The Use of “Crossword Puzzle” Game to Teach English Vocabulary
By: Aquarina Eva Austin


a. Using Games to Teach Vocabulary
Games are often used only to fill in a few minutes before the end of the lesson at school. The teacher does not realize yet that games can be used as one of the education aid in learning- teaching process of English. Some experts state the uses of game as follows:
According to Thornbury (2002:80), using games is the prompt for vocabulary teaching. It means that through the games, the teachers can teach their students effectively especially in vocabulary mastery.
Rogers also states that games can be used for teaching sounds, spelling, vocabulary syntactic, and communication (1975:126). Mc. Kelvien as cited by Doristy (2004:24) adds that games can be used to practice communication, structure, and vocabulary.
The last, Dale (1971:302) says that an important objective of vocabulary instruction is to develop an interest in words. The student whose curiosity about words is aroused is likely to increase his/her vocabulary and to become more discriminating.

b. The Advantage of Using Games to Teach Vocabulary
As we know that using games is as prompts for vocabulary teaching. It means that through the games, the students will get the advantages, such as the students’ vocabulary mastery will increase and it will not make the students bored.
Phun as cited by Doristy (2004:25) adds that there are two advantages in vocabulary games: (1) there is sense of excitement about word and (2) there is sense of wonder and feeling pleasure.
As a result of those advantages, the students are eager to learn the word, because they need it. It means that vocabulary games attract the students to learn and feel exited in learning words.

c. Crossword Puzzle Game in Teaching Vocabulary
The crossword puzzle is still the most popular word game. It lies in the ease with which it can be constructed. The words are run together horizontally and vertically (Dale, 2000:310).
Wharton stated that crossword puzzle for use in the language classroom is really quite easy to create. First, make a list of words with which your students should be familiar. Then, search for a letter common to two words and you are off (1995:48).
The puzzle forms may be used in several ways:
1.The students find animals, colors, or plants in the puzzle.
2.The students find certain parts of speech: verb, noun, preposition, etc.
3.Other categories may include the names of the days, the week, months, school subjects
4.The student finds proper nouns: cities, states, countries, famous people, etc.
5.The student finds certain kinds of activities: trades, professions, sport, hobbies, etc.

This game can be done in individual, in pair, or in groups. The teacher gives a copy of the “crossword puzzle” and explains the rules, such as students have to complete it as quickly as possible. For the individual game, the student who can complete it first is the winner and gets the good point from the teacher. In pair work or group, the winner is the pair or group who can complete it first. All of the winners will have prizes from the teacher. It makes this game to be more attractive.
The use of “crossword puzzle” game in teaching vocabulary is one of the alternative techniques to help the students to construct and improve their vocabulary mastery.

REFFERENCES


Dale, Edgar. 1971. Technique of Teaching Vocabulary. USA.Held Educational Education Publications.

Doristy. 2004. Using Puzzle to Improve the Vocabulary of Elementary School. S1 Thesis. Surabaya. UNESA.

Thornburry, Scott. 2002. How to Teach Vocabulary. Singapore.Longman.

Wharton, Glenn. 1995. Crossword Puzzles: One Way to Improve Communication Strategies. English Teaching Forum 33 (1) Pp. 47-48.