Using the Combination of Jumbled Word Game and Hidden Pictures in Descriptive Text through EEC Strategy to Improve Vocabulary Mastery of Eighth Graders of SMP Negeri 1 Babat, Lamongan.

Abstrak The aim of this study was to improve vocabulary mastery of eighth graders of SMPN 1 Babat. This study was conducted because students had limited vocabulary. Based on the preliminary study, there were only 8 out of 30 students who passed the minimum score. The minimum score determined by the school was 75. Based on the observation done in the preliminary study, the teacher did not use any media in teaching vocabulary. Thus, students were not enthusiastic in learning vocabulary. To solve this problem, the use of jumbled word game and hidden pictures in descriptive text through EEC strategy was applied in learning vocabulary. This study was directed to answer a research question on how the combination of jumbled word game and hidden pictures in descriptive text through EEC strategy can improve the vocabulary mastery of eighth graders of SMP Negeri 1 Babat. The combination of jumbled word game and hidden pictures in descriptive text is an instructional media in which every adjective contained in the descriptive text is written in a jumbled word on a sticky note by hiding the picture of the adjective itself and the meaning of the adjective in Indonesian. The media can be used for teaching English successfully, especially teaching English vocabulary as it contains game and pictures which can attract students’ interest and attention. The study was a Classroom Action Research (CAR). The research was conducted in one cycle that consisted of four stages: planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. There were five meetings done in the cycle. The subjects of the study were 30 students of Grade 8G at SMPN 1 Babat. There were four instruments used by the researcher to collect the data. They were vocabulary test, observation checklists, field notes, and questionnaires. The criteria of success set by the researcher was at least, 80% of the students should reach the minimum score of 75, and 80% of the students should be involved in the teaching and learning process. The findings of the study show that (1) 100% of the students achieved score above the minimum score of 75, which shows that using the combination of jumbled word game and hidden pictures in descriptive text through EEC strategy improves the students’ vocabulary mastery; (2) more than 80% of the students involved in the teaching and learning process, which shows that taught by the strategy make the students involved in the teaching and learning process; (3) the steps of implementing the combination of jumbled word game and hidden pictures in descriptive text are as follows. First, the students are given a descriptive text with jumbled word game and hidden pictures. Second, the students are asked to arrange the jumbled words of every adjective contained in the text in order to be the correct adjectives. Third, the students are asked to discuss their work in arranging the jumbled letters within groups and write the result of their discussion on the whiteboard. Last, the students discuss the result of their work together in a class discussion. Based on the result of the study, the researcher suggests the English teacher of the school to use jumbled word game and hidden pictures while teaching descriptive texts to improve students’ vocabulary mastery. Then, it is suggested for the future researchers to use the media as an alternative medium in teaching vocabulary to different level of students. The future researchers are also suggested to use the different types of texts