Investigating the Effectiveness of Anagram Technique on Students

Vocabulary Mastery

Atik Yuliyani

and Siti Nurjanah

UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, Indonesia

Keywords: Anagram technique, Vocabulary, Teaching

Abstract: This research aims to get empirical evidence on the effectiveness of Anagram technique on students’

vocabulary. A quasi - experimental design was used as the method of the study in which 72 students of the

eight grades of one Islamic Junior High School were chosen as the sample. The instrument of this study was

tests divided into pre-test and post-test. The result of the analysis shows that there was a positive effect of

Anagram technique on students’ vocabulary. Moreover, the Cohen’s d formulation also proved that

Anagram technique gave moderate effect size on students’ vocabulary.

1 INTRODUCTION

Language becomes the most important thing in

human life. Because we are as human need an

interaction where we use the language to

communicate. Since English is an international

language, people all over the world needed to learn

English. In Indonesia English is taught in elementary

up to university level. But in fact, even though

English is taught for a long time period, most of the

people are still confused to respond in English. One

of the obstacles in responding in English is because

the people are lack of vocabulary.

Vocabulary is defined as the words that are used

by people, both in oral or written forms for

communicating (Hanson & F.M. Padua, 2011).

Vocabulary is one of the most crucial elements in a

language. Because without vocabulary we cannot

deliver a message, especially in English that

becomes a foreign language in Indonesia.

Vocabulary is a core component of language

proficiency and provides much of the basis for how

well learners speak, listen, read, and write (Richards,

2002). Some of the people think that grammar is

more important than vocabulary. For instance,

people will not talk in English just because they are

afraid to take a risk with wrong grammar. Since the

learning of a language is most commonly identified

with acquiring mastery of its grammatical system, it

is not at all surprising that most textbooks have a

grammatical or 'structural' organization. As a result,

the introduction of vocabulary that could be used by

the learner in everyday conversations is often

omitted or neglected (Mollica, 2001). Whereas in

learning English, vocabulary plays more important

role than grammar. As it is stated by Thornbury that,

“without grammar very little can be conveyed,

without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”

(Thornburry, 2002).

Teaching vocabulary is not easy, it needs a

technique to make the students eager to learn and

easy to understand. If a teacher cannot provide fun

and meaningful learning, the students will face the

difficulties to catch the material because English is

still unfamiliar for some of them. If we see the

problem nowadays, many students are lack of

vocabulary. They just remembered the word for a

while and did not save it in their long-term memory.

As the result, the students understand what the

speaker say but they do not know how to respond it.

It shows that they do not have enough vocabulary in

their mind.

This is also the case in most of Indonesian

schools. Based on the observation in one of Islamic

junior high school in Jakarta, the writer found that

several students cannot reach the standard minimum

score in English subject. The students must get 73 in

English. In fact, the average score of the eighth-

grade students is 65-70 in each class. While learning

English, the students cannot achieve some of

indicators of the subject. The most difficult indicator

is the students did not understand what the passage

about because they lack of vocabulary. In addition,

Yuliyani, A. and Nurjanah, S.

Investigating the Effectiveness of Anagram Technique on Students Vocabulary Mastery.

DOI: 10.5220/0009927213251330

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Recent Innovations (ICRI 2018), pages 1325-1330

ISBN: 978-989-758-458-9

1325

the teacher still uses monotonous technique in

teaching English that make the students bored in

learning. He just asked the students to read the text

individually and answer some questions. Also the

teacher only uses text in student worksheet or

workbook that its performance does not support the

students’ interest. So to solve this problem the

teacher should be creative to provide fun and

meaningful teaching and learning process.

Through a proper technique, the students will

feel relax and enjoy while learning and it can make

them easier to understand the material. It also gives

the students unconsciously learning, so they learn

without they realized it. As Harmer (1991) state that

teaching vocabulary must be interesting and the

teacher should be creative to create fun and

meaningful learning because vocabulary is very

essential in a language. There are so many games to

teach vocabulary, and one of them is anagram.

Anagram is a word or phrase created by re-arranging

the letters of another word or phrase, in which every

letter in the original is used in the creation of the

new phrase (Rosadi, 2017). It facilitates the students

to make a new word by looking the dictionary based

on the word or phrase given. So the students will

know the new vocabulary after re-arranging the

word. This game can be used to teach or review the

vocabulary properly (Mollica, 2001).

Knowing the advantage of the game, the writer

wants to conduct a research on the effect of anagram

technique on students’ vocabulary mastery at the

eighth-grade students of MTsN 13 Jakarta.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Definition of Vocabulary

Vocabulary is the knowledge of meaning of words

that used to communicate effectively, both in oral

and written forms (Hiebert & Kamil, 2005). The

more vocabularies that are acquires by someone, the

more he or she is able to understand the language in

listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

2.2 Teaching Vocabulary

Teaching vocabulary must be interesting and the

teacher should be creative to create fun and

meaningful learning because vocabulary is very

essential in a language. Harmer mentions in his book

some of some techniques in teaching vocabularies

such as realia, pictures, mime action and gesture,

contrast, enumeration, explanation, and translation

(Harmer, 1991).

Realia technique is conducted by bringing the

things that will be presented into the classroom. For

example ruler, pen, pencil, ball, etc. The teacher

holds up the object then say the word and then ask

the students to repeat it. Not only the teacher should

provide the things, but also the students also can

bring their own thing into the class.

Pictures technique is conducted by showing a

picture. The picture can be board drawings, wall

pictures and charts, flashcards. Magazine pictures, or

the teacher can simply draw a picture in the board.

Mime, action and gesture technique can be

applied by acting out in front of the class the words

that are taught. The words that are taught should can

be acted out such as run, walk, sit, etc. This

technique only can be implemented for beginner

learners. The intermediate and advanced learners

will not get interested in learning using this

technique.

Contrast technique is conducted by showing the

correlation of the words to explain the meaning of

the words such as empty and full, cold and hot,

small and big, etc. To make the students easily

understand the concept of comparison, the teacher

can draw pictures or even try to make a mimic of the

words. This technique help the teachers to teach the

antonym of the words that the students will learn

two different words in the same time.

Enumeration technique can be implemented by

explaining the words from the general into the

specific words such as explaining about the fruit

before explaining about an apple.

Explanation technique will be difficult at

beginner and elementary levels because giving an

explanation to the students about new words means

giving them the explanation about the words that are

also related to these new words. So this technique is

better used for intermediate students. Moreover, the

teacher also should give the explanation about what

the words that are used in an informal form such as

mate (friend)

Translation technique is quick and easy way to

present the meaning of words but it is not without

problems. In the first place it is not always easy to

translate words, and in the second place, even where

translation is possible, it may make it a bit too easy

for students by discouraging them from interacting

with the words.

Anagram technique is kind of word games that

change the order of the letters of a word into another

word or group of words change into another group

of words or sentences are meaningful.

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Based on some technique in teaching vocabulary

that mention above, the teacher can apply the

technique depend on the needs of the students.

Whether the teacher wants the students more active

(student centered) or the teacher that take over

teaching and learning process (teacher centered).

But whatever it is, the teacher should provide fun

and meaningful learning because teaching

vocabulary is different than teaching language skills

such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. If

the teacher is not able to provide an interesting

teaching and learning process, the students will be

difficult to catch the lesson.

Besides the teaching technique, there are three

important encouraging learning process that may

lead to remember a word. They are noticing,

retrieval and creative (Nation, 2001).

2.3 Anagram Technique

Anagram technique is a type of word play, the result

of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to

produce a new word or phrase, using all the original

letters exactly once’ for example orchestra can be

rearranged into carthorse.

Anagram is the first type of word game popular

in Europe during the middle ages. Anagram art

created by the Greek poet Lycophron. Before the era

of computerization, anagram built using pen and

paper from a combination of letters and experiment

with variations.

By using this technique, the students will not

be bored because this technique is appropriate to

their characteristics which is they incline more

interested to play, meanwhile anagram technique is a

type of word play. Many words will be got through

this technique. Automatically, this technique will

increase students’ vocabulary. Using this technique

also help the students to get involved in classroom

activities. Since this technique is fun and beneficial

for the students, it will give the students opportunity

to increase their English vocabulary.

2.4 Teaching Vocabulary using

Anagram

Harmer (2002) stated that young children learn

differently from older children, adolescents, and

adult. In learning, young children more difficult to

study because their mood tends to change every

other minute. But on the other hand, they have more

motivation to learn than adult. So, the teacher should

be more creative in selecting activities in learning

process. Furthermore, the teacher should provide a

great variety of interesting activity and exercise.

Using Anagram technique in teaching vocabulary

more effective for helping the students in learning,

they would be easier in recognizing new words and

make the lesson more interesting.

There are three types of transpositions (letter re-

arrangement) in Anagram. One of them is Random

Anagram where the letters of an English word being

scrambled into a random pattern and the players

must rearrange the original word. The rules of

Anagram Game as follows:

1. Students are divided into 4 groups where each

group consists of ten students.

2. Student gets some words consists of 4-6 letters.

3. Student must arrange the letters that were

randomized into a new word.

4. Student uses all the letters to form a 1 or 2,

even 3 new words.

Example:

a. Malp : lamp, palm

b. Tapel : petal, plate, pleat

c. Elam : male, meal, lame

d. Erosh : horse, shore

e. Balett : battle, tablet

5. Group with a most new word is the winner.

There are three criteria, or rules, that must be met

in order to classify something as an Anagram:

1. The letters of a word or phrase must be re-

arranged.

2. A new expression must be created.

3. The letter of the original must be used in the

new expression.

2.5 Advantages of Anagram

In applying a technique for teaching, there is

always an advantage and a disadvantage. We cannot

say that one technique is the best overall, because it

depends on the learners that we teach. What we

should look carefully is whether or not a technique

suitable for the learners. Kumara stated that

Anagram is considered as an effective, enjoyable

and interesting way to teach vocabulary because it

can give the students enjoyment or challenge in

studying language and encourage them to look

carefully at words, students can practice to form

other words from the given clues, match words with

definition, provide spelling practice, show the

students how the letters of many words can be

manipulated to form other words, emphasize the

importance of letter position in relation to word

meaning.

Investigating the Effectiveness of Anagram Technique on Students Vocabulary Mastery

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Anagram technique can motivate the students

and make them interested in learning vocabulary

English for junior high school, the students also

know about the new words by using anagram, they

can found the new word by themselves. In addition

the students can become active when they suggest

coming front of the class. They become brave to

spell the word and getting the meaning.

Anagram technique also helps the students to

work in team. They will not work individually

because they want to get the best score to be the

winner. Collaborative learning will help the learners

to enhance their social intelligence.

Moreover, applying this technique means to help

students to raise their vocabulary. Anagram

technique is a technique that can make the students

have capability to develop their vocabulary.

2.6 Disadvantages of Anagram

The disadvantage Anagram technique is the noise

cannot be avoided. This technique is student-

centered which make all the students get involved, it

will be so noisy.

Anagram technique cannot make a new word

form except from word itself, and it limit teacher

expectation. This technique needs a dictionary for

beginner, because without a dictionary they cannot

find another word form. An activity which is chosen

by the teacher will have its advantages and

disadvantages. Since Anagram technique has many

advantages than disadvantages. Therefore, before

applying Anagram technique, it is a need for the

teacher to adjust with the topic.

3 METHODOLOGY

Quasi experimental design was used in this study in

which two classes are involved. One class assigned

as an experimental class, and the other one as

control class. The students in both classes were

given pre-test and post-test. Pre-test was used to

decide which group belongs to control and/or

experimental class. While post-test was used to see

the effect of Anagram technique on students’

vocabulary mastery.

Purposive sampling was used as a sampling

technique where seventy two (72) students of the

eighth grade of one Islamic junior high school in

Jakarta, Indonesia were chosen as the sample of the

study. Test consisted of thirty (30) multiple choice

questions was used as the instrument and T-test was

used to analyze the data. In addition, Cohen formula

was used to see the effect size level of the Anagram

technique on students’ vocabulary mastery (Cohen,

2007).

4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 The Data of Experimental Class

The data were collected from students' pre-test score

which was conducted before the researcher

implemented anagram technique and students’ post-

test score which was conducted after the researcher

implemented anagram technique. The data is

presented in table 1.

Table 1: Students’ Pre-test, Post-test and Gained Score of

Experimental Class.

Student

Pre- test

score

Post-test

score

Gained

score

1 61 73 12

2 64 76 12

3 67 73 6

4 61 70 9

5 58 67 9

6 58 79 21

7 61 76 15

8 52 67 15

9 61 73 12

10 61 79 18

11 52 79 27

12 55 70 15

13 61 76 15

14 58 70 12

15 61 73 12

16 67 76 9

17 55 73 18

18 70 82 12

19 67 70 3

20 52 67 15

21 58 76 18

22 55 73 18

23 64 82 18

24 61 76 15

25 64 73 9

26 58 79 21

27 70 76 6

28 58 70 12

29 61 76 15

30 73 85 12

31 70 82 12

32 67 76 9

33 58 79 21

34 67 82 15

35 70 85 15

36 64 79 15

Σ 2220 2718 498

Mean 61.66 75.5 13.83

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The data shows the score of 36 students in VIII-I,

the mean score of pre-test was 61.66, the lowest

score of pre-test was 52 and the highest score was

73. Meanwhile, the mean score of post-test was

75.50, the lowest score of post-test was 67 and the

highest score was 85. Besides the mean score of

gained was 13.83 with the minimum gained score

was 3 and the maximum gained score was 27. It can

be known that there was significant difference in the

pre-test and post-test score of experimental class.

4.2 The Data of Controlled Class

The control class is a class in which they did not

taught by using anagram technique. The data were

collected from students' pre-test score and post-test

score. The data is presented in table 2.

Table 2: Students’ Pre-test, Post-test and Gained Score of

Controlled Class.

Student

Pre- test

score

Post-test

score

Gained

score

1 67 73 6

2 64 70 6

3 67 73 6

4 64 76 12

5 70 73 3

6 67 76 9

7 70 76 6

8 67 73 6

9 58 70 12

10 64 73 9

11 67 70 3

12 70 79 9

13 61 76 15

14 73 79 6

15 70 76 6

16 61 64 3

17 64 67 3

18 61 70 9

19 64 70 6

20 67 76 9

21 61 67 6

22 64 73 9

23 70 76 6

24 64 70 6

25 67 82 15

26 61 73 12

27 73 79 6

28 64 67 3

29 67 76 9

30 61 76 15

31 58 67 9

32 61 70 9

33 58 70 12

34 61 73 12

Student

Pre- test

score

Post-test

score

Gained

score

35 61 70 9

36 55 64 9

Σ 2322 2613 291

Mean 64.5 72.58 8.08

The data shows the score of 36 students in VIII-

H, the mean score of pre-test was 64.5 the lowest

score of pre-test was 55 and the highest score was

73. Meanwhile, the mean score of post-test was

72.58 the lowest score of post-test was 64 and the

highest score was 82. Besides the mean score of

gained was 8.08 with the minimum gained score was

3 and the maximum gained score was 15.

The data shows the difference between students’

score in experimental and control class that the score

of experimental class which was taught by using

anagram technique was higher than the score of

control class which learn with conventional

technique. The progress of both classes can be seen

in Figure 1.

Figure 1: The Difference between Students’

Score in Experimental and Control Class.

In the description of the data which was taken

from 36 students of experimental class, Table 1

showed the description of the experimental class

score which has the mean score of pre-test 64.5

before anagram technique was implemented. After

anagram technique was implemented in the class,

the mean score of post-test was 76 Meanwhile, the

Table 2 showed the description of the control class

score which has the mean score of pre-test 61.66 and

the mean score of post-test was 75.5. It means that

both classes have increased in the post-test score.

Yet, the experimental class got higher score than the

control class. Based on the statistical analysis, the

increasing point of the experimental class was 13.83

points; from 61.66 to 75.5. As for the control class,

Pre‐tes tPost‐test

Exper imenta

lclass

Controlled

class

Investigating the Effectiveness of Anagram Technique on Students Vocabulary Mastery

1329

it increased 8.08 points; from 64.5 to 72.58. It means

that the experimental class had more significantly

increasing points rather than the control class.

The result of T-test shows that t

value

is 2.684 with

the Sig. (2-tailed) 0.009. Then t

value

is compared to

the t

table

to know whether anagram technique give

significant effect on students’ vocabulary. The t

table

is taken from the requirement which has been

standard in analyzing the data. The t

table

shows 1.994

with 70 as the degree of freedom (df) in the

significance level 0.05. The comparison shows that

value

(2.684) > t

table

(1.994) and the Sig. (2-tailed)

value of the post-test score was lower than α, 0.009

< 0.05. It means there was significant effect of

anagram technique on students’ vocabulary mastery.

Moreover, the effect size of anagram technique was

0.63. Therefore, the effect size level of this research

was moderate.

From the data analysis of the research, it can be

seen that anagram technique can give significant

effect on students’ vocabulary because the score of

students' vocabularies after being taught by using

anagram technique is higher than before the

researcher gave the treatment. Furthermore, this

research supported the previous research that

anagram technique is effective to increase student’s

vocabulary. In addition, it can promote the learning

process which facilitates students to increase their

vocabulary. It helps them to know more vocabulary

in English, understanding the meaning, and also

having motivation and enjoyment in learning

English.

In summary, using anagram technique is

effective to improve students’ vocabulary, especially

for the eighth-grade students at MTsN 13 Jakarta.

4 CONCLUSION

Based on the findings, it is concluded that anagram

technique has medium effect on students’

vocabulary at eighth grade students of one Islamic

junior high school in Jakarta. It can be seen from the

data with the statistical hypothesis showed that the

mean score of experimental class after being taught

by anagram technique was 75.5 and it was higher

than the mean score before using anagram

technique; it was 61.66. The data analysis,

moreover, showed that sig. 2-tailed (ρ) < α; 0.009 <

0.05. It means that null hypothesis (H

) was rejected

and alternative hypothesis (H

) was accepted.

Therefore, anagram technique shows the medium

effect in improving the students’ vocabulary. It is

also supported by the effect size of anagram

technique on this research; it was 0.63. It shows that

it has medium effect size level.

In summary, this research shows that using

anagram technique can affect students' vocabulary at

the eighth-grade students of one Islamic junior high

school in Jakarta.

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