IMPROVING THE STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY MASTERY

THROUGH MAKE A MATCH METHOD AT THE SECOND GRADE

STUDENTS OF SMP NEGERI 19 POLEANG BARAT
Ld. Muh. Idrus Hamid B.,
1Universitas Sembilanbelas November Kolaka

idrusaldiano@yahoo.co.id

Asbtract : This research was designed to improve the students’ vocabulary mastery
through Make a Match Method at the second grade of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat.
The problem of research is “How can Make a Match Method improve the students’
vocabulary mastery at the second grade students of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat in
each cycle?”. The objective of the research was to describe the improvement of
students’ vocabulary mastery at the second grade students of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang
Barat by using Make a Match Method in each cycle. The design of this research was
collaborative Classroom Action Research (CAR). It means that the researcher
collaborate with one of the English teachers of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat. The
research was conducted at the second grade students of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat
which were registered in academic year 2017/2018 with number of students were 24.
This research was conducted in two cycles by following the procedure of classroom
action research such as: preliminary research, planning, implementing, observing,
analysing and reflecting. The data was collected by using vocabulary test and
observation sheets which were taken during the implementation of the action. The
result of this research showed that Make a Match Method can improve the students’
vocabulary mastery at the second grade of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat

Key Word; Improving, Vocabulary, Make a Match Method as the Method

1. Introduction

Vocabulary is the core component of language proficiency and provides much of the
basis for how well learners speak, listen, read, and write. Fauziati (2010) stated that
vocabulary is central to language and critical importance to typical language learner. Without
a sufficient vocabulary, learners cannot communicate effectively or express their ideas both
in oral and written form.
Another definition of vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings.
Stahl (2005) stated that vocabulary knowledge is knowledge of words that not only implies
definition, but also implies how each word fits into the meaning. Vocabulary knowledge is
not something that can ever be fully mastered, it is something that expands and deepens over
the course of a lifetime. Instruction in vocabulary involves far more than looking up words in
a dictionary and using the words in sentences. Vocabulary is acquired incidentally through
indirect exposure to words and intentionally through explicit instruction and learning about
specific words and strategies for learning about words and collocations.
Learning vocabulary is not easy for students. There are many students still having less
creativity and difficult to understand the materials in learning English because the teachers
just explain the material without any technique, so it cause the students to be bored. Students
must be able to choose and use more than one technique of learning. As teachers, they must
build the interest of students to learn English by using varieties of methods. The selection of a
method needs to consider the material presented, learning objectives, time available, and the
number of students as well as matters related in teaching and learning process.
Based on the preliminary observation at SMPN 19 Poleang Barat conducted on Friday
February 9th 2018, researcher got information from one of the English teacher of SMP Negeri
19 Poleang Barat and explained that, there were many problems that students in the teaching
and learning process, especially the second grade students. Most of students faced problem in
vocabulary. Students were difficult what the teacher said. Besides, when English subject was
delivered in the classroom, most of the students did not understand the context of the text or
dialogue and they did not know the meaning of vocabularies in the text. It showed that there
were weaknesses when the learning process took place in the classroom.
Those problems could be solved by using Make a Match Method. Because Make A–
Match Method is one of the cooperative learning methods that makes the students active in
teaching and learning process (Current,1994).
By looking at the importance of vocabulary, the researcher hoped Teaching
vocabulary through Make a Match Method make the material more enjoyable, students be
more interested and enthusiastic in learning English so, when the students are more interested
in learning, they will concentrate and participate more actively in the class for a student and
to improve the knowledge of teaching for the teacher and also give a benefit for the education
in this country. Eventhough this method is not always to be employed in any researcher.
Based on those descriptions that explain before, researcher interested to conduct a
research entitled “Improving students’ vocabulary mastery through Make a Match Method at
the second grade students of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat.”
Vocabulary is one of the language aspects that are very important for English
communication. Learning vocabulary is one of the first steps of learning second language,
because vocabulary is the basic material to master the four of language skill. Those are
speaking, reading, writing and listening.
David Wilkins in Thornbury (2002) argues without grammar very little can be
conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed. Vocabulary gave bigger
involvement in conveying meaning of a language than grammar do yet grammar also
completely cannot be overlooked.
Moreover, Richards and Renandya (2002) states that vocabulary is a core component
of language proficiency and provides much of the basis of how well learners speak, listen,
and write. It explains that vocabulary plays a big role in supporting someone ability in
different skills (listening, speaking, reading writing). Nation (2001) stated that vocabulary is
not that makes text difficult but it is a very important feature affecting readability and is
major factor in most readability measures. It is strengthened the perception that vocabulary is
one of factors that contribute to the easy reading and understand of a text.
According to Nation (2001), there are two kinds of vocabulary, as follows: They are
receptive and productive vocabulary.

a. Receptive Vocabulary (passive vocabulary)

Receptive vocabulary refers to the words that native speakers and foreign learners
recognize and understand but hardly ever use, it is used passively in either listening or
reading.
b. Productive Vocabulary (active vocabulary)
Productive vocabulary is utilized actively either in speaking or writing. One’s listening
vocabulary is generally larger than his speaking vocabulary while his reading vocabulary is
relatively larger than his writing vocabulary. Therefore it can be concluded that vocabulary
can be presented in four units. They are reading vocabulary, listening vocabulary, speaking
vocabulary, and writing vocabulary. Reading vocabulary consists of the word found by
people when they are reading. While listening vocabulary is the words that people hear and
understand when they are talking to others or listening to radio and television. Speaking
vocabulary includes the words people used in their daily life and conversation. The last is
writing vocabulary that consists of the word people use in writing essays, reports, letter, etc.
In relation to kinds of vocabulary, Nation (2001) states that there are four kinds of
vocabulary in the text:
1) High frequency words. These words are almost 80% of the running words in the
text;
2) Academic words. Typically, these words make up about 9% of the running words in
the text;
3) Technical words. These words make up about 5% of the running words in the text;
4) Low frequency words. These are the words of moderate frequency that did not
manage to get into the high frequency list. They make up over 5% of the words in an
academic text.

As a teacher, she/he should be inventive in selecting interested activities and must

provide a great variety of them. Here, there are some methods in teaching vocabulary,
especially in getting students attention while learning vocabulary. According to Norton
(2006), there are some methods in teaching vocabulary. The methods are as following:
a) To keep children amused, teacher should make class more interesting by prowling around
them.
b) Try to remember their names because children feel that a child pays attention to them.
c) Ask them to close their book when teacher is talking in order to keep their attention to the
teacher, not to their book.
d) Try to find different ways of choosing the learners whom teacher is going to interact with
students

The basic principle of Make a Match is that the students find or match a partner while
they are learning a concept or a particular topic in an interesting classroom atmosphere
(Current, 1994).
According to Komalasari (2010) cooperative learning is learning strategy when
students learn and work in small groups collaboratively that consist of 2 to 5 students with
heterogeneous group structures. So, in cooperative learning the students are not homogeneous
but heterogeneous. It means that in a small group, students have different ability.
 The basic principle of cooperative learning divides into five elements, such as positive
interdependence, personal responsibility, face to face, interpersonal skill, group processing.
Suprijono (2010) explained these elements as follow:
a. Interdependence.
In cooperative learning the teachers create an atmosphere that encourages the students
to feel the need each other.
b. Personal Responsibility.
This element is directly consequence from the first element. Responsibility appears
when teacher measures how success a group. Personal responsibility is a key to guarantee
all member powered by cooperative learning activity.
c. Face to Face.
Every group is given chance to meet up and discussion. These activities have many
characteristics such as work together effectively and efficiently, reciprocate needed
information and tools, processing information together effectively and efficiently, inter
impressing, helping in formulating and developing argument and also increase solving
problem ability, belief one another, giving motivation to achieve success together.
d. Interpersonal Skill.
In this element, students are given many interpersonal skills for communication. It
needs long time to make students as expert communicator.
e. Group Processing.
Group processing means assess. Teachers need to make special schedule to evaluate
group working process and result of group working so they can work in group more
effective. Teachers do this want to know whether students are helpful or not in a group
working.
To provide more understanding about the method, some information is provided as
follows. According to Arifah and Kusumarasdyati (2013), Make a Match is one of the
teaching methods which can be used in co-operative learning. The Make a match method
is a kind of game where students have to find their partner. In this method, the students are
divided into two groups, group A and group B. Each of the students in each group get one
card. The students in group A get the topic cards while the students in group B get the
simple description cards. After they find their matches, they have to report it to the teacher
and the last step is the teacher asks them to compose sentences based on the words they
got on their cards. In teaching vocabulary, the Make a match method is considered as one
very appropriate method. By using Make a Match technique, the students will get more
attracted and pay more attention to their teacher. They will not feel so bored nor be afraid
of making a mistake in pronouncing a word. Moreover, the teacher can minimize the
difficulties they have in leading their students to learn once the technique is applied.

2. Methodology

This research is action research. Emzir (2013) describes the action research is an
informal research,qualitative, formative, subjective, interpretive, reflective, and a model of
research experience, where individuals were include in the study as participants who know
and support. In line with Emzir, Hopkins (2002) explain that the action research combines
research procedures with substantive action, an action taken in the disclipine inquiry or a
business person to understand what is happening, while engaged in a process of
improvement and change. In other words, action reserach means trying out ideas in
practice as a means of improvement and increase understanding of the curriculum,
methods and strategies of learning, a learning process, which results in improvement over
what happens in the implementation of the learning proces, especially those that occur in
 class. Besides of that L.R. Gay (2011) also gives the sense that action research is a
systematic investigation carried out by the teacher, principal, school counselor, or other
stakeholder in the teaching andn learning environment adn also involves gathering
information about the procedures for teachers and students in the learning proces. So, that
action research is a study in which all participants involved in the study.
In this research, researcher took the action research of Kemmis’ model. Kemmis in
Emzir (2013) a simple model of the nature cycle of action research that each cycle has
four phases : (1) Planning; (2) action; (3) observation; (4) reflection. The fourth concept in
this research raised performed blend, gradually and systematically, because in this model
brings together the two components between acting and observing implementation
because the two entities cannot be separated. In this case, both of these activities should be
done in unision the same time, when the occurence of an action then so is the observation
must be implemented. This action research is namely producing the plan (plan), action,
monitoring (observation) and reflection in order to solve the problem until the problem
was solved.
This research was conducted at SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat, Southeast of Sulawesi
from April to May. Data were obtained from students of second grade and the total of
students is 24 students’. The data was the analyzed quantitatively by describing the results
of observation. Vocabulary test was used at the end of cycle.

The techniques of data collection in this research are as follows:

a. Observation: It was aimed to finding out the students’ participation, performance and
the teacher’s activities during the teaching and learning process. The observation was
done during the teaching and learning process. The observation sheets were
completed by giving a thick sign (√) to the observation sheet and make a note to the
objects which are observed.
b. Vocabulary Test: It was aimed at finding out the students’ vocabulary mastery or
knowledge in learning English vocabulary in each cycle. The test used in this research
is vocabulary test. It was used after the researcher implementing Make a Match
method in teaching and learning process.

The data analysis that used in this research were qualitative and quantitative data. The
data qualitative consisted of observation within the physical activity in the classroom for
teacher and for students. On other side, quantitative was the result of the vocabulary test
evaluation. The data collected through the test which analyzed by using the following steps;
1. Calculating the students score
Obtain Score
Score= x 100
Maximum Score

The researcher, then tried to get the students’ percentage who passed the minimum
criteria of mastery (KKM) considering English subject gained score 70 which is adapted from
the school agreement at SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat. It used the formula:

𝑃
𝑃= × 100%
𝑁
P : the class percentage
F : total percentage score
N : number of students
(Sudijono, 2008)
Based on criteria of success, process and product wheter the cycle continue or not the
next of the action. Process meant in this research were all the activities did by the students in
teaching and learning process, in this case wheter the process succes or not based on the
result analyzing the obtained the data obtained from the observation sheet. Product meant in
this research was wheter the product success or not based on analytic scoring rubric. The
success of these measures can be seen from the improvement or advancement of the learning
process is the result of an increase in students’ vocabulary mastery.

3. Finding and Discussion

a. Findings
The result of this research also shows that make a match methode can improve
students’ ability in vocabulary mastery at second grade of SMPN 19 Poleang Barat. It can be
seen from the average score of the improvement through make a match method before cycle
one, There were 29% or 7 students got score higher than or equal to 70. Then it improved in
the second cycle with the average sore was 79,4 and there were 21 students’ (88%) get score
greater than equal to 70.
The result of this research also showed that make a match can improve the students’
vocabulary at the second year of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat. Make a Match method could
help the students in improving the students’ vocabulary mastery. There were some benefits of
make a match method in improving the students’ vocabulary mastery. Firstly, the students
face to face helped the students to formulating and developing argument and also increase
solving problem ability, belief one another, giving motivation to achieve success together.
Secondly, the students work in groups helped the students to raise their self confidence and
willingness to be actively involved in the teaching and learning process. It implies that the
teacher has to encourage the students to work in groups or pairs so that they have companions
to discuss the learning materials and also the students can be more confident actively
participated in the teaching and learning process. Thirdly, helped the students to master new
vocabulary well in terms of understand the words. It also helped students recognize the
student mistakes. It implied that the teacher needs to give feedback to the students in the end
of every meeting. Fourthly, matching the cards could create an enjoyable and actively in
teaching and learning process and the students improvement in mastering vocabulary,
understanding, and implementing new vocabulary.

b. Discussion
`Based on the previous of the research and theories before, it was explained that make
a match method is affective way to improve students’ mastery. According to Current (1994)
Make A–Match Method is one of the cooperative learning methods that make the students
active in teaching and learning process. This statement proved that in cooperative learning
there were some factor that supports make a match method in teaching vocabulary such as
positive interdependence, created an atmosphere students feel need each other and personal
responsibility, each every group gave the best and responsibility for the success their groups.
Next face to face, gave time the students to meet up so the student can dialogue with their
friend so that the students more enjoyable. Furthermore, interpersonal skill, in this element
students were gave many interpersonal skills for communication. The last group processing,
the students more effective because students can explored ideas in their groups.

4. Conclusion
 The conclusion is that make a match can improve the students’ ability in learning
vocabulary at the second grade of SMP Negeri 19 Poleang Barat. There were two aspects
namely process and product. The first is process of teaching and learning activities, the
improvement can be seen from observation sheet. Based on the observation sheet in the first
cycle the students got score 6. It improved to be 10 score in the second cycle. The second is
product the improvement can be seen from the students’ vocabulary test by make a match.
Based on in the first cycle got average score 61,1. There were 29% or 7 students got average
score greater than or equal to 70 and improved to be 79,4 in the second cycle. There were
88% or 21 get score greater. It means that students could reach the criteria of success.

5. Reference

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