The Background of the Study
more information about the issue, the writer did an observation in SMP Negeri 18 Tangerang. She chose this school because it was her alma mater. The
teaching and learning activities in this school did not changed since the writer studied there. The English teacher at that school still used the conventional
teaching ways to teach vocabulary to her students. The lesson started with the English teacher provides a list of vocabulary based on the text they have read
before and asked the students to read the vocabulary. After that, she wrote the translation of the vocabulary list presented before in Bahasa Indonesia. In the
end of the lesson, the teacher gave homework to make a list of vocabulary related to the topic of their lesson and the students have to memorize the
words and presented it in the next meeting. This condition would not lead the students to reach the functional stage as stated in their school-based
curriculum. From this observation, the conventional teaching ways is not always
effective in teaching vocabulary. It is normal to use the conventional ways in teaching vocabulary, but if the teachers always use the conventional ways of
teaching right after the students read the vocabulary in chorus it makes more concern in how they pronounce the words rather than the meaning itself.
The ideal condition of vocabulary teaching is the teacher should teach the meaning of the words and the kind of the words, not only translate the
words and asked the students to read it in chorus. While the fact happening in the class is the students only force to remember a long list of vocabulary
without a chance to use the vocabulary they knew. The English teacher did not accommodate her students with an activity to productively use their receptive
vocabulary. Another problem is the students did not take attention in teaching
learning process. Some of the students are busy talked with their friends or even doing other lesson homework when the teacher asked one of the students
to presented the vocabulary they already memorized. They are not interested in learning vocabulary, because all they have to do is remembering the
vocabulary and its translation in their first language without any chance to use
their receptive vocabulary. The writer analyzed, this problem happens because they did not have the opportunity to participate and practice the vocabulary
they have learned. In the other case, the teacher taught in a big class, every class consists
of 40 students. The teacher has to accommodate all students to participate the teaching learning process. The conventional teaching ways is not appropriate
to accommodate the students need, because it just helps some of the students in the class. So, the teacher should use other technique in teaching vocabulary
which is appropriate in a big class. This condition creates a challenge for the writer to find different ways
of teaching vocabulary. The teacher should use teaching methods and technique that makes the students involve in teaching and learning process.
One of the teaching techniques can be use to overcome this problem is games. Games are an effective way to teach vocabulary. All students involves in
teaching learning process, they can works as a team to learn the materials and compete in the games.
There are many kinds of games that can be used in language learning such as, guessing games, search games, matching games, matching-up games,
exchanging games, exchanging and collecting games, arranging games, board games and card games, and puzzle solving.
2
One of the games that can effectively use in the class is card games. The card games were chosen
because it develops students’ vocabulary by giving them chance to
productively use their receptive vocabulary and also extending their vocabulary. Moreover, card games are fun activities and make the students
relax and enjoy the lesson. Because of that reason, the writer sees that card games can overcome the problem above. In using this technique students can
works as a team or individual. The students work to finish the card games based on the following instruction written on the cards.
2
Hadfield, Intermediate Communication Games A Collection of Games and Activities for Low to Mid-intermediate Students of English. Edinburgh: Longman, 1996, p. v-vi.
Based on the explanation above, the writer interests to conduct a quasi- experimental research titled:
“The Effectiveness of Using Card Games Technique in Teaching Vocabulary at the Seventh Grade of
SMP Negeri 18 Tangerang
”.