the research was done by Yuliana (2011). It shows that teaching vocabulary using riddle can develop and motivate students in learning English, especially vocabulary. Riddles effective used in teaching vocabulary to improve students’ vocabulary, it was proven by their response is very good, and their scores from first until third cycle was improved. 2). the students can easily remember the vocabulary that has been taught. It proven by the students’ score, in the final value, most the students get 10 point in doing the task. 3). student responses to the riddles used by the teacher in teaching vocabulary are: All of the students were happy and interest in the use of this game. Most learners pointed out that it was very useful to make easier for them in remember the vocabulary. The result of this research also shows that that technique gives positive effects in improving student’s vocabulary achievement and student’s motivation in learning vocabulary.
In the other case, this finding rejects the result of the research by Sabrina (2015) who found that the students’ vocabulary was categorized as a poor than crossword puzzle. There were some students who did not focus on the teacher. The students did not do the game good enough. There were some students who seem motivated while doing the game or the activity. And some students seem a little bit confused of the riddle game. The result of this research also shows that using those techniques, the most of students seem motivated when listening to the teacher, doing the activity and doing the test. From the pre-activity to the post-activity, the students are more active and enthusiastic in teaching vocabulary.
Therefore, for students’ appraisal of riddle game, this research agrees the result by Wiwin (2014) who found that riddle game is effective and necessary technique in teaching language. Students agree that riddle game increase their vocabulary achievement. But in the learning activity, this technique had a problem in timing which spent more than crossword puzzle. This finding is same with the result of this research where it needs more time for students to finds the answer for the question that give by the teacher. 
Finally, according to the explanation above, it can be concluded that there is difference of students’ vocabulary achievement between crossword puzzle and riddle game class. Both of the technique can improve students’ vocabulary. The techinique that improve student vocabulary the most is riddle game. 

CONCLUSION
The first research question is about the significant difference between students vocabulary achievement taught through crossword puzzle and riddle game. It was found that there was significant difference of students’ vocabulary achievement between those who were taught through crossword puzzle and riddle game. Teaching vocabulary through riddle game was better applied in helping students to increase their vocabulary achievement than taught through crossword puzzle. Riddle game more give the student’s pleasure to find the answer and easy to understand the meaning and it is more fun than crossword puzzle. Through crossword puzzle, it is more complicated to understand the question that give by the teacher, because there is no clue to answer the question. So, riddle game is good game to teach vocabulary than crossword puzzle. 
The second research question was about finding students’ appraisal both of the techniques. It was found that the students agree that through the techniques help them to study English better, improve their vocabulary achievement. Most learners pointed out that it was very useful to make easier in learning vocabulary. It can be seen from their active participation and enthusiasm in teaching learning process. In this research H0 is rejected, which means thus, there was no significant difference between students’ vocabulary who were taught trough by using crossword puzzle and riddle game and H1 is accepted thus, there was significant difference between students’ vocabulary who were taught trough by using crossword puzzle and riddle game at SMP Swadhipa 1 Natar .
SUGGESTION

There are some suggestions referred to the conclusions above. First suggestion for the English teachers, in order to improve the students’ vocabulary and to make the process of teaching learning process more fun and can be caught well, the researcher suggests for the entire English teacher, the teacher should be able to find and choose an appropriate method or technique in teaching English for students in junior high school. Riddle game is good technique to teach vocabulary, riddle game should be implemented for all students; it aims to avoid the student’s boredom and to attract the students’ motivation to learn more about English, especially vocabulary skill. It causes the form of riddle game is colorful and easy to understand.
The second suggestion is for further research. This study was conducted in the Junior High School level. Therefore, the further research can try to find out the comparative study using crossword puzzle and riddle game in different level. In this study, multiple choices were employed as the media to measure the improvement of students’ vocabulary achievement. Further research can try to apply those techniques with another kind of vocabulary test, for example essay test. 
REFERENCES

Evans, B., & Evans, C. 1957. A dictionary of contemporary American usage.
New York. Random House, inc.
Sabrina, R. 2015. Improving students’ vocabulary by using riddle game.
Pontianak. University of  Tanjung Pura.
Stepherd, D.L. 1973. Vocabulary meaning and word analysis, comprehension 
high school reading methods. New York. Bell and Howel Company,co,
Yuliana, S. 2011. Improving students’ vocabulary by using riddles game at the
second grade students of MTS miftahul ulum bendung mojokerto
(thesis). Surabaya. Stain Sunan Ampel, p. 7.
Widyasari, Z. 2010. The use of crossword puzzle to improve vocabulary mastery
(script). Salatiga, Stain Salatiga, p. 67
Wiwin, A.M. 2014. Teaching vocabulary through riddle. Pontianak. University of
Tanjung Pura.