I.

INTRODUCTION
This research focuses on the effect of crossword puzzle on vocabulary
achievement. The use of crossword puzzle to make students interested in teaching
learning vocabulary activities
This chapter discusses the background of the research, the problem of the
research, the operational definition of the research, area of the research, the objective
of the research, and significance of the research.

1.1 Background of the research

Nowadays, English is very important in the world because English used as an
international language. Therefore the Indonesian people must be mastered in English
because as we know the people who are mastered in English have a better chance to
get a better job in global competition.
As we know English is though as a foreign language in Indonesia so even
English though from elementary school until university or college, it still believed
that English is difficult. Teaching learning process of English is very difficult for the
Indonesian students because there are so many things that different from the students’
first language. In spite of there are many things that make the students face
difficulties in learning English, the important factor that make it difficult is come
from the cultural background between two languages, the target language (English)
and the students’ first language. As we know there are four language skills that must
be mastered by the students’: reading, speaking, writing, and listening and the
language component: grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Therefore in learning
English, it is very important for the students to understand the meaning of vocabulary
or words, because with understanding the meaning of vocabulary or words, it will
support all aspect of the language skills. Vocabulary is important for learning English
because vocabulary is the basic for the students to studying all aspect of English and
it is impossible for the students to understand what the speaker and writer mean
without understanding the vocabulary that includes in the utterance.

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 Vocabulary is important in learning language (English) because learning
English can be useless if the students do not understand the meaning of the
vocabulary. Without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed (Thornbury, 2002:13).
Because of it the students must be enlarges or enriches their knowledge of
vocabulary.
Normally, vocabulary is considered difficult by the students. It is very
difficult for the students to enlarge or enrich their vocabulary because the students
sometimes forget with the vocabulary material that has been though by the teacher.
Occasionally, the students feel afraid in teaching learning process of English because
they often did not know the meaning of the utterance that used in the teaching
learning process of English. Sometimes they also feel bored with the teaching
learning process of English because it monotonous. To avoid that situation and to
motivate the students, the teacher should make the classroom more and more
interesting and the teacher need some teaching strategies.
One of the strategies that may be used by the teacher in teaching learning
process is game. Formal educational environments are very different to the informal
contexts in which games are usually played, and bring with them many constraints
that make introducing games as learning tools more of a challenge than might be
thought (Richard Sandford and Ben Williamson, 2005:11). In the teaching learning
process of vocabulary using game make students more relax and it is recreational for
the students. Although it is a recreational activities that the main purpose of it is for
enjoyment, in the language learning process the purpose of game is to reinforce what
has already been taught. The course of a game, students are involved in an enjoyable
and challenging activity with a clear goal. Sometimes, students unconscious that they
have been practicing a language when they are playing a game. Games help and
encourage many students to sustain their interest and work (Wright et al, 1996:1).
One kinds of the game that can be used in teaching vocabulary is crossword puzzle.
With crossword puzzle students are trained to think and looking for the relationship
with their knowledge to fill in the crossword puzzle (Karim and Hasbullah,
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1986:2.36).
According to the description above, a thesis entitled “The Effect of Using
Crossword Puzzle on the Tenth Year Students’ Vocabulary Achievement at SMAN 2
Genteng” will conduct.

1.2 The Problem of The Research

Based on the background of the research, the problems formulation of the
research can be formulated as follows:
1.2.1 Major problem
Is There Any Significant Effect of Crossword Puzzle on The Tenth
Year Students’ Vocabulary Achievement At SMAN 2 Genteng?
1.2.2 Minor problem
1. Is There Any Significant Effect of Crossword Puzzle on The Tenth
Year Students’ noun Achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng?
2. Is There Any Significant Effect of Crossword Puzzle on The Tenth
Year Students’ adverb Achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng?
3. Is There Any Significant Effect of Crossword Puzzle on The Tenth
Year Students’ verb Achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng?
4. Is There Any Significant Effect of Crossword Puzzle on the Tenth
Year Students’ adjective Achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng?

1.3 Operational Definition of The Research

In this research there are two variables, namely; independent variable and
dependent variable. The independent variable is “crossword puzzle” and the
dependent variable is” vocabulary achievement”, the term of crossword puzzle and
the vocabulary achievement will be defined in the following part.

I.3.1 Crossword Puzzle

 Crossword puzzle is a puzzle in which a pattern of chequered squares
has to be filled in form numbered clues with words which are written usually
horizontally and vertically, occasionally diagonally, also attributively and
combination

1.3.2 Students’ Vocabulary Achievement

In this research, vocabulary achievement means the students’
score of the vocabulary test after they learn vocabulary trough crossword
puzzle. Vocabulary in this research is an English vocabulary. Vocabulary is a
list or set of words for particular language or a list or set of words that
individual speakers of a language might use (Hatch and Brown, 1995:1).
Vocabulary that will be taught to the students’ is large vocabulary, covered
nouns, adverbs verb, and adjective.

1.4 Area of the Research

Research area is the place where the researchers conduct the research. In this
research, the research will conduct at SMAN 2 Genteng

1.5 Objective of the Research

1.5.1 Major Objective
To know whether using crossword puzzle is effective to improve the
tenth year students’ vocabulary achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng
1.5.2 Minor objective
1. To know whether using crossword puzzle is effective to improve the
tenth year students’ noun achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng
2. To know whether using crossword puzzle is effective to improve the
tenth year students’ adverb achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng
3. To know whether using crossword puzzle is effective to improve the
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tenth year students’ verb achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng

4. To know whether using crossword puzzle is effective to improve the
tenth year students’ adjective achievement at SMAN 2 Genteng

1.6 Significance of the research

It is expected that the finding of this research will give important input to the
following people:

1.6.1 The English teacher

The English teacher can use the finding of this research to improve
their technique of teaching English especially in teaching vocabulary that can
make the students interest in learning vocabulary and enlarge their vocabulary
especially by using crossword puzzle.

1.6.2 The other researcher

The finding of this research is expected to be useful thing for other
researchers as an input that will conduct the research with similar problem.