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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

Vocabulary is one of the language components that should be learned

when students learn English. It is very important for communication English. If

we have less vocabulary, we will not understand what people say. Vocabulary is

needed to improve the four language skills that consist of listening, speaking,

reading and writing.

In teaching, vocabulary becomes essential for the students because it helps

them to make a sentence or writing in a paper about English. Without learning

vocabularies they could not make a conversation with native speakers.

Furthermore, School based Curriculum in Indonesia states similar idea that

learning vocabulary required serious attention for Indonesian students because the

objective of English teaching in Indonesia to develop English language skills by

using 1000 words for Junior High School students.

In junior high school, students learn it through understanding the text or it

integrated int learning the texts. The focus of teaching vocabulary at Junior High

School is to increase students’ vocabulary and to use vocabulary with appropriate

contexts. Based on curriculum 2013, the eighth grade students need to practice

making a simple present sentence using nouns, verbs or adjectives. A simple

present sentence is one of the several forms of present tense in English. It is used

to describe habits, general truths, and situations. The student helps the student to

construct the vocabulary in a sentence. The researcher chooses a simple present

sentence in an affirmative sentence with a habitual and factual situation.

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Most students in junior high school got much difficulty to learn English.

When the researcher discussed it with the English teacher in SMP Negeri 06 Palu,

most students got difficulties in exploring their ideas in reading, speaking and

writing. One of the reasons was the students’ lack of vocabulary. So, the

researcher chooses Word Search Game to improve students’ vocabulary.

However, sometimes teaching vocabulary is ignored during the teaching

and learning English. If it is taught, most teachers implement lack of appropriate

teaching techniques and media. As a result, there were some common problems

that are faced by the students in learning their vocabulary. First, the students

sometimes get bored when they learned the English language in the classroom and

just read a book or do exercise. So, they were not interested when they did the

exercise in the book. Second, the teachers have less creativity when teaching

English. Usually, the teachers just explained the material without any game or

things in the classroom, so it can make the students bored. Third, the use of media

and method were not appropriate for the situation. Media and method are

important in English learning process. Media and method help them to understand

the teacher’s explanation easily and make the students interested in learning more

English, especially vocabulary.

When the researcher had a Practice Teaching (PPL) in SMP Negeri 06

Palu, the researcher observed the eighth grade students and found that most of the

students had a relatively poor vocabulary and were lazy to learn English because

the media did not attract them to learn.

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Word search game is one of the many instructional games that reinforce

word level into a grid and persuades the class to make suggestions for the clue in

the game.

Based on the explanation, the researcher conducted the research on the

Word Search Game to improve students’ vocabulary.

1.2. Problem Statement

Based on the background most of the students is lack of vocabulary. The

researcher formulates the research question as follow:

“Can the use of word search game improve the vocabulary of the eighth

grade students of SMP Negeri 06 Palu?”

1.3. The Objective of the Research

The objective of this research was finding out whether or not Word Search

Game can improve students’ vocabulary at the eighth grade of SMP Negeri 06

Palu.

1.4 Scope of the Research

This research focused on the use of Word Search Game to improve

students’ vocabulary. The vocabulary is limited to noun and verb at the eighth

grade of SMP Negeri 06 Palu.

1.5 Significance of the Research

The researcher expected to use for English teachers and students at SMP

Negeri 06 Palu, readers, and especially for the researcher. The first sign is that

research can improve students’ vocabulary. Furthermore, the research is expected

to be a valuable reference for many readers and researchers, particularly for those
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who take English Education Study Program. The last is to be worth experience for

the researcher to expand his knowledge for other research in teaching English.

1.6 Definition of Key Terms

To avoid misunderstanding about the meaning of a term which is used in

this research, the researcher will describe some definitions:

 Improving is to raise a more attractive or more excellent quality.

 Vocabulary is a list of words and phrases usually alphabetically

arranged and using the word in a simple present sentence.

 Word search game is a word game that consists of the letters of

words placed in a grid, which usually has a rectangular or square

shape.