The Advantages of using Flashcard in Teaching Vocabulary

28

d. The Advantages of using Flashcard in Teaching Vocabulary

To make it easier for the students to understand the meaning of the English vocabulary, the real items can be brought into the classroom to catch the students attention. It also can motivate the students to learn the new words because they are given the real examples. Whereas, it is not always possible for the teacher to bring the real items into the classroom. Therefore, using media like flashcard can be a great way for the teacher to introduce new vocabulary to the students. Since it is easy to be made, engages the students into the classroom activity, and makes environment of learning fun for the students, it becomes the most widely used teaching aids in language teaching and learning process Cross 1992: 119. Flashcard in teaching vocabulary can strengthen the form and meaning in the students’ memory. It helps to make the teaching and learning less boring for the students and attracts their attention to the classroom acitivity. Furthermore, Mukalel 1998: 147 argues that at the communicative step in a teaching and learning process, flashcard is very useful for the teacher to teach their students about grammar or vocabulary. Cross 1992: 120 explains some of the advantages of using flashcards in teaching and learning process. Class time is saved. They are motivating and eye catching. Because they are done at home, carefully, the quality of the drawing is higher than that of a blackboard sketch. They can be colourful. And, they can be used again and again. In line with Mukalel and Cross, Lewis 2013 mentions some advantages in using flashcard. They are as follows. 29 1 Flashcards are inexpensive. Teachers can make their own flashcard and do not need to buy a fancy tools to make a flashcard. It might be the least expensive item that can be used in the vocabulary teaching. 2 Flashcards are portable. Teachers can bring as many cards as they want to the classroom since flashcards are not heavy and can be easily moved from one class to another class. 3 Flashcards are versatille. This aid is very helpful for any subject. In learning a foreign language this can help the teacher to teach vocabulary as well as the students to learn and memorize vocabulary in English. From the advantages presented above, it can be concluded that flashcard is effective to help students’ improve their vocabulary mastery, as it engages and motivates them to participate in the teaching and learning process. It attracts them to pay more attention to the class, encourages them to be involved, and makes them feel at ease while learning. Flashcard in teaching vocabulary can strengthen the form and meaning in the students’ memory. It is not boring even if the teacher plans to use it continuously. The strength of flashcard compared to other media in teaching vocabulary is it can be molded by the teacher to fit with the learners’ need. It also does not cost too much to make it. The teacher only needs a piece of paper and draw on it. Or even when the teacher cannot draw by himself, he can put a picture from the internet, or magazine. It is easier to carry flashcard when the teacher moves from classes. 30

B. Review on Relevant Studies

Komachali and Khodareza 2012 conducted a study on Iranian per- university students to investigate the impact of using flashcards in improving their vocabulary mastery. The subjects of their research consisted of 50 female students who were divided into two groups: the control group and the experimental group. The control group received the traditional treatment while the experimental group received the vocabulary flashcard treatment. In conducting the experiment, they were given a vocabulary pre-test and post- test to find out the students’ vocabulary knowledge before and after the treatment. The outcomes of the same vocabulary post-test of both groups were compared. The result of the experimental group which given the vocabulary flashcard treatment showed a higher score than the control group which given the traditional treatment. Based on this study, it proved that the use of flashcard in teaching vocabulary make an improvement of the students’ vocabulary mastery. Another previous study was done by Sitompul 2013. He investigated the effect of using flashcard and word list on the grade fifth students’ vocabulary mastery and how their response to both teaching aids in learning English vocabulary. The students were divided into two classes, one class received word list treatment as the control group, and another class who received flashcard treatment as the experimental group. The results showed that after the exper imental group’s vocabulary mastery improved after being taught using flashcard. This group said that they were more motivated in learning English, also they could easily memorize and understand the English vocabulary. On the other