No Themes
Statements NoS
6 Typing words
For me, the most significant feature is writing the words because by writing the words I
can memorize how to spell the words. Besides that I can be more careful in
writing
.Q2.35 5
7 Repetition
I think it‘s on the immediate checking and repetition
because through the immediate checking I can know if the words are right or
not and through repetition, it makes me remember the words better because it‟s
being repeated. Q2.27
5
8 Learning from the
errors The moment when I make mistakes in
guessing the words so that I search the right answer. It motivates me to give the
right answer and makes me easier to remember the new words
.Q2.26 4
9 Regular practice
The task should be done weekly, so we are accustomed to guessing the unknown
words by the words we have learnt.Q2.41
4
10 Flexible time
I usually doing it at my boarding house if I haven‟t finished my tasks. I‘m very like to
do it. I love crosswords so much. During this semester, I learned many words. I try to
memorize these words.Q1.3 4
11 Display score
I did the crossword every week. Every time I look my friend‟s score. I wanted to finish
the crossword . But sometimes I feel
confused and bored. So I just type in on google and found the answer without
memorize that word.Q1.19 1
NoS = Number of Students The data on table 4.5 are presented based on the grade of the most significant
features of the puzzles to the least significant features of the puzzles which encourage them to learn vocabulary. From the table it is obviously seen that the
most significant feature of the puzzle is the opportunities to use printed dictionary, while the least feature of the puzzle is display score.
3. The Results from the Interviews
The collecting of data from interview was conducted in this research inasmuch as it was intended to clarify and support the students‘ opinion given in
the questionnaire. The samples of the interview result are presented in table 4.6, while the complete interview result is provided in appendix 5.
Table 4.6 The Results from the Interviews
No Statements
Vocabulary Learning Strategies
1 At first I counted to the number of
the boxes, and then I recalled the sentences which I have ever heard
relating to the words. For example,
I had the word „sad‟. Thus, I would try to recall the words
connecting
with the
word „sad‟.interview – B12
Direct strategies
Memory strategies
Creating mental
linkages
Actually I didn‘t memorize the words, but I just read them. As a
result, it made me more familiar with those words when I practiced
using the words in class. I would not feel strange with the words
anymore as I di
dn‟t count them as new words.
interview – A08
Reviewing well
I think so. By typing the words while I was completing the puzzle
made me know how to spell the
words better” interview – D47
Employing action
I usually did the puzzle twice for each puzzle
since it took a long time to finish completing the
puzzle for the first time . As a
consequence, I couldn‘t submit it. Then I took a picture of the puzzle
which I had completed before I did the puzzle for the second time to
submit it
. interview – D23
Cognitive strategies
Practicing
There were a lot. It supported me because I was required to know
and understand the meaning of the words
. interview
– A49 Analyzing
and reasoning
First of all I read the vocabulary, and
then I highlighted the words I considered difficult or I have not
Creating structure for
input and
No Statements
Vocabulary Learning Strategies ever known. After rereading the
words, I wrote them several times in order to memorize them more
easily. I usually wrote the words twice to help me memorize them
well.
However, I didn‘t frequently do it. I just did it if I wished.
interview-D45 output
When I was in senior high school I learnt about derivative focusing to
the changes of a word to a verb, noun, and so on. It made me know
that this form of the word was noun, while that form was for the
verb.
The word ‗surround‘ and ‗surrounding‘ could represent the
example of derivative. Another example is just like a noun and the
adjective. Thus, I counted the number of the boxes, and then I
thought about the proper letters for the boxes which were still
blank.
interview-B13 Compensation
strategies Guessing
intelligently
2.
I usually … began to complete the puzzles from the easy words, so if I
didn‟t know those words I would skip them first. I did all of the easy
words first, and I would consult online dictionary to find out the
words which I didn‟t know the meanings.
interview-D17 Indirect
strategies Metacognitive
strategies Centering
learning
I think the aim is to guess the words from the meanings using some letters
as the clues. For example, the word ‗senang‘ does not always mean
happy. Thus, the purpose of doing online crossword puzzles is to
introduce new vocabulary which sometimes belongs to uncommon
low-frequency words. I mean in English a word may have some
meanings. There were many new words found in the puzzles.
interview – B03
Arranging and planning
learning
I did so frequently monitor my progress by checking my scores
and my classmates‟ scores. It was because sometimes we took longer
time to do the tasks than our friends Evaluating
learning
No Statements
Vocabulary Learning Strategies
did, it made our score automatically decreased. For example, my friend
had written twenty sentences, while I still produced ten sentences. As a
result, my friend‘s score would be higher than mine. Then I would not
let it happen. Therefore, I did my tasks more diligently. That‘s the way
I monitored my learning progress. interview
– D48
I felt more convenient and relaxed to learn it. I didn‟t feel
bored .interview
– A56 Affective
strategies Lowering
anxiety Y
es, there was…it was just like…for instance, when I asked my friend
about the meaning of a word, she could
answer it
correctly. It
motivated me to learn more and more after knowing the fact that I
didn‟t know it, but a friend of mine could get it.
interview – D13
Self- encouraging
I sometimes discussed the problem with my peers and asked them
some questions. Some of them also faced the same problem like taking
a long time to complete the puzzles,
so we
shared our
experiences and tried to overcome the problem together. We did
group study as well. As a result, we
could get better understanding about the
words and
their meanings.Student-interview-D50
Cooperating with others
The table provides the data used to describe more detailed and clearly the issue of this study since the students could express their reasons and the ways they
implemented their vocabulary learning strategies through the puzzles during the interview. Accordingly, it was definitely used to provide a more complete
discussion related to the issue of the study.
B. DISCUSSION
This section discusses both quantitative and qualitative data. It presents the quantitative data gained from close-ended questionnaire results which describe the
vocabulary learning strategies VLS using online crossword puzzles applied by undergraduate students. Furthermore, in order to achieve better understanding of
the issue, the qualitative data which are used to support the quantitative data are discussed more clearly and more comprehensively of how the students
implemented those vocabulary learning strategies using online crossword puzzles during the first semester, and they were collected from open-ended questionnaire
and also from the interview.
1. Vocabulary Learning Strategies VLS Used in Online Crossword Puzzles
During learning vocabulary through the puzzles, both direct strategies and indirect strategies were applied by the students. In this study, it is found that the
use of direct strategies was generally more highly implemented than indirect strategies to learn vocabulary using the puzzles.
a. Direct Strategies The direct strategies employed by the students are 1 compensation
strategy, 2 memory strategies, and 3 cognitive strategies. Those direct strategies engage mental processing of the language, yet each of those strategies does the
process in a different way. The strategies are discussed in a sequence from the most significant strategies to encourage the learners to learn vocabulary through
the puzzles in each category. Overall, the use of direct strategies attains higher rate than the employment of the indirect strategies with 3.02. It shows that direct
strategies are more highly developed than indirect strategies to learn vocabulary through the puzzles.
1 Compensation Strategy This study defines compensation strategy as vocabulary learning strategies
allowing learners to retrieve words despite of their often large gaps in knowledge. The compensation strategy which was applied by the learners is guessing
intelligently. a Guessing Intelligently
The employment of guessing intelligently obtains nearly a very high score with 3.23. It describes that the students‘ guessing skill was highly developed
during the process of vocabulary learning through the puzzles. In other words, learning vocabulary th
rough online crossword puzzles may boost learners‘ skill in guessing words using linguistic clues such as word parts and word forms in order
to complete the puzzles. It is in line with Oxford 1990 : 49‘s definition of guessing intelligently which refers to a strategy which uses linguistic clues such as
seeking and using language-based clues in order to guess the meaning of words. A student stated that learning vocabulary through the puzzles could
sharpen his guessing skill. Furthermore, another student claimed that he usually employed guessing the meaning of the words before he conducted other strategies
while he was completing the puzzles. By looking at the book given or translate it to some app. I know so many
words. It sharpen my guessing skill.
Open-Ended Questionnaire —App.4-
Q1.41 I usually
guess what‟s the meaning of the word. If I failed, I‟ll check the
dictionary whether my spelling‟s wrong or maybe that‟s not the right meaning. I can memorize the words easily.
Open-Ended Questionnaire —
App.4-Q1.25
