Teaching Vocabulary Through Play: The Circle Game In An Indonesian Classroom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56983/eltm.v5i2.1853Keywords:
Vocabulary Mastery , Circle Game , Teaching Strategy , EFL Classroom , Game-based LearningAbstract
Vocabulary acquisition remains a persistent challenge in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, particularly in relation to spelling accuracy, word meaning, and contextual usage. Addressing this issue, the present study investigates the effectiveness of the Circle Game as an interactive teaching strategy aimed at improving vocabulary mastery among eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 1 Sindue Tobata. Employing a quasi-experimental design, 50 students were divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group engaged in six Circle Game sessions, while the control group received traditional instruction. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests. Results indicated a notable increase in the vocabulary scores of the experimental group, rising from a mean score of 55.36 to 86.8, compared to the control group's improvement from 60.4 to 68.4. A t-test analysis confirmed the statistical significance of the difference between the two groups (t = 7.56 > 2.011). This study highlights the urgency of adopting engaging, student-centered methods in EFL instruction. The findings suggest that game-based strategies like the Circle Game can significantly boost vocabulary learning, motivation, and classroom interaction.
Downloads
References
Aeni, N., Fitriani, F., & Fitri, N. (2019). The use of circle games to improve the mastery of English vocabulary of the Indonesian Maritime Academy students. Journal of Educational Science and Technology (EST), 5(3), 239–244. https://doi.org/10.26858/est.v5i3.9424
Arikunto, S. (2006). Prosedur penelitian: Suatu pendekatan praktik (Ed. revisi VI). Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.
Çelik, S., & Aytin, K. (2019). Vocabulary games and student motivation: A mixed-methods study in EFL context. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 15(1), 259–276. https://www.jlls.org/index.php/jlls/article/view/1004
Nation, P. (2015). Principles guiding vocabulary learning through extensive reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 27(1), 136–145.
Nisa’, K. Z., & Fatmawaty, R. (2018). The effect of using circle game on students’ vocabulary mastery at the fourth grade of MI Darul Ulum Katemas Kembangbahu Lamongan. Jurnal ELink, 5(2), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.30736/e-link.v5i2.64
Sugiyono. (2017). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D. Bandung: Alfabeta.
Triassanti, R., & Baihaqi, A. (2017). The use of circle games as a strategy to improve the student’s mastery in English vocabulary. Ronggolawe English Teaching Conference (RETCO), 7(1), 48–56. https://retco.unisda.ac.id/index.php/retco/article/view/26
Wright, A., Betteridge, D., & Buckby, M. (2005). Games for language learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511667220.
Webb, S., & Nation, P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Oxford University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 English Language Teaching Methodology

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.