Journal of English Language Teaching http://ojs.ikipmataram.ac.id/index.php/joelt DOI:10.33394/jo-elt.v6i2.2358 Volume 6 Nomor 2, Desember 2019 online: 2548-5865, print: 2355-0309 pp.76-83 76 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF APPLYING ESA METHOD TOWARDS STUDENTS’ ENGLISH VOCABULARY MASTERY Rully May Vikasari SMPN 4 Praya, Central Lombok momvika01@gmail.com Abstract Inspired by difficulties of grade 8 students of SMPN 4 Praya, Central Lombok in increasing their vocabulary mastery, the current study applied ESA (Engage Study Active) method to overcome the situation. The fundamental contribution of vocabulary in learning a foreign language encouraged the researcher to find a way to improve students‟ vocabulary mastery. In an attempt to find the solution, the study was designed as a quasi-experimental study at SMPN (public junior high school) 4 Praya. To conduct the study, the researcher had conducted a preliminary study to collect information from the class to identify problems occurred in the school during vocabulary learning. By applying mixed method, this study was aimed to find the effectiveness of ESA method using the quantitative method and to see the improvement on the students‟ mastery qualitatively by conducting classroom observation to see the quality of interaction in the class using English as the target language. Throughout the study, quantitative data showed increase in students‟ vocabulary mastery after being treated using ESA method, in which the mean score of the pre-test of 53 increased in the post-test of 75. The result was found using descriptive statistic analysis towards students‟ pretest and posttest results. Qualitatively, the observers‟ notes also indicated increase in terms of students‟ vocabulary mastery by viewing students‟ engagements during classroom interactions. It can be concluded that ESA method may increase students‟ English vocabulary mastery in writing class. Keywords: Engage Study Active Method, Vocabulary INTRODUCTION Students‟ language competence in a foreign language is highly related to the level of their vocabulary mastery of the language, which is considered as fundamental components of language learning (Hidayati, 2019). Somehow, people often say that learning a new language actually means learning its vocabulary, since it becomes one of the significant elements of languages. Therefore, students who want to develop their English skills must learn more vocabulary (Haerazi & Irawan, 2019). Basically, vocabulary enactive all language skills, including skill in writing (Haerazi et al., 2018). By acquiring bulks of vocabulary, the students would be able to engage in communication (Bohari, 2019), easier for them to do an exercise, and encourage them to express their ideas in English, and so on. An observation towards students of grade eight at SMPN 4 Praya led the researcher to find that students had the struggle to master vocabulary, especially spotted during the writing activity. For instance, the students who were lack of vocabulary seemed problematic in determining the meaning of words (Buhari, 2019). Moreover, they demonstrated difficulty in differentiating the form of speech, not knowing how to express an idea in written form, and tend to be passive participants in the classroom. They got bored during learning sessions. mailto:momvika01@gmail.com 77 Hence, the teacher should be more creative and competent to increase students‟ English vocabulary mastery in writing activity (Alviana, 2019). In order to facilitate learning achievement, teachers also should concern about the psychological aspect within the learners, i.e. their interest in learning. Considering the problem students encountered, the researcher decided to apply ESA method as an alternative way to solve problems in vocabulary mastery. Moreover, the method was believed effective to increase students‟ interest to study. As stated by Harmer (2001:67), “Engage, Study, and Active method is a method to be presented in a language classroom to help the students‟ to learn effectively and not make them bored”. In this case, it supports the researcher‟s goal to increase students‟ interest and their English vocabulary mastery in writing activity. The study was conducted to students of grade eight of junior high school. The research site was SMPN 4 Praya. Review of Related Literature Vocabulary Mastery Speaking English properly requires students to have sufficient vocabulary mastery, as one of the key components. It is one of the language elements that learners need to improve, in order to understand the English language in the teaching and learning process of mastering vocabulary well. Thus, it may help students to understand the lesson effectively. Vocabulary is important for students to support their four language skills (Nunan, 1991: 9). Cameron (2001: 74) says that learning word is something continuously undertaken by language learners. To master vocabulary is to learn new words, meaning to increase vocabulary. Learning vocabulary includes also learning other language components, such as pronunciation, meaning, spelling, using or part of speech of the words. Furthermore, the student had the ability to understanding using words and meaning. Based on the given explanation above, the researcher concluded that vocabulary mastery was a complete integrated of word knowledge (knowing the form, meaning, and used it in writing) of a certain language. According to Harmer (1991:159), there are two kinds of vocabulary. The first one is active vocabulary, which is used in oral and written expression by the students. Active vocabulary refers to put items that can use appropriately in speaking or writing and it also calls as productive vocabulary. It means that to use productive vocabulary, it is expected that students can understand, pronounce correctly, and know and be able to use grammar constructively. They use the words effectively in speaking and writing. Secondly, passive vocabulary. Passive vocabulary is words that the students recognize and understand in a context that helps them recall the word meaning. It also refers to language items that can be recognized and understood in the context of reading and listening. Passive vocabulary is also known as receptive vocabulary. Thornburry (2002: 27) and Brown (2003:229) mention that there are four indicators of vocabulary, as follows: (a) pronunciation; words considered difficult to pronounce would be more difficult to learn. Potentially difficult words will typically be those that contain sounds that are unfamiliar to some groups of learners- 78 such as regular and lorry for Japanese speakers. Many learners find that words with clusters of consonants, such as strength or crisps or breakfast, are also problematic; (b) spelling; sound-spelling mismatches are likely to be the cause of errors, either of pronunciation or of spelling and can contribute to the difficulty of a word. While most English spelling is fairly law-abiding, there are also some glaring irregularities. Words that contain silent letters are particularly problematic: align, listen, stomach, climbing, bored, honor, cupboard, muscle, etc.; (c) meaning; when two words overlap in meaning, learners are likely to confuse them. Make and do are a case in point: you make breakfast and make an appointment, but you do the housework and do a questionnaire. Words with multiple meanings, such as since and still, can also be troublesome for learners. Having learned one meaning of the word, they may be reluctant to accept a second, totally different, meaning. Unfamiliar concepts may make a word difficult to learn. Thus, culture-specific items such as word and expressions associated with the game cricket (a sticky wicket, a hat trick, good innings) will seem fairly opaque to most learners and are unlikely to be easily learned; (d) using word. The latter is the most authentic, but even that task is constrained by a contrived situation in which the test taker, usually in a matter of seconds, has to come up with an appropriate sentence, which may or may not indicate that the test taker “knows” the word. Harold (1983: 16) distinguishes vocabulary tests into four kinds. Those are: (a) limited responses. The limited response is a vocabulary test for beginners. The test items require either a simple physical action as “yes” or “no”; (b) multiple- choice completion. This type of test is a vocabulary test in which a sentence with a missing word is presented. Students are requested to choose one of four vocabulary items given to complete the sentences; (c) multiple-choice paraphrase. This kind of test is a vocabulary test in which a sentence with one word underlined is given, then students should choose which of four words that have the closest in meaning to the underlined item; (d) simple completion (words, in which students are asked to write in the missing part of word that appears in sentences. Engage, Study, Active Method (ESA) ESA was expected to improve the students‟ interest in studying English. Harmer (1998:237) states that ESA method may raise learners‟ interest, curiosity, and emotions in learning a topic, by attracting attention and motivating them to engage. In addition, to increase the students‟ interest and also their understanding on the new course material, ESA method is suggested effective. Tomlinson (2013:238) states that ESA is a method of how to build students‟ interest in a topic considered problematic by a teacher in learning. The teacher should know to build and control it too”. In this case, the teacher should be given attention and motivate students as the target of the learner. Moreover, this method is suggested in order to encourage students to demonstrate their opinion, knowledge and language well. Media Media in learning a language is essential, especially to explain the words and its uses. Once the students do not know about the meaning of a certain word, media can also stimulate the students to 79 master vocabulary. Media is an important thing to support the teaching material; it cannot be separated from the part of the preparation. Media encourage the students to have more interest and be motivated in the teaching and learning process. Various kinds of media can be used by the teacher, such as videos, pictures, books, and etc. In this paper, the researchers had decided a series of pictures as media to support the teaching. Some advantages may be achieved after applying to engage, study, and active (ESA). First, this method can improve the students‟ vocabulary and also review the vocabulary terms. Second, students can practice their English in the classroom. Third, by giving students this acted like practicing, it helps them to „switch‟ language, what they are studying. Fourth, these methods can be made the students easier, and fun in learning English. And fifth, ESA is an effective way for both (teacher and learner), and it was useful for teachers to assess how good the class is progressing it. To assist the teacher conducting his/her duty, he/she has to prepare certain teaching procedures, which can ease her/him in giving instruction. The procedure of ESA is proposed by Harmer (2003:27), follows: (a) the students and teacher look at a picture of the topic; (b) the teacher as an instructor starts by introducing a specific language feature (grammatical structure or a language function) embedded in a context; (c) the teacher divides the students into four groups to discuss and make dialogue about the other picture; (d) then the teacher/instructor describes a situational (individual, pair, or group work) in which the students are to practice the emphasized patterns by writing scripted dialogues or sentences. RESEARCH METHOD Research Design This study was designed as a mixed- method study (quantitative and qualitative). Quantitatively, the study collected data of students prior to and after treatment using ESA methods had been conducted. Data were collected using a pretest and posttest that examined the students‟ vocabulary mastery in their writings. In order to avoid bias, the study gave the same instruction and topic for the students‟ writing activity in both tests. On the other hand, to answer the second research question, the researcher conducted a library study technique to get data about the quality of vocabulary mastery by studying vocabulary in use in students‟ writings in pretest and posttest. Qualitatively, there were some technical aspects to be observed during classroom activities, which was dealing with their learning interest. This data was expected to enrich the discussion in order to provide more consideration to apply ESA in English writing class with the main focus on vocabulary mastery. However, the concern of this study in terms of quality is to seek the quality of students‟ vocabulary mastery after being given treatments. Objects and Setting of the Research Objects of the research were 25 students of Grade Eight at SMPN 4 Praya, Central Lombok, in the academic year 2018/2019, which consisted of 12 male students and 13 female students. The setting of the research was in a classroom, located in the school area of SMPN 4 Praya, Central Lombok. 80 Research Procedure The teacher and the researcher had discussed the plan of applying ESA method in vocabulary class. Stages of the method were stated clearly in a lesson plan document made by the researcher and were informed to the teacher because the teaching-learning process was taken by the teacher herself and the researcher took a position as an observer. All stages of ESA method had been mastered by the teacher in the preparation for meeting with the researcher. Before the method was implemented, the teacher and the researcher gave a pretest to all students. During the class, the researcher sat behind the class to get an optimal view regarding all classroom activities, which he recorded in the observation sheet. After treatment given, all students should engage in a posttest activity. Hence, data were distributed into quantitative and qualitative data, which were addressed to two different research questions, as follows: 1. Is the use of ESA method significant to improve students‟ vocabulary mastery? 2. How is the quality of students‟ vocabulary mastery viewed from their writings? Frankel (2012: 141) mentions instrument as the entry process of collecting data in a research, in which the researcher should prepare the quasi- experimental. In this study, it needs an observation sheet, while a test is prepared to collect supporting data regarding passing grade. The observation sheet records teacher researcher‟s instruction and her interaction with the students in writing class. The test was taken twice, designed as pre-test and post-test. The mixed-method dealt with quantitative and qualitative facts from the classroom. Quantitative was aimed to know the changes on students‟ scores in vocabulary mastery that were analyzed using descriptive quantitative. The kinds of descriptive analysis use in this research to know the writing test to analysis and find out how was the quality of improvement in students‟ vocabulary mastery after being taught using ESA method. According to Fraengkel (2012: 436), data analysis in qualitative research is an iterative and continuously comparative process that involves reducing and retrieving large amounts of written and sometimes pictorial information. FINDING AND DISCUSSION Results of classroom observation on teaching and learning process showed that most of the students paid attention to the teacher when the teacher gave explanation about the materials. As a result, the students could answer the question correctly when he/she was given questions by the teacher. After the teaching and learning process was finished, the researcher gave the students a posttest. There were three types of instruction within the test, i.e. arranging words into good sentence, text completion test, and writing paragraphs (at least three paragraphs). The pre-test was done before the treatment given, which was conducted on 31 st in August 2018. There was two tasks consisted of vocabulary tasks in writing a test in which the students carried out the test during 50 minutes. The task one, the students describe the pictures in general at least 3 paragraphs. And also the task two, the students arrange the jumbled words into good sentence. 81 The teacher gave the students a post- test on Wednesday, 19 th September 2018, the test was chosen the best words to complete the text, arrange the jumbled words into good sentences, and describe those pictures in general at least 2 or 3 paragraphs of written test, the test during 50 minutes. Based on the calculation above the mean score of the pre-test was 53, while the highest score of students was 70 and the lowest score was 35. The number of students who completed (got score ˃65) from 25 students, there were 2 students who completed the test, who not reached yet the target score (got score ˂65) based on the pre-test, there were 23 students not completed the vocabulary in writing test of the pre-test. Based on the calculation above, the mean score of the post-test was 75, while the highest score of students was 90 and the lowest score was 65. Based on quantitative data analysis, it was found that the use of ESA method was successful to increase students‟ vocabulary mastery in writing tasks. The finding was proven by the students‟ mean score of 75. In this phase was discussing the result of the action. The researcher and the teacher discussed the results of the action given. Based on the analysis of the students‟ vocabulary mastery in writing, the result of students‟ vocabulary mastery in writing score there was better increasing on students‟ achievement, in which the mean score of students‟ post-test was of 75. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION Conclusion This final consideration of the researcher investigated starting from 5 September until 19 September. The data obtained showed that the figures of student‟s mean score of pre-test was 53 and 75 for post-test. So, the criteria of success in which the setting has been fulfilled even more. It means that the situation of the class when I used Engage Study Active at that time the students‟ were very enthusiastic to study by used ESA. Based on the result and discussions in the previous chapter, it can be concluded that Engage Study Active Method was effective in vocabulary mastery at the 8 th grade students of SMPN 2 Kopang, Central Lombok in academic year 2018/2019. This was taken based on the result of the pre-test was 53 and 75 for the post-test. Thus, the post-test was higher than the pre-test. So, it indicated that “Engage Study Active” as Method could increase students‟ vocabulary mastery in teaching writing especially report text. Based on the result of the test that collected, the students‟ vocabulary mastery in writing skill after being taught using Engage Study Active Method had increased as well as their interest to learn English. They understood how to write report text, they become better in composing and arranging report text effectively and efficiently. Suggestion Based on the conclusion above, the researcher would like to offer some suggestions as follows: (1) For Teachers. The teacher needs to identify the students‟ behavior first before presenting the lesson. This aimed to choose an appropriate method. It is necessary for the teacher to use an interesting method such as Engage Study Active, so the students will more interested, active, and creative in the 82 teaching and learning process. The teacher should be able to develop a good atmosphere in the class so that the students learn in a comfortable situation; (2) For Students. The students are suggested to become more interest to increase their vocabulary mastery in learning English Language. The students should encourage themselves to enjoy following the lesson without taking it too seriously, but they still keep motivated themselves to learn English to make them. Thus, the researcher suggests using Engage Study Active in learning writing especially report Text. Besides it is method would make them work well within a group, provide an explanation to the good friends, and comprehend the text and increase their vocabulary through writing; (3) For the Researcher. 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